It's no accident that college football is basically just as popular as any other sport in America right now. The brand of football played by these 18-22 year old college athletes are just as exciting, if not more, than that of the pros. Every week we the fans witness countless dynamic, exciting performances that make us think, even if just for a second, that perhaps the college game is the one that deserves the attention that the NFL gets (not the type of attention it has received lately though). After all, every star we see that takes the field on Sundays got their start shining on Saturdays.
What I'm saying is that with the somewhat-but-maybe-not-quite exaggerated demise of the NFL being a major talking point all of a sudden, perhaps this is the perfect time to take a step back from obsessing over the NFL and instead appreciate the college game a little more. Of course, the NCAA is certainly not without flaws, the primary one over the past 15 years being the much-scrutinized BCS system. Credit the NCAA for realizing that they had a problem on their hands (albeit it took way longer than it should have) and acting accordingly. The newly installed playoff system has generated a new level of hype for college football in January, and it hopefully will be a more efficient way to determine each season's best team.
If there were ever a week for a casual college football fan to take my advice and begin following the college game more closely, this would be it. Week 6 is LOADED with great games featuring some of the best players in the country. Week 6 is the type of week that die-hard college fans salivate over when schedules are released over the summer. Week 6 has all the makings of the best Saturday of the regular season.
Don't leave Thursday out though, says Arizona. With their monumental upset over the #2-ranked Oregon Ducks, Arizona officially kicked off Week 6 with just about the most mind-shattering thing you will see this weekend. NO ONE expected Arizona to pull that off. It just didn't feel like one of those "upsets waiting to happen". Mississippi St. had that feel going into their game against LSU, as did Missouri when it stole one at South Carolina last week. Even as the game was unfolding and Arizona was hanging around, you just always got the feeling the Oregon's first explosive play was imminent, and that big play would then in turn open the floodgates. Strangely, it just never happened. Mariota's stats were fine; like always he had no turnovers and racked up 250+ yards of offense by himself. It's not like the running game was shut down or anything, as RB's Royce Freeman and Thomas Tyner averaged 4.4 yards per carry. The Oregon defense didn't let Arizona QB Anu Solomon throw all over them like he had been doing to all his previous opponents, and the Wildcats only averaged 3.8 yards per carry on the ground. See what I mean? All these numbers don't seem to add up to an Oregon loss. It just didn't add up. Unfortunately for the Ducks, games are decided on the field, not on that stat sheet. Arizona was able to find the end zone with 2:54 left in the game to put them up a touchdown, and Oregon wasn't able to respond. Sure, the penalty on Tony Washington was ridiculous and may have cost Oregon the game. But that just can't be a valid excuse for a squad that many, including myself, picked to win it all.
Any way you look at it, the Arizona-Oregon game is looking like an incredible preamble to an extraordinary weekend of college football. Even Taysom Hill and the BYU Cougars are playing on Friday night, which will be an exciting game only because Hill is an absolute delight to watch.
I'm hoping that I'm on my A-game for these picks and analysis. I can't disappoint for the best Saturday of the year. Good luck, me:
12:00 PM ET - 6 Texas A&M at 12 Mississippi State (-3)
In perhaps the biggest home game of Dan Mullen's entire time as the Bulldogs' head coach, Kenny Trill and the Aggies are shockingly receiving 3 points as they travel to Starkville. That just shows the respect Vegas has for this Mississippi State squad. And it's well deserved, because these guys can flat out play. As discussed following the LSU game, Dak Prescott has officially launched himself to the top of any Heisman dark horse list, and the defense definitely lives up to that much-ballyhooed "SEC Defense" billing. This is the only the first game and I'm already having trouble leaning either way. A&M certainly looked human in their OT escape of Arkansas last week, but that offense is still operating at otherworldly-levels of efficiency, and freshman/laboratory product Myles Garrett is an absolute terror for opposing QB's right now. Ultimately, I believe this game will come down to how effective Prescott will be as a passer against a talented Aggie secondary. Senior CB Deshazor Everett has emerged as a force, and sophomore Noel Ellis has stepped up as well. We all know about Prescott's ability to make plays with his legs, but how well will he fare if he is forced to remain in the pocket and make decisions as a charging Garrett is bearing down on him like a cheetah pouncing on its prey? This uncertainty is the driving force behind my decision to predict a 38-31 victory on the road for Texas A&M, and also because Kevin Sumlin.
3:30 PM ET - 3 Alabama (-6) at 11 Ole Miss
Not long after the A&M-Miss. St. game wraps up, less than 2 hours away another SEC heavyweight showdown should be getting underway. And this one is quite a match-up. Heisman contender Amari Cooper and the Tide will roll into Oxford to take on Bo Wallace and the Rebels. I said that Dak Prescott would need the best game of his career to take down LSU, and now I'm proclaiming the same for Mr. Wallace. In his 2nd year as the Rebels' starting QB, expectations are through the roof, especially now that they are off to a 4-0 start. The best Ole Miss QB since Eli Manning, Wallace has a tremendous weight on his shoulders as the pilot of an Ole Miss offense that is tasked with outscoring an Alabama offense that just put up more yards on Florida than any other team in Florida's entire history. The days of Greg McElroy Alabama offenses that scored 21 points and stopped because the other team only had 3 are over. Blake Sims is unlike the usual pocket passers that Saban usually employs. Sims is an impressive athlete with an arm to match. And then there's Cooper, who I have raved about on multiple occasions. Who hasn't at this point? I'm repeating myself here, but the guy is the best college WR I've seen since Justin Blackmon and the distance between the two is closer than you would think. Cooper will almost certainly get his as he always does, but it's up to the rest of the Alabama receiving corps to contribute as well. Ole Miss safeties Trae Elston and Tony Conner are about as good a pair in the country, and they are nightmares for receivers over the middle of the field. Throw in a front seven led by the Nkemdiche brothers, DT Robert and LB Denzel, as well as LB Deterrian Shackleford and DE C.J. Johson, and the Rebels' defense almost looks like it can match the usual ferocity exhibited by the guys that will be on the opposite sideline come Saturday. The Crimson Tide are obviously still no slouches, as there should be plenty of future pros on display, including S Landon Collins, LB Reuben Foster, LB Trey Depriest, and LB Xzavier Dickson. Well, it looks like I just convinced myself to pick my second road team to win. Bama is just too overwhelming, especially when Yeldon and Henry get going on the ground. I just don't see Ole Miss being able to corral those two enough to earn the victory.
3:30 PM ET - 4 Oklahoma (-4) at 25 TCU
Let's take a quick break from the SEC West to show a little Big 12 love, shall we? Don't worry, we will be back to that juggernaut of a division soon enough. Entering this game, some are calling Oklahoma the most dominant team in the nation through the first 5 weeks, and I unfortunately must agree. Pass-rushing menace/owner of the greatest football name ever Eric Striker and the Sooners D has been lockdown, and super frosh Samaje "Optimus" Perine has buoyed the rushing attack while usual lead back Keith Ford recovers from a knee injury. Ford is not expected to suit up against the Horned Frogs, but I have a feeling coach Bob Stoops and Oklahoma fans aren't too worried as that just means more touches for Perine and Alex Ross. QB Trevor Knight doesn't even have to be spectacular to win this admittedly difficult road game with all the talent he has surrounding him. A game-manager role may be the best way to deploy Knight in this one, as efficiency and clock-burning should be stressed over big plays and ill-advised deep bombs. The TCU offense has exceeded expectations so far this season, mostly because WR-turned-QB-turned-WR-turned-QB Trevone Boykin has finally put it all together at the quarterback position. He now seems to be supremely confident in how to properly utilize his athleticism to best move the ball. His progression as a passer has been an pleasant surprise for coach Gary Patterson, and is the main reason TCU fans are eager to notch what would most likely be their biggest win as members of the Big 12. Call it Texas bias, but I think the Horned Frogs will pull it off. Why not? Perhaps Arizona's victory was just a sign of things to come. Mark it down, TCU will be back on the national radar by the end of Saturday night.
3:30 PM ET - 14 Stanford (-2) at 9 Notre Dame
Wow, Vegas is giving no love to the Irish. At home, higher ranking, and still Stanford is 2-point favorites. Well, I don't agree with Vegas, as I think Notre Dame takes this one by 10 points, and here's why. Just last week, the Cardinal less-than-stellar against a pretty mediocre Washington squad in a 20-13 win that required a Kevin Hogan TD run with less than 5 minutes remaining in the game for Stanford to come away with the W. If it weren't for a couple successful Ty Montgomery jet sweeps, the Stanford rushing yard numbers would have looked very, well, un-Stanford like. I believe that Hogan is more than just a handoff-quarterback, but that still doesn't convince me that he can win games against top-tier competition without the punishing rushing attack that he's so used to leaning on. Secondly, we are so used to Stanford simply having a stout defense every year. The three guarantees in this world are death, taxes, and a star-studded Stanford D, right? This year, I just don't quite see it. Where are the Trent Murphy's, Shayne Skov's, and Chase Thomas' that we've seen patrolling the middle of the field the past couple years? Where are the Delano Howell's and Ed Reynolds' making plays in the secondary on this 2014 squad? LB A.J. Tarpley is the only one of those classic Stanford defenders I see on this roster, and he isn't the talent that the guys I just mentioned were. Without their usual defensive playmakers, I don't see how Notre Dame QB Everett Golson, who would be the runaway Comeback Player of the Year if the NCAA gave out the award, doesn't toss the ball around with the same relative ease he has thrown it with all year. RB's Greg Bryant and Tarean Folston provide great support in the run game, and receivers William Fuller and Corey Robinson are an excellent pair of targets for Golson in the passing game. Side bar: Notre Dame TE Ben Koyack projects to be the next in a ridiculously long line of Irish tight ends to be high picks in the NFL Draft. I see Koyack as more of a 4th round pick, which is later than guys like Anthony Fasano (2nd, 2006), John Carlson (2nd, 2008), Kyle Rudolph (2nd, 2011), Tyler Eifert (1st, 2012), and Troy Niklas (2nd, 2014). Still, that is an absolutely insane run of pro tight ends produced by Notre Dame. Crazy thing is, the run won't end with Koyack. Sophomore Durham Smythe projects to be the next great Notre Dame TE, and he is a true receiving threat more in the mold of Rudolph and Eifert than Niklas and Koyack, who are primarily blocking TE's. End of side bar. Back to the game, Notre Dame wins and continues its quest to represent the Independents in the college football playoff, while Stanford shows it may actually only be the 4th best team in the Pac-12.
7:00 PM ET - 15 LSU at 5 Auburn (-8)
See, I told you there would be more SEC West greatness. First note on this game: FOURNETTE. The freshman sensation finally broke out last week, and I don't care one bit that it was against New Mexico State. 18 carries for 122 yards and 2 TD's is 18 carries for 122 yards and 2 TD's. And it was exhilarating to watch Big L (trying out this as a nickname. Purely out of respect to the real one. R.I.P.) run rampant on overmatched defenses again. With that said, I think Auburn handles LSU pretty easily. Fournette may be awesome, but NOTHING tops the run-first, run-second offense that head coach Gus Malzahn has implemented. Led by QB Nick Marshall and RB Cameron Artis-Payne, Auburn straight up demoralizes people with a variety of read option, speed options, misdirections, and even simple off-tackle, zone runs that somehow almost always result in chunk gains. Marshall, while not a real polished passer, has even found a new monster target to throw to when dominating the ground game gets a little boring. WR D'haquille Williams is borderline unstoppable in this offense, as all 11 defenders are forced to devote most of their attention to the backfield. Trotting out possibly the best QB-RB-WR combo in college football (interesting note: all three are junior college transfers), Auburn looks to be just too much for the LSU defense to handle. Also, LSU has officially turned over its offense to true freshman Brandon Harris. Harris is plenty talented and looks all but guaranteed to be a future star based on his performances in relief so far this year, but I don't think he's ready for this moment, on the road, against the #5 team in the nation. Look for Auburn to get after Harris and pressure him into some mistakes that could possibly bury LSU early.
Friday, October 3, 2014
Wednesday, October 1, 2014
Fantasy Football Focus - Week 5
Usually, I put out my Stars and Stripes NFL post every Tuesday. That didn't exactly happen this week. Blame it on college work piling up and Parks and Recreation being so damn addictive.
Anyway, I've decided against writing a Week 4 recap on a Wednesday afternoon when the last game from the previous week ended over 18 hours ago as you most likely have already read your fill of Week 4 recap articles elsewhere on the Internet. Instead, I present to you a purely fantasy football column, where I discuss the best/worst match-ups, top sleeper performances, and other categories like those in a given week. I'm not sure if I'm going to start doing this every Wednesday, I guess that depends on how well this goes. I'm making up the format as I go, so if there's anything you want added, let me know.
I don't have any type of metric in front of me that quantifies whether or not an opponent is strong or weak against a certain position, but I do have basic fantasy point totals and my opinions. That should be enough, right? Right. Now, here are some notable players at various positions who you should keep an eye on for the positive and negative reasons that I will list.
(NOTE: For both my plus and minus-rated match-ups, I will not be including obvious, every week starters or obvious, every week waiver wire garbage. Only guys who could at least somewhat make sense being either in a starting lineup or on a bench depending on the matchup):
Quarterbacks
Plus-Rated Plays
Ben Roethlisberger (averaging 22.07 SP Per Game): Easy choice here. Big Ben has a dream matchup against the Jaguars this week, and he's coming off an impressive outing against the Bucs in Week 4. His top target, Antonio Brown, is currently the #1 fantasy WR (92.05 SP), and secondary weapons like Heath Miller and Markus Wheaton provide solid options as well. And, of course, Steelers RB Le'Veon Bell is drawing comparisons to Eddie George and receiving high praise from future Hall of Fame RB LaDainian Tomlinson. Jacksonville will most likely stack the box in an attempt to slow down Pittsburgh's running game, but honestly that will probably fail. Regardless, this should leave plenty of room all over the field for Big Ben to rack up plenty of points for your fantasy squads.
Nick Foles (avg. 23.29 SPPG): Although there are probably 10-12 QB's I'd start over Foles right now, this is more for those of you who possibly have Brady, Romo, or Kaep as your current starter. All 3 of those guys are becoming less and less credible as sure-fire starting fantasy quarterbacks, and none of them have exactly easy match-ups this week. That's why I recommend sliding Foles into your QB slot, as the St. Louis secondary has been fairly leaky thus far in 2014 (. Aside from Janoris Jenkins, an above-average corner, though not exactly shutdown either, there really aren't any cover men on the Rams that should scare you. Foles certainly hasn't picked up where he left off in 2013, as he has been overthrowing receivers and tossing picks far more often than he did in his magical, abridged season a year ago. Still, Foles is currently 13th among QB's who have started at least 3 games in 2014, and the Eagles will be passing plenty since their depleted offensive line can't seem to create any push for Shady McCoy in the running game. If you don't own a top-6 quarterback, start Foles with a fair amount of confidence this week.
Minus-Rated Plays
Tom Brady (avg. 14.79 SPPG): It has finally arrived. The clear demise of the Golden Boy. Brady has looked pretty shitty so far this season, and even late last year. Most Brady owners have already begun their search for his replacement. If you're not one of them, I recommend at least sitting him for just one week before giving him another chance. Brady goes up against quite possibly the best defense in the league right now, the Cincinnati Bengals. And the Bengals' secondary is STACKED. Leon Hall, Terrance Newman, Darqueze Dennard, Adam "Pacman" Jones, Reggie Nelson, and George Iloka are easily the most feared DB's west of Seattle in the entire league. The Bengals have given up only 2 passing touchdowns in 3 games this season, fewest in the league, and have picked off 6 passes, good for 2nd in the NFL. Simply put, Brady is not getting back on track this Sunday.
Andy Dalton (avg. 22.20 SPPG): Yeah, I'm pretty much saying there won't be much efficient passing going on in this game. But for good reason, as the Pats are allowing the fewest passing yards per game at just 185.5. Darrelle Revis has clearly made quite an impact on New England's pass defense, and fellow offseason addition Brandon Browner, formerly the 4th member of the LOB, returns this week after serving a 4-game suspension. For all the struggles the Patriots are experiencing on offense, they have been playing some real good defense in 2014. Well, besides that disaster at Arrowhead, which was amazing to watch as a Bills fan who has lived his whole life disturbingly jealous of the Patriots. Chiefs game aside, Pats D = bad game for opposing QB. Leave Dalton on your bench.
Running Backs
Plus-Rated Plays
Rashad Jennings (avg. 15.20 SPPG): After Jennings' explosion in Week 3, he firmly cemented himself as a high-end RB2 in any league, PPR or not. Week 4 saw Jennings turn in a rather disappointing performance, but that should all change against Atlanta's pushover run defense. Just last week, the Falcons let the plodding Matt Asiata and the electrifying, but extremely inexperienced, Jerick McKinnon run all over them to the tune of 213 rushing yards between the two. Jennings should feast on a defense that generous, especially given how many carries he is receiving. A 125-yard, 1-2 TD outing is definitely in the realm of possibility.
Andre Ellington (avg. 9.37 SPPG): Along with Vikings WR Cordarrelle Patterson, no one receive more preseason fantasy hype than Andre Ellington. I was one of many who built him up to Olympian heights in anticipation of some monumental breakout season. I'm still convinced it's going to happen, it just hasn't yet. Ellington has been playing through a leg injury, limiting his effectiveness carrying the ball and running routes out of the backfield. Coming off a bye and facing the Broncos this week, I'm feeling that same giddy sensation that overtook me and plenty of others who watched Ellington highlights from last year and projected that to this season when given more carries. Denver has seen Knile Davis and Marshawn Lynch tear through their defense in their last two games, so just imagine what a more explosive back like Ellington can do, especially now that he had an extra week to heal up. Expect big things out of the little guy in Week 5.
Minus-Rated Play
Alfred Morris (avg. 13.45 SPPG): You're probably going to still start him if you have him, but don't expect much. Morris is a high-volume back who usually hovers in the high-4's in terms of YPC. This usually makes up the components of a reliable fantasy back. Well, his 3-catch performance last week aside, Morris is an absolute zero in the passing game and not a guarantee to score even when his team gets in the red zone. Against Seattle's front seven (can't forget about Kam Chancellor too), Morris may find himself working with very little running room. Compound that with star LT Trent Williams being banged up if he does indeed suit up for the game, and Morris owners should begin preparing for a single-digit game if they decide to stick with him.
Wide Receivers
Plus-Rated Play
Reggie Wayne & T.Y. Hilton (avg. 12.05 & 10.15 SPPG): Aside from being fortunate enough to have the ball thrown to them by the immortal Andrew Luck, these two WR's should be the featured stars in a potential shootout with the Baltimore Ravens. Steve Smith and Reggie Wanye will be competing for the title of "best old wide receiver in the NFL" while Torrey Smith and T.Y. Hilton compete for the title of "most dynamic young wide receiver ignored by their own team in favor of a past-his-prime veteran". Really, I like all the wideouts in this game to put up some big numbers. I'm more fond of the Indy duo, however, because Luck is just on a different level right now and the Colts truly have no running game whatsoever. At least the Ravens are getting decent production from a couple no-name backs. T-Rich is still hitting holes slower than it takes Big Papi to round the bases following a home run, and Ahmad Bradshaw's feet/ankles disintegrate a little more with each passing day. Start either of the above WR's as strong WR3 plays with WR2 upside.
Minus-Rated Play
Wes Welker (9.00 SP in 1 game this season): I'm just not convinced the concussion issues have 100% gone away. Also, has anyone considered that the best white WR of the last decade is finally declining physically? Maybe we have just finally reached the point where even that glorious route-running ability of his can't make up for the significant loss of burst and acceleration? It's not really clear whether that is the case or not yet, but Week 5 won't help in determining the answer. Welker should see plenty of the Honey Badger, who is still recovering from knee surgery. 85-90% Honey Badger is still a problem for Wes, as Mathieu is a stud in terms of covering the slot. Also, I see Peyton sticking to his relentless targeting of his top 3 weapons, the Terrifying Thomas Towers and Emmanuel Sanders. Don't feel compelled to start Welker because of the big-name recognition thing. Wes still has a nose for the end zone, but aside from the possible score, I don't feel a big reception/yards game coming his way this week.
Was it just me or did this post not really work for you? Well, at least I gave it a shot. It wouldn't be the first idea I scrapped, just the first one I published after deciding it won't stick. Next week I'm back to my Tuesday recaps, only more fantasy sprinkled in. Oh, and apologies to anyone who was upset at the absence of a Week 5 College Football Shoutouts post. I hope my Week 6 preview makes up for it. I believe it will, BIG week ahead in the world of collegiate football. Get. Hyped.
Anyway, I've decided against writing a Week 4 recap on a Wednesday afternoon when the last game from the previous week ended over 18 hours ago as you most likely have already read your fill of Week 4 recap articles elsewhere on the Internet. Instead, I present to you a purely fantasy football column, where I discuss the best/worst match-ups, top sleeper performances, and other categories like those in a given week. I'm not sure if I'm going to start doing this every Wednesday, I guess that depends on how well this goes. I'm making up the format as I go, so if there's anything you want added, let me know.
I don't have any type of metric in front of me that quantifies whether or not an opponent is strong or weak against a certain position, but I do have basic fantasy point totals and my opinions. That should be enough, right? Right. Now, here are some notable players at various positions who you should keep an eye on for the positive and negative reasons that I will list.
(NOTE: For both my plus and minus-rated match-ups, I will not be including obvious, every week starters or obvious, every week waiver wire garbage. Only guys who could at least somewhat make sense being either in a starting lineup or on a bench depending on the matchup):
Quarterbacks
Plus-Rated Plays
Ben Roethlisberger (averaging 22.07 SP Per Game): Easy choice here. Big Ben has a dream matchup against the Jaguars this week, and he's coming off an impressive outing against the Bucs in Week 4. His top target, Antonio Brown, is currently the #1 fantasy WR (92.05 SP), and secondary weapons like Heath Miller and Markus Wheaton provide solid options as well. And, of course, Steelers RB Le'Veon Bell is drawing comparisons to Eddie George and receiving high praise from future Hall of Fame RB LaDainian Tomlinson. Jacksonville will most likely stack the box in an attempt to slow down Pittsburgh's running game, but honestly that will probably fail. Regardless, this should leave plenty of room all over the field for Big Ben to rack up plenty of points for your fantasy squads.
Nick Foles (avg. 23.29 SPPG): Although there are probably 10-12 QB's I'd start over Foles right now, this is more for those of you who possibly have Brady, Romo, or Kaep as your current starter. All 3 of those guys are becoming less and less credible as sure-fire starting fantasy quarterbacks, and none of them have exactly easy match-ups this week. That's why I recommend sliding Foles into your QB slot, as the St. Louis secondary has been fairly leaky thus far in 2014 (. Aside from Janoris Jenkins, an above-average corner, though not exactly shutdown either, there really aren't any cover men on the Rams that should scare you. Foles certainly hasn't picked up where he left off in 2013, as he has been overthrowing receivers and tossing picks far more often than he did in his magical, abridged season a year ago. Still, Foles is currently 13th among QB's who have started at least 3 games in 2014, and the Eagles will be passing plenty since their depleted offensive line can't seem to create any push for Shady McCoy in the running game. If you don't own a top-6 quarterback, start Foles with a fair amount of confidence this week.
Minus-Rated Plays
Tom Brady (avg. 14.79 SPPG): It has finally arrived. The clear demise of the Golden Boy. Brady has looked pretty shitty so far this season, and even late last year. Most Brady owners have already begun their search for his replacement. If you're not one of them, I recommend at least sitting him for just one week before giving him another chance. Brady goes up against quite possibly the best defense in the league right now, the Cincinnati Bengals. And the Bengals' secondary is STACKED. Leon Hall, Terrance Newman, Darqueze Dennard, Adam "Pacman" Jones, Reggie Nelson, and George Iloka are easily the most feared DB's west of Seattle in the entire league. The Bengals have given up only 2 passing touchdowns in 3 games this season, fewest in the league, and have picked off 6 passes, good for 2nd in the NFL. Simply put, Brady is not getting back on track this Sunday.
Andy Dalton (avg. 22.20 SPPG): Yeah, I'm pretty much saying there won't be much efficient passing going on in this game. But for good reason, as the Pats are allowing the fewest passing yards per game at just 185.5. Darrelle Revis has clearly made quite an impact on New England's pass defense, and fellow offseason addition Brandon Browner, formerly the 4th member of the LOB, returns this week after serving a 4-game suspension. For all the struggles the Patriots are experiencing on offense, they have been playing some real good defense in 2014. Well, besides that disaster at Arrowhead, which was amazing to watch as a Bills fan who has lived his whole life disturbingly jealous of the Patriots. Chiefs game aside, Pats D = bad game for opposing QB. Leave Dalton on your bench.
Running Backs
Plus-Rated Plays
Rashad Jennings (avg. 15.20 SPPG): After Jennings' explosion in Week 3, he firmly cemented himself as a high-end RB2 in any league, PPR or not. Week 4 saw Jennings turn in a rather disappointing performance, but that should all change against Atlanta's pushover run defense. Just last week, the Falcons let the plodding Matt Asiata and the electrifying, but extremely inexperienced, Jerick McKinnon run all over them to the tune of 213 rushing yards between the two. Jennings should feast on a defense that generous, especially given how many carries he is receiving. A 125-yard, 1-2 TD outing is definitely in the realm of possibility.
Andre Ellington (avg. 9.37 SPPG): Along with Vikings WR Cordarrelle Patterson, no one receive more preseason fantasy hype than Andre Ellington. I was one of many who built him up to Olympian heights in anticipation of some monumental breakout season. I'm still convinced it's going to happen, it just hasn't yet. Ellington has been playing through a leg injury, limiting his effectiveness carrying the ball and running routes out of the backfield. Coming off a bye and facing the Broncos this week, I'm feeling that same giddy sensation that overtook me and plenty of others who watched Ellington highlights from last year and projected that to this season when given more carries. Denver has seen Knile Davis and Marshawn Lynch tear through their defense in their last two games, so just imagine what a more explosive back like Ellington can do, especially now that he had an extra week to heal up. Expect big things out of the little guy in Week 5.
Minus-Rated Play
Alfred Morris (avg. 13.45 SPPG): You're probably going to still start him if you have him, but don't expect much. Morris is a high-volume back who usually hovers in the high-4's in terms of YPC. This usually makes up the components of a reliable fantasy back. Well, his 3-catch performance last week aside, Morris is an absolute zero in the passing game and not a guarantee to score even when his team gets in the red zone. Against Seattle's front seven (can't forget about Kam Chancellor too), Morris may find himself working with very little running room. Compound that with star LT Trent Williams being banged up if he does indeed suit up for the game, and Morris owners should begin preparing for a single-digit game if they decide to stick with him.
Wide Receivers
Plus-Rated Play
Reggie Wayne & T.Y. Hilton (avg. 12.05 & 10.15 SPPG): Aside from being fortunate enough to have the ball thrown to them by the immortal Andrew Luck, these two WR's should be the featured stars in a potential shootout with the Baltimore Ravens. Steve Smith and Reggie Wanye will be competing for the title of "best old wide receiver in the NFL" while Torrey Smith and T.Y. Hilton compete for the title of "most dynamic young wide receiver ignored by their own team in favor of a past-his-prime veteran". Really, I like all the wideouts in this game to put up some big numbers. I'm more fond of the Indy duo, however, because Luck is just on a different level right now and the Colts truly have no running game whatsoever. At least the Ravens are getting decent production from a couple no-name backs. T-Rich is still hitting holes slower than it takes Big Papi to round the bases following a home run, and Ahmad Bradshaw's feet/ankles disintegrate a little more with each passing day. Start either of the above WR's as strong WR3 plays with WR2 upside.
Minus-Rated Play
Wes Welker (9.00 SP in 1 game this season): I'm just not convinced the concussion issues have 100% gone away. Also, has anyone considered that the best white WR of the last decade is finally declining physically? Maybe we have just finally reached the point where even that glorious route-running ability of his can't make up for the significant loss of burst and acceleration? It's not really clear whether that is the case or not yet, but Week 5 won't help in determining the answer. Welker should see plenty of the Honey Badger, who is still recovering from knee surgery. 85-90% Honey Badger is still a problem for Wes, as Mathieu is a stud in terms of covering the slot. Also, I see Peyton sticking to his relentless targeting of his top 3 weapons, the Terrifying Thomas Towers and Emmanuel Sanders. Don't feel compelled to start Welker because of the big-name recognition thing. Wes still has a nose for the end zone, but aside from the possible score, I don't feel a big reception/yards game coming his way this week.
Was it just me or did this post not really work for you? Well, at least I gave it a shot. It wouldn't be the first idea I scrapped, just the first one I published after deciding it won't stick. Next week I'm back to my Tuesday recaps, only more fantasy sprinkled in. Oh, and apologies to anyone who was upset at the absence of a Week 5 College Football Shoutouts post. I hope my Week 6 preview makes up for it. I believe it will, BIG week ahead in the world of collegiate football. Get. Hyped.
Friday, September 26, 2014
Week 5 College Football Preview: The Alfred Morris All-Stars
There's a couple weeks like this every year.
The NCAA has gifted its loyal fans with a Saturday of zero ranked matchups (11 UCLA took on 15 Arizona State on Thursday night, but that one just ended up being Brett Hundley's NFL reel), and almost no interesting games/storylines. The most notable discussion topic of the week has been the dominance of the SEC West in the polls, with 4 of the top 10, and 6 of the top 17, hailing from the division. Make no mistake, that fact is pretty remarkable and deserves the attention it is getting. None of the teams's rankings can really be disputed, especially not Mississippi State's #15 spot after its impressive upset at LSU last week (which also officially launched the "Dak Attack" Heisman campaign as a possibility).
Besides this news story, however, there's really not much meat on Week 5's bone. There are only three top 25 games (Missouri-South Carolina, Stanford-Washington, and Oregon State-USC) with spreads lower than 10, and I expect all of them to result in double-digit wins for the ranked squads. Our current Heisman favorite, Marcus Mariota, is on bye this week. Jameis and the Seminoles have a possible trap game at undefeated NC State, but smart money is on FSU up 3 scores by halftime, which would actually be more competitive than their lopsided contest last year. Really, the only game I'm even slightly interested in watching is the Arkansas-Texas A&M matchup, purely to see if Bret Bielema's punishing rushing attack, spearheaded by Alex Collins and Jonathan Williams, can run stride for stride with Kevin Sumlin's hyper-efficient passing game led by Heisman hopeful Kenny Trill (as I've said before: Kenny's real last name doesn't even exist to me anymore).
As a result of this week's snoozefest of games, I've decided to dedicate this post to informing you about the country's most under-appreciated stars that will be taking the field on Saturday unbeknownst to the general public. These guys either play for small schools who beat up on other, less talented small schools which limit their exposure/respectability, or they are stuck on the punching-bag teams of the Power 5 conferences. Either way, my Alfred Morris All-Stars deserve some love.
Why name this 5-man collection after the Washington Professional Football Team running back? It's quite simple actually. Alfred Morris flawlessly satisfied both of the criteria I listed above during his time at Florida Atlantic University. FAU plays in the lowly Sun Belt conference and, in 2011, his last year in college, the Morris-led Owls finished with an awful record of 1-11. These two factors surely were the primary reasons he fell to the 6th round of the 2012 NFL Draft, despite piling up 2,320 yards and 18 touchdowns from 2009-2010. Now does the name make sense? I thought so.
Without further ado, I present to you the Alfred Morris All-Stars, some with an accompanying link to a highlight video (I still haven't figured out how to embed videos, if anyone knows please contact me):
Rakeem Cato
QB, Marshall:
Cato fills the non-power conference aspect of the requirements, as his Marshall squad plays in the relatively ignored Conference-USA. Last season, Cato led the Thundering Herd to a 10-4 record, including an appearance in the conference championship game, as well as a win over Maryland in the Military Bowl. In 3 full years as a starter (2011-2013), Cato has averaged 3392 yards and 30 and 1/3 TD's to only 10 and 1/3 INT's a season through the air, while also adding a running element to his game last year as he rushed for 294 yards and 6 scores on the ground (and remember, in college, sack yardage is subtracted from a QB in the form of negative rushing yards, so Cato's total yards on running plays is likely greater than 294). As a sophomore in 2012, Cato led the nation in passing yards with 4201 along with tossing 37 touchdown passes. Unsurprisingly, he is off to another great start in 2014. Through 4 games, Cato has thrown for 1,163 yards and 10 touchdowns passing, as well as 175 yards and 4 touchdowns rushing. If all these outstanding individual stats can translate into team wins for Marshall (which it has so far; Marshall is undefeated), then Cato and the Thundering Herd look to be among the favorites from the Group of 5 teams to receive the Golden Ticket. Cato is definitely on the smaller side for a QB (6-0, 190), so that will likely limit his NFL potential, but I should hope he at least get a chance to earn a starting job at the next level.
James Conner
RB, Pitt:
This guy is a straight up tank. That's honestly the best way I can describe him. Standing 6-2 and 250 pounds, there may not be a bigger tailback in college football. If there is, they certainly don't move as well as Conner, which is why he is leading the nation in rushing at the moment. His running style reminds me of former Wisconsin bruiser John Clay, except Conner isn't sharing the workload like Clay did. Pitt head coach Paul Chryst (who coincidentally was Clay's OC at Wisconsin) has no qualms feeing Conner as often as possible, evidenced by his FBS-leading 110 carries through 4 games, 12 more than the next player. His best game thus far in 2014 is probably his 14-carry, 153-yard, and 4 touchdown performance in the opener against Delaware. An argument can easily be made for his 214-yard outing the following game at Boston College too. In fact, Connor has topped 150 yards every game so far this season. I guess you could say consistency is his calling card. Pitt is currently 3-1 and is usually a 7-win football team, so how then, may you ask, does he qualify for the Alfred Morris All-Stars? Well, in case you haven't heard, the ACC is kind of being run by Florida State at the moment, and with Louisville and Georgia Tech looking like legitimate contenders as well, I expect Pitt to soon fall back into that .500 range. Conner is surrounded by talented playmakers like QB Chad Voytik and stud WR James Boyd, but I still don't see a surprise 9-win season in the works for the Panthers. However, look for Conner to remain near the top in all the major rushing categories throughout the entire season.
Brandon Doughty
QB, Western Kentucky:
The above link will take you to the box score of the Bowling Green-Western Kentucky game that saw Doughty throw for a school-record 569 yards and 6 touchdowns. 569 YARDS AND 6 TOUCHDOWNS!!! WITH 0 INTERCEPTIONS AND AN 82% COMPLETION PERCENTAGE!!!! Those are some mind-boggling numbers no matter who the competition is. For the season, Doughty is 4th in the nation with 1459 passing yards, and tied for 7th with 12 touchdowns. May I remind you that WKU has played just 3 games so far in 2014. Obviously, Doughty stats are a direct result of WKU employing the Mike Leach-style Air Raid offense that has the Mike Leach-coached Connor Halliday currently sitting atop the leaderboards in passing yards and touchdowns. However, just being the quarterback in the offense doesn't guarantee him otherworldly numbers. If that were the case, many more teams would be following suit. Doughty possesses above-average accuracy to go along with a firm grasp of how to run the show (this is his 2nd season as the starting QB after breaking school records last year). Unfortunately for the Hilltoppers, all of Doughty's statistical success hasn't translated to success in the win/loss column. WKU currently sits at 1-2, good for last in the East division of Conference-USA. This does mean, however, that Doughty is perfect for our squad. I look forward to continuing to monitor that right arm of Doughty's as it creeps closer and closer to falling right off his body as his pass attempt numbers continue to balloon into absurdity.
Kaelin Clay
WR/KR/PR, Utah:
The "WR" part is just his listed position; he only has 3 catches for 26 yards on the season. The reason Clay is being named an Alfred Morris All-Star is because he currently holds the title of the nation's most electrifying return man. Clay has 2 punt return TD's and 1 kick return TD so far this year, with his 66-yard punt return TD against Michigan being the one I linked. Clay personally disrespected every U of M fan in the stands (and there were plenty of them; the attendance was 103,890) last week in Utah's somewhat-shocking 26-10 takedown of the Wolverines at the Big House by striking the Heisman pose in the end zone, just as Michigan legend Desmond Howard did in 1991. In the Utes season opener against Idaho St., Clay returned both a punt and kickoff for six. Clay's best return was easily that PR TD in that Idaho St. game that saw him change his direction shortly after catching the ball, begin streaking across the field, break a couple tackles, weave through the traffic, and ultimately walk into the end zone. I may have been hyping his talents up a little too much when I used the word "electrifying" to describe him, as nothing truly spectacular jumps off the film when watching Clay take these kicks to the house. 2 of the 3 were against a really slow-looking Idaho St. team, and the other was against an uninspired Michigan squad that is watching their season gradually descend into despair. If he can add a couple more TD's by the end of the season, however, then I guess there would really be no arguing his potency as a returner. Since it joined the Pac-12 in 2011, Utah has a record of 21-19, including the 3-0 start the Utes are off to in 2014. Therefore, technically, I can't really refer to them as bottom-feeders. But, since elevating themselves from mid-major "BCS Buster" to "just another mediocre high major program", Utah has been pretty irrelevant in the national media. At least when they were securing 10+ wins a year in the Mountain West, they were always being talked about as "threats" to the powerhouses that they, in reality, had no chance of beating (with the 2005 team being the obvious exception). So until Utah proves to me that they can win some real games in the Pac-12, Kaelin Clay will always have a spot on this team.
Zeek Bigger & Scooby Wright III
LB, East Carolina & LB, Arizona:
Full disclosure, these two are on here because of their names. It's reasons #1, 2, and 3. #4 and 5, though, are their actual on-field skills. The link I provided brings you not to a video Bigger or Wright sacking the QB, picking off passes, or laying big-hits, but simply to the FBS leaders in tackles, where Bigger is first and Wright is third. Clearly, these dudes aren't just some scrubs with creative parents (specifically Wright's father, grandfather, and great-grandfather, who apparently all had the brilliant idea to name their sons after the most successful crime-solving canine of all time). Also, they do somewhat qualify anyway. East Carolina deservedly has risen to #23 in the latest rankings, but they do still play their conference games in the American, which is not a Power 5 conference. Conversely, Arizona hails from the Pac-12, and is a program of modest notoriety mostly thanks to head coach Rich Rodriguez and alumni-turned-NFL-stars such as Chris McAlister, Tedy Bruschi, and, of course, GRONK. Despite this, I can't really see anyone saying anything more positive about Arizona football than maybe an "Eh" accompanied by a shoulder shrug. Also, it's a committee of one who decides the members of the Alfred Morris All-Star team, and that person will allow the additions of Bigger and Wright. Besides, we needed some defense anyway.
I will conclude this post with my Week 5 Heisman Watch, which Iforgot to include in my past 2 Shoutouts posts purposely saved for this post to make up for the lack of game analysis.
1. Marcus Mariota, QB, Oregon
Season stats: 1135 passing yards, 74% comp. pct., 214 rushing yards, 16 total TD, 0 INT
2. Kenny Hill, QB, Texas A&M
Season stats: 1359 passing yards, 70% comp. pct., 106 rushing yards, 13 total TD, 1 INT
3. Todd Gurley, RB, Georgia
Season stats: 41 carries, 402 yards, 9.8 YPC, 4 rushing TD, 1 KO-return TD
4. Amari Cooper, WR, Alabama
Season stats: 43 receptions, 655 receiving yards, 5 TD
5. Dak Prescott, QB, Mississippi State
Season stats: 964 passing yards, 60% comp. pct., 378 rushing yards, 14 total TD, 2 INT
The NCAA has gifted its loyal fans with a Saturday of zero ranked matchups (11 UCLA took on 15 Arizona State on Thursday night, but that one just ended up being Brett Hundley's NFL reel), and almost no interesting games/storylines. The most notable discussion topic of the week has been the dominance of the SEC West in the polls, with 4 of the top 10, and 6 of the top 17, hailing from the division. Make no mistake, that fact is pretty remarkable and deserves the attention it is getting. None of the teams's rankings can really be disputed, especially not Mississippi State's #15 spot after its impressive upset at LSU last week (which also officially launched the "Dak Attack" Heisman campaign as a possibility).
Besides this news story, however, there's really not much meat on Week 5's bone. There are only three top 25 games (Missouri-South Carolina, Stanford-Washington, and Oregon State-USC) with spreads lower than 10, and I expect all of them to result in double-digit wins for the ranked squads. Our current Heisman favorite, Marcus Mariota, is on bye this week. Jameis and the Seminoles have a possible trap game at undefeated NC State, but smart money is on FSU up 3 scores by halftime, which would actually be more competitive than their lopsided contest last year. Really, the only game I'm even slightly interested in watching is the Arkansas-Texas A&M matchup, purely to see if Bret Bielema's punishing rushing attack, spearheaded by Alex Collins and Jonathan Williams, can run stride for stride with Kevin Sumlin's hyper-efficient passing game led by Heisman hopeful Kenny Trill (as I've said before: Kenny's real last name doesn't even exist to me anymore).
As a result of this week's snoozefest of games, I've decided to dedicate this post to informing you about the country's most under-appreciated stars that will be taking the field on Saturday unbeknownst to the general public. These guys either play for small schools who beat up on other, less talented small schools which limit their exposure/respectability, or they are stuck on the punching-bag teams of the Power 5 conferences. Either way, my Alfred Morris All-Stars deserve some love.
Why name this 5-man collection after the Washington Professional Football Team running back? It's quite simple actually. Alfred Morris flawlessly satisfied both of the criteria I listed above during his time at Florida Atlantic University. FAU plays in the lowly Sun Belt conference and, in 2011, his last year in college, the Morris-led Owls finished with an awful record of 1-11. These two factors surely were the primary reasons he fell to the 6th round of the 2012 NFL Draft, despite piling up 2,320 yards and 18 touchdowns from 2009-2010. Now does the name make sense? I thought so.
Without further ado, I present to you the Alfred Morris All-Stars, some with an accompanying link to a highlight video (I still haven't figured out how to embed videos, if anyone knows please contact me):
Rakeem Cato
QB, Marshall:
Cato fills the non-power conference aspect of the requirements, as his Marshall squad plays in the relatively ignored Conference-USA. Last season, Cato led the Thundering Herd to a 10-4 record, including an appearance in the conference championship game, as well as a win over Maryland in the Military Bowl. In 3 full years as a starter (2011-2013), Cato has averaged 3392 yards and 30 and 1/3 TD's to only 10 and 1/3 INT's a season through the air, while also adding a running element to his game last year as he rushed for 294 yards and 6 scores on the ground (and remember, in college, sack yardage is subtracted from a QB in the form of negative rushing yards, so Cato's total yards on running plays is likely greater than 294). As a sophomore in 2012, Cato led the nation in passing yards with 4201 along with tossing 37 touchdown passes. Unsurprisingly, he is off to another great start in 2014. Through 4 games, Cato has thrown for 1,163 yards and 10 touchdowns passing, as well as 175 yards and 4 touchdowns rushing. If all these outstanding individual stats can translate into team wins for Marshall (which it has so far; Marshall is undefeated), then Cato and the Thundering Herd look to be among the favorites from the Group of 5 teams to receive the Golden Ticket. Cato is definitely on the smaller side for a QB (6-0, 190), so that will likely limit his NFL potential, but I should hope he at least get a chance to earn a starting job at the next level.
James Conner
RB, Pitt:
This guy is a straight up tank. That's honestly the best way I can describe him. Standing 6-2 and 250 pounds, there may not be a bigger tailback in college football. If there is, they certainly don't move as well as Conner, which is why he is leading the nation in rushing at the moment. His running style reminds me of former Wisconsin bruiser John Clay, except Conner isn't sharing the workload like Clay did. Pitt head coach Paul Chryst (who coincidentally was Clay's OC at Wisconsin) has no qualms feeing Conner as often as possible, evidenced by his FBS-leading 110 carries through 4 games, 12 more than the next player. His best game thus far in 2014 is probably his 14-carry, 153-yard, and 4 touchdown performance in the opener against Delaware. An argument can easily be made for his 214-yard outing the following game at Boston College too. In fact, Connor has topped 150 yards every game so far this season. I guess you could say consistency is his calling card. Pitt is currently 3-1 and is usually a 7-win football team, so how then, may you ask, does he qualify for the Alfred Morris All-Stars? Well, in case you haven't heard, the ACC is kind of being run by Florida State at the moment, and with Louisville and Georgia Tech looking like legitimate contenders as well, I expect Pitt to soon fall back into that .500 range. Conner is surrounded by talented playmakers like QB Chad Voytik and stud WR James Boyd, but I still don't see a surprise 9-win season in the works for the Panthers. However, look for Conner to remain near the top in all the major rushing categories throughout the entire season.
Brandon Doughty
QB, Western Kentucky:
The above link will take you to the box score of the Bowling Green-Western Kentucky game that saw Doughty throw for a school-record 569 yards and 6 touchdowns. 569 YARDS AND 6 TOUCHDOWNS!!! WITH 0 INTERCEPTIONS AND AN 82% COMPLETION PERCENTAGE!!!! Those are some mind-boggling numbers no matter who the competition is. For the season, Doughty is 4th in the nation with 1459 passing yards, and tied for 7th with 12 touchdowns. May I remind you that WKU has played just 3 games so far in 2014. Obviously, Doughty stats are a direct result of WKU employing the Mike Leach-style Air Raid offense that has the Mike Leach-coached Connor Halliday currently sitting atop the leaderboards in passing yards and touchdowns. However, just being the quarterback in the offense doesn't guarantee him otherworldly numbers. If that were the case, many more teams would be following suit. Doughty possesses above-average accuracy to go along with a firm grasp of how to run the show (this is his 2nd season as the starting QB after breaking school records last year). Unfortunately for the Hilltoppers, all of Doughty's statistical success hasn't translated to success in the win/loss column. WKU currently sits at 1-2, good for last in the East division of Conference-USA. This does mean, however, that Doughty is perfect for our squad. I look forward to continuing to monitor that right arm of Doughty's as it creeps closer and closer to falling right off his body as his pass attempt numbers continue to balloon into absurdity.
Kaelin Clay
WR/KR/PR, Utah:
The "WR" part is just his listed position; he only has 3 catches for 26 yards on the season. The reason Clay is being named an Alfred Morris All-Star is because he currently holds the title of the nation's most electrifying return man. Clay has 2 punt return TD's and 1 kick return TD so far this year, with his 66-yard punt return TD against Michigan being the one I linked. Clay personally disrespected every U of M fan in the stands (and there were plenty of them; the attendance was 103,890) last week in Utah's somewhat-shocking 26-10 takedown of the Wolverines at the Big House by striking the Heisman pose in the end zone, just as Michigan legend Desmond Howard did in 1991. In the Utes season opener against Idaho St., Clay returned both a punt and kickoff for six. Clay's best return was easily that PR TD in that Idaho St. game that saw him change his direction shortly after catching the ball, begin streaking across the field, break a couple tackles, weave through the traffic, and ultimately walk into the end zone. I may have been hyping his talents up a little too much when I used the word "electrifying" to describe him, as nothing truly spectacular jumps off the film when watching Clay take these kicks to the house. 2 of the 3 were against a really slow-looking Idaho St. team, and the other was against an uninspired Michigan squad that is watching their season gradually descend into despair. If he can add a couple more TD's by the end of the season, however, then I guess there would really be no arguing his potency as a returner. Since it joined the Pac-12 in 2011, Utah has a record of 21-19, including the 3-0 start the Utes are off to in 2014. Therefore, technically, I can't really refer to them as bottom-feeders. But, since elevating themselves from mid-major "BCS Buster" to "just another mediocre high major program", Utah has been pretty irrelevant in the national media. At least when they were securing 10+ wins a year in the Mountain West, they were always being talked about as "threats" to the powerhouses that they, in reality, had no chance of beating (with the 2005 team being the obvious exception). So until Utah proves to me that they can win some real games in the Pac-12, Kaelin Clay will always have a spot on this team.
Zeek Bigger & Scooby Wright III
LB, East Carolina & LB, Arizona:
Full disclosure, these two are on here because of their names. It's reasons #1, 2, and 3. #4 and 5, though, are their actual on-field skills. The link I provided brings you not to a video Bigger or Wright sacking the QB, picking off passes, or laying big-hits, but simply to the FBS leaders in tackles, where Bigger is first and Wright is third. Clearly, these dudes aren't just some scrubs with creative parents (specifically Wright's father, grandfather, and great-grandfather, who apparently all had the brilliant idea to name their sons after the most successful crime-solving canine of all time). Also, they do somewhat qualify anyway. East Carolina deservedly has risen to #23 in the latest rankings, but they do still play their conference games in the American, which is not a Power 5 conference. Conversely, Arizona hails from the Pac-12, and is a program of modest notoriety mostly thanks to head coach Rich Rodriguez and alumni-turned-NFL-stars such as Chris McAlister, Tedy Bruschi, and, of course, GRONK. Despite this, I can't really see anyone saying anything more positive about Arizona football than maybe an "Eh" accompanied by a shoulder shrug. Also, it's a committee of one who decides the members of the Alfred Morris All-Star team, and that person will allow the additions of Bigger and Wright. Besides, we needed some defense anyway.
I will conclude this post with my Week 5 Heisman Watch, which I
1. Marcus Mariota, QB, Oregon
Season stats: 1135 passing yards, 74% comp. pct., 214 rushing yards, 16 total TD, 0 INT
2. Kenny Hill, QB, Texas A&M
Season stats: 1359 passing yards, 70% comp. pct., 106 rushing yards, 13 total TD, 1 INT
3. Todd Gurley, RB, Georgia
Season stats: 41 carries, 402 yards, 9.8 YPC, 4 rushing TD, 1 KO-return TD
4. Amari Cooper, WR, Alabama
Season stats: 43 receptions, 655 receiving yards, 5 TD
5. Dak Prescott, QB, Mississippi State
Season stats: 964 passing yards, 60% comp. pct., 378 rushing yards, 14 total TD, 2 INT
Thursday, September 25, 2014
My Tribute to Derek Jeter
Hello there. If you are one of my few regular readers, you will soon realize that this post does not exactly fall in line with my usual format. If this is your first time visiting my blog, welcome, and I'm glad this post is your introduction to my writing. If you are not already aware, the New York Yankees play their 159th regular season game of the 2014 season tonight against the Baltimore Orioles. The only reason this is significant is because it will mark the last ever time their shortstop and captain Derek Jeter will play at Yankee Stadium as a member of the New York Yankees (not his last time at Yankee Stadium though. In 5 years he should make his return for the Old Timers Game). Jeter has been quite an influential figure in my life because...you know what? I'll just let the following essay explain why. I hope you enjoy it:
The scene is Game 3 of the 2001 American League Division Series: the New York Yankees against the Oakland Athletics in an elimination game for the Bronx Bombers. Holding a one-run lead in the seventh inning, A’s left fielder Jeremy Giambi resided on first base as right fielder Terrence Long lined a double into the right-field corner. As Giambi began rounding third base heading toward home plate, Yankees right fielder Shane Spencer gathered the ball and delivered an errant throw that seemed to be making its way well to the right of the catcher. Sensing the demise of the season on the horizon, the shortstop for the Yankees decided to act on his instincts and streak across the field to attempt to cut-off the wild throw. As the ball trickled down the first-base line, and with Giambi moments away from tying the game up, players, coaches, fans, and reporters all looked on with awe as the shortstop tracked down the ball like a predator pouncing on his prey in the wild and flipped it backhanded to catcher Jorge Posada who was able to quickly turn and tag the right leg of Giambi at the last possible moment before his foot landed on the plate. Broadcaster Thom Brennaman’s exuberant call (“…one of the most unbelievable plays you will ever see from a shortstop”) only heightened the drama surrounding the play. The Yankees went on to win this game, as well as the next two, advancing them to the next round of the playoffs.
The shortstop forever became entrenched in baseball history with this iconic moment, and even added a few more throughout his illustrious career, which now enters its final, tear-jerking act. As he makes his last visits to each opposing stadium, where praise and standing ovations are rained on him like he was the city of Seattle, the legions of Derek Jeter fans have been watching his swan song with a dose of nostalgia, sorrow, and unbridled appreciation.
My brother and I are no exception, as we have bonded over our childhood hero’s last hoorah in his #2 pinstripe jersey. While the quantity of games we all get to see Derek Jeter actually playing in is dwindling with every passing day, the magnitude of each at-bat and signature “jump-throw” only becomes that much greater. Yankee fans were all prepared for these emotions to surface when Jeter announced his eventual retirement prior to this season, but that does not make it any easier to deal with them. The baseball world might never be the same after Jeter hangs up the spikes, but, for now, I’m just enjoying every sighting I can get.
With a career spanning nearly 20 years, Derek Jeter is one of the rare athletes who can be in a position to greatly influence multiple generations of young baseball fans. Whether you were 10 years old in 1996, 2004, or 2012, Jeter has been the ultimate role model and the object of universal respect and admiration. His career accolades include a .310 lifetime batting average, five Gold Glove awards, 14 All-star game appearances, 3,444 career hits and counting (6th most all time), and, most importantly to Mr. Jeter, 5 World Series victories. See, that’s Derek’s most honorable trait: winning was placed above anything else. Recognition for individual achievements was nice, but the season was only considered a success if he and his teammates were hoisting that World Series trophy over their heads on the final game of the year.
As a result of his unselfish attitude, Jeter has become a beloved figure that has transcended sports in his impact on the millions of people who have watched him play. Widely regarded as the consummate professional, Jeter is one of very few players who can evoke at least some positive remarks from a fan of any baseball team, even rivals like the Boston Red Sox and New York Mets. He was the face of baseball for over a decade (sorry oblivious Jeter fans, but the torch has been passed to Mike Trout) with nary a scandal or controversial public act. He mostly kept to himself, but turned on the charm every time a camera or microphone was pushed into his face. He mastered the art of working the media, and struck a balance between celebrity and civilian like no other in his position of fame and fortune. For these reasons, and many others, Derek Jeter will certainly be remembered as an incredible person first, baseball player second. Something tells me Jeter wouldn’t mind that either.
No other athlete has had more of an impact on my life than “Mr. November”. Some of my fondest childhood memories occurred while watching Jeter and the Yankees in their glory years with my brother and grandfather. It seemed like everyone had their favorite signature Jeter play, and mine was his daredevil dive into the stands that saw him catch a foul ball and subsequently crash into the third row, only to emerge from the crowd bruised and cut up like he just got into a brawl in a back alley. The sight of this gracefully insane man sacrificing his body in such an extraordinarily acrobatic manner all just to catch a baseball, in a regular season game nonetheless, captivated me, along with thousands of others watching, the same way a music fan finds themselves awe-stricken while at an incredible concert, or how a movie-goer may leave the theater shaking his/her head in sheer disbelief over what his/her eyes just witnessed.
The only problem is everyone brings that play up when discussing Jeter. I can’t really claim that as my special connection to him, especially since I wasn’t even in the ballpark that day. So instead, I became transfixed with his undeniably unique and oft-replicated pre-at bat routine: gently tap the plate with his bat a couple times, dig his right foot into the back of the batter’s box, squeeze the edge of the bill of his helmet in between his thumb and index finger, flash a hand to the home plate umpire if he needs a little more time, and then bring his head to reveal that classic calm, confident gaze at the pitcher he is probably going to smack a single into right field off of.
It’s these small moments that made Jeter such a larger-than-life character to me. His consistency and “all-business” attitude is what allowed my grandfather to place Jeter in the company of the heroes he grew up watching, such as Joe DiMaggio, Yogi Berra, and Mickey Mantle, who were all legendary Yankees. This was the source of Derek Jeter’s magic. He bridged generational gaps between Yankee fans like no one else could. To the younger fans like my brother and me, Jeter was our DiMaggio or Mantle or, even more recently, Don Mattingly. He was the center of our baseball universe, the player we will tell our children and grandchildren that we grew up idolizing. The older generation adored Jeter because he could bring out those emotions they had as children learning the game of baseball. Watching Jeter’s youthful excitement while doing basically anything out on that field transported the elder fans back to whatever joyful experiences they remember from their first days as baseball fans.
I saw this in my grandfather’s eyes on certain occasions, and I would know it instantly. Before he would yell at my brother for cheering too loud, if I looked quickly, I would be able to spot a sly smile creep across his face. Subtle memories like these have made Derek Jeter symbolize, above all, family and togetherness to me. Not long after my grandfather passed in January 2010 (not before the Yankees provided him with one last World Series, though!), I painfully realized that the few most pronounced, cherished memories I had with my grandfather were just watching Yankee games with him. For years I resented that fact, blaming myself for not making more of an effort to spend time with him. I felt great sorrow that my juvenile ignorance got in the way of creating more quality memories.
It wasn’t until I learned that this season would be Jeter’s last that I finally changed my regret into acceptance. There should be nothing wrong with having baseball as my most prized possessions while reminiscing on my grandfather. In fact, I prefer it, because every April, when the men in pinstripes commence yet another season, I will forever pull up the mental image of myself sprawled along the floor of my basement, staring up at my grandfather in his favorite chair that is visibly worn out but will not be discarded because “I’ve had this chair since we moved into this house over 40 years ago”, incessantly asking him questions about all his favorite Yankees. Now, it is me who finds that same sly smile creeping across my face when I witness yet another remarkable play by Jeter, and I make sure to let it sit there an extra second or two every time.
Unfortunately, my grandfather did not make it to see Derek Jeter’s 3000th hit in 2011, which of course was a home run. Any time I re-watch that game (Jeter went 5-for-5 on the day), I immediately begin imagining what my grandfather’s reaction would have been when he saw the ball reach those rabid fans viciously swiping at what they most likely saw as a small, round dollar sign. I’d like to think that sight would have caused him to actually applaud audibly, something he rarely did. When the camera panned to catcher Jorge Posada embracing Jeter at home plate, I admit I got slightly choked up. A career full of emotional moments culminated in one, extended hug with his partner-in-crime. Still to this day, I have never felt so present at an athletic event that I wasn’t actually present for. However, Jeter’s helmet tip to the fans that day felt like he was acknowledging each and every one of us who followed his career since the beginning.
Now, on the day of Jeter’s last home game as a New York Yankee, I can safely, and sadly, say my childhood is officially over. I have transplanted myself to a completely new environment, over two hours away from home, at college. Jeter was perhaps the most predictable aspect of my nearly 18 years in this world; I never had to worry about him appearing to me 162 times a year. Even though I’m losing my last visual connection to my grandfather with his retirement, Jeter, like my grandfather, simply can never be removed from my memory. No matter what, the two of them will be linked forever in my mind, and that is exactly the way I want it to be.
Wednesday, September 24, 2014
Week 3 NFL/Fantasy Recap
5 Star
3 Stripes
If it's alright with you guys, I'm going to supplant my usual opening section by having another all-encompassing 5 star performance: the Washington Professional Football Team-Eagles game from this past week.
Being in Philadelphia, it was naturally the game that was being televised when I flipped to FOX at 1:00. I didn't quite know what to expect of this contest, with it being Kirk Cousins' first game as the new face of the ***skins (I really wish it weren't so, but he's here to stay. Sorry RG3 fanatics) and Desean Jackson's return to Lincoln Financial Field. Nonetheless, I was excited just to watch my boy/4th round fantasy pick Alfred Morris run wild on an undermanned Eagles defense (LB Mychal Kendricks was out).
Unfortunately for me, I did not get to see that, as Alf ran for just 77 yards on 23 carries. Instead, I was treated to an absolute shootout between 2 magnetic quarterbacks and their loaded offenses. Now, usually when a quarterback is described as magnetic, they are either proven, elite quarterbacks with charismatic personalities (Rodgers, Peyton, Brady) or they are electrifying dual-threat quarterbacks who make plays with their legs just as much as their arm (Cam, Griffin pre-knee destruction, Kaepernick). Well, Kirk Cousins and Nick Foles don't really fall into either of those categories, now do they? How then, can they still be described as "magnetic"? It's simple, really. On Sunday, these two guys were fearless gunslingers who constantly were looking to make the biggest play possible, with varied results. This made for some great entertainment for a neutral viewer such as myself.
There was one throw in particular where Cousins inexplicably tried fitting a ball into double coverage along the sideline. When viewed from Cousins' perspective, it truly does not look like Pierre Garcon is open at all. It looks like a guaranteed incompletion, possibly even an interception. Despite this, our gallant young passer somehow places the ball in the exact spot it needed to be so that only Garcon would have an opportunity to make a play on the ball, and of course, he sure did. There were some other throws that were just plain fun to see him wind back and release, like another downfield strike to Garcon in between two defenders, as well as a well-placed deep ball to Niles Paul. It wasn't all high-risk passes to unopen receivers, though. Cousins' bomb to Desean was obviously a no-doubter considering he had at least a step on the safety, but I like to think that Cousins was going to launch it downfield no matter what the coverage was. You can see all of Cousins' best passes from an afternoon where he put up 46.85 SP here.
Meanwhile, Nick Foles was sensational chucking the football all around the field, but his toughness is what infinitely earned my respect. That dude took an extraordinary beating on Sunday, including an uncalled-for cheap shot from Redskins DE Chris Baker that knocked Foles on his ass. After every crushing hit, however, Foles got right back up and moved on to the next play, partly to exhibit his leadership and partly because Chip Kelly probably would have benched him if he didn't snap the ball in the next 4 seconds.
Contrary to what you may believe, we really don't get true shootouts featuring exceptional quarterback play from both teams like this too often at all. Therefore, I appreciated what I was watching for the entire 4 quarters. By the time the game ended, I felt like I just watched a game concocted by the NFL in a lab that allowed viewers like me to remember why we love football so much in the midst of all the negative attention the game has been receiving over the past two weeks. I found myself immersed in the joys of watching this great sport, perfectly able to block out all the lingering issues associated with the NFL. For 3 and a half hours, I was just watching football, in the simplest, basic form that those two words can mean. And I gotta say, it was great.
4 Stars
3 Stripes
The Cincinnati Bengals - Is it actually correct to say Marvin Lewis' squad has been the best team in football over the first 3 weeks of the season? Wow, how long has it been since someone was able to say that? Straight up, the Bengals have no mercy for their opponents, and, especially their past two games. they have made their dominance look almost effortless. Gio Bernard is, along with Le'veon Bell, the top young running back in the league, Jeremy Hill looks like a future star at running back as well, A.J. Green may be from outer space, and that defense is just as ferocious as it ever was, with their insanely deep secondary terrorizing quarterbacks. Andy Dalton may never be a top 10 quarterback, but with the weapons he has around him, plus the fact that he's rarely playing from behind, allows him to perfect his role as the ultimate game-manager who is terrific at putting his playmakers in the best positions to succeed. Also, he has more touchdown receptions than all the Chiefs' wide receivers combined! Cincinnati has a bye week 4, and then week 5 they get the Patriots at Foxboro. If they can take down the Pats on the road, I think it would be safe to consider them a legitimate threat to the Broncos' stranglehold of the AFC.
2 Stripes
Rashad Jennings - Just one week after the Giants placed in my "1 Star" category, one of their best offensive players was able to jump 3 sections to this very spot. Jennings was sensational on Sunday, carving up a stout Texans defense for 176 yards on an obscene 34 carries. Jennings' strong performance opened up the passing game for Eli Manning, who was uncharacteristically super-efficient, at least based on his last 18 games. Back to Jennings, though, who was a career backup for his first 5 years in the league before coming over to the New York Football Giants to be their workhorse. Many questioned whether or not he could produce consistently enough to warrant that title. Consider those questions answered after Sunday's performance. Honestly, anyone who runs for 176 yards on a J.J. Watt-led defense should be inducted into the Hall of Fame immediately following the game. In all seriousness, Jennings seems to be quite comfortable in his new role and will help the Giants immensely as they look to build upon their 30-point performance against the Texans for their next game as well as the rest of the season.
1 Stripe
The New York Jets' Run Defense - Simply put, it's ridiculous. Through 3 games, the Jets are allowing an average of 55.0 yards-per-game on the ground, with opponents carrying the ball at a clip of 2.84 YPC. Like I said, RIDICULOUS. The stingiest run defense of all time was the legendary 2000 Baltimore Ravens, who gave up 60.6 yards-per-game, had a 2.7 YPC against them, and only saw five rushing touchdowns scored on them all season. In other words, the Jets are on a pretty historic pace through 3 games. Of course, it is extremely difficult to keep up with those 2000 Ravens (that's why they hold the record), but I would not be surprised if the Jets are, say, only 5 or so yards-per-game off the pace by the last quarter of the season. If anyone can do it, it's these Jets. Led by a front line of Muhammad Wilkerson (6-4, 315), Sheldon Richardson (6-3, 294), and Desmond "Snacks" Harrison (6-4, 350!), the Jets' run D is suffocating, as evidenced by their performances against some of the top running backs in the league already this year. On Monday, Matt Forte was bottled up all night, rushing for just 33 yards on 13 carries, and Eddie Lacy was only able to manage 43 yards in Week 2. However, Week 1 was by far the Jets' most impressive performance. Although no one is confusing Darren McFadden and Maurice Jones-Drew for Eric Dickerson and Craig James during their SMU days, there is really no disputing that both are serviceable NFL running backs. Well, I guess the Jets can after they held the duo to 13 carries for 26 yards! That stat pretty much speaks for itself. Long live Snacks.
3 Stars
3 Stripes
Johnny Manziel's 37-yard Trick Play Reception That Got Called Back Because of a Penalty - #JohnnyMegatron was trending on Twitter shortly after this play occurred, which is amazing. Manziel's unlikely almost-contribution to the Browns' heartbreaking 23-21 defeat at the hands of the Ravens is certainly not how a former Heisman-winning quarterback should be used on an NFL field, even if the QB can't throw. That being said, how exciting was it to see JFF with the ball in his hands again?!?! Say what you will about the guy off the field, he is absolutely thrilling to watch play football. My favorite part about this play is that at the start of it, Manziel and a couple Browns coaches were engaged in a fake-argument, you know, to help make it all look authentic! How great is that fact? The Browns decided that to make a play with Johnny Manziel not taking the snap as the QB seem completely normal, there must be a pretend-verbal altercation between Manziel and whoever is telling him to play out-of-position. Eventually, Brian Hoyer will prove he's not the man for the unenviable job of Browns QB, and Manziel will step in to lead the city of Cleveland to glory with Josh Gordon at his side (starting in week 11). For now, though, we must settle for these types of Manziel sightings, which are, in a way, nearly as special.
2 Stripes
The Unlikely Emergence of Joe McKnight in Kansas City - Who saw that shit coming? McKnight, a former five-star recruit and 4th round pick of the New York Jets, has "enjoyed" a pretty disappointing career thus far in his 5 years in the NFL. Expected to be a dynamic home-run threat at running back and returner, McKnight has toiled away on the bench instead. That all changed when he exploded for 64 receiving yards and 2 touchdowns for the Chiefs in their rout of the Miami Dolphins on Sunday. It seems that 'Ol Andy Reed was able to harness McKnight's 4.4 speed by exclusively utilizing him in the passing game where he can catch the ball and use his natural playmaking ability to rack up some yardage. Although its highly improbable McKnight will sustain that type of production once Jamaal Charles comes back (he probably wouldn't have even if Charles didn't come back), just receiving any contribution from McKnight is at the very least a solid defense for Chiefs GM John Dorsey when he is eventually pleading for his job later in the year. Oops, did I just reveal that I don't think the Chiefs are very good despite their win on Sunday? Oh, sorry, I guess I did.
1 Stripe
The Cowboys-Rams game - Probably the most underrated interesting game from this past week. St. Louis held a 21-10 lead at halftime, prompting talks of Austin Davis working toward making Rams fans forget the name "Sam Bradford" and of the Cowboys, well, doing Cowboys things. Romo was underwhelming, the defense was pathetic, and the city of Dallas was going to burn down as a result. The second half was a different story for the Pride of Jerry Jones, however, as Romo started to catch fire after a 68-yard TD to Dez Bryant in the third quarter and then later, LB Bruce Carter took a Davis interception for six with 6 minutes left in the game. Suddenly the Cowboys were up 10 points and the defense was actually preventing the Rams from putting up points (imagine that?). Dallas' improbable comeback was completed when much-maligned former 1st-round pick Morris Claiborne sealed the victory with an interception as the Rams were attempting a game-winning two-minute drill. It would not have surprised anyone if the Cowboys found a way to lose that game, but instead they pulled it out. I have to give props to Austin Davis though, the guy is no scrub. Also, Janoris Jenkins is a stud.
2 Stars
3 Stripes
The NFL Debuts of Blake Bortles and Teddy Bridgewater - I don't mean this like they were awful or anything. They were both rookie quarterbacks making their first ever regular season appearances, I didn't expect anything that great. However, I was not pleased with the manner in which they made their debuts. Let's start with Teddy, who entered the Vikings week 3 contest against the Saints in the second quarter. The reason Bridgewater was forced to trade in his clipboard for a football was because Matt Cassel apparently "suffered multiple fractures in his foot." Is it just me, or wouldn't the sight of Cassel being booed off the field by the sparse Vikings fans who made the trip to New Orleans, only for those boos to quickly turn to cheers as those same Vikings fans saw Bridgewater jog onto the field have been so much better? Regardless, the Bridgewater era in Minnesota is finally here. Good luck running an offense built around Adrian Peterson and Kyle Rudolph that's missing Adrian Peterson and Kyle Rudolph. As for Bortles, what was going on with this pass? Honestly, Jags fans probably won't even notice any interception Bortles throws this entire season just because they will be blinded by hope for the first time since Justin Blackmon (yeah, Blackmon references in back-to-back posts. I miss that lovable pothead) had the most dominant performance by a WR in Jacksonville Jaguar history (did you see the stats from that game?!?! Schuab had 527 yards and 5 TD's!!! Never doubt the Jaguars ability to make people look way better than they are). Back to Bortles, he had 2 picks in the 2 mediocre quarters he played on Sunday, and Jags fans couldn't be happier.
2 Stripes
2nd Half Colin Kaepernick - What an enigmatic character. Kaep has that type of mesmerizing throwing and running talent that makes you want to name your first son Colin and teach him to kiss his bicep before he says his first word. However, he has a list of criticisms so long you would think he was a presidential candidate being ripped apart by the opposing party. What I'm trying to say, whether you love him or hate him, is the guy drives you crazy. I happen to be a big Kaep fan, but I'm also not a 49ers fan, so I usually just focus on his positive plays instead of the head-scratching, frustratingly stupid ones that have been popping up this season in particular. Through 3 games, Kaep, and by extension the entire Niners offense, has had a strangely difficult time in the 2nd halves of games. In 6 second half quarters compared to 6 first half quarters, he is averaging one less yard per attempt, has been sacked 5 times to 1, and thrown 0 touchdowns and 2 interceptions to 4 touchdowns and only 1 pick in first halves, all resulting in a QB rating of 70.2 compared to 111.7. There really isn't a concrete reason for this, but it has cost the 49ers wins in their past two games against the Bears and Cardinals. Whatever issues he's having closing out close games, he must fix them soon. The 49ers are 1-2 and, being in the brutal NFC West, have little margin for error. Kaepernick must turn around his 2nd half woes or else we may not see those garnet and gold 49ers jerseys on the field come January.
1 Stripe
E.J. Manuel's Downfield Passes - They're pretty sickening to watch. Take this throw to an open Sammy Watkins, for example. It's a fluttering mess of a pass that bounces at Watkins' feet and results in an incompletion. Virtually any other NFL quarterback is perfectly capable of hitting Watkins in stride, or at least just in his upper body, allowing Watkins to then use his surreal athleticism to pick up additional yards after the catch. Not E.J. though. Bills RB Fred Jackson is currently tied for the team lead in receptions with 13, demonstrating how conservative Manuel is and how often he checks down. Fans and pundits alike have been calling for the Bills to open up their offense more for weeks now so that if the running game isn't necessarily humming, Buffalo isn't automatically down 2 possessions by halftime. The conundrum, as we saw, is that E.J. is not very good at completing passes that travel through the air for more than 10-15 yards. When asked about E.J.'s problems with accuracy, head coach Doug Marrone actually responded, "There's no problem with E.J. Manuel's accuracy." Maybe he's talking about a different E.J. Manuel, because the one I'm watching looks terrified to attempt any difficult pass for fear of being benched in favor of this guy. Manuel has the size, arm strength, and leadership qualities necessary to be a successful quarterback. It just seems like, on game day, everything doesn't quite all come together. E.J. only has 13 career starts under his belt, so I guess there is still time for him to improve, but the Bills are trying, desperately I might add, to make the playoffs and that goal simply can not be accomplished unless E.J. contributes more to the offense.
1 Star
The Ever-Apparent Fact that the NFL Has Like 4 Too Many Teams - This rant I'm about to go on deserves the entire "1 Star" section. Over the past 10 seasons, the Lions, Browns, Bills, Raiders, Jaguars, and Rams have been pretty awful. Those 6 teams have a combined THREE playoff appearances since 2005, with Jacksonville somehow having 2 of those. These 6 franchises have consistently been the epitome of futility and disgrace in the past decade.
Now, I'm not saying that I believe these teams specifically should simply be discontinued as NFL squads, all I'm arguing is that it is crystal-fucking-clear that there is not enough good players to spread around to 32 teams, leaving 3-4 teams every year looking overmatched and hopeless. This year, those teams appear to be the Raiders, Buccaneers, and Jaguars, although Oakland may not be quite as pathetic as the latter two, but close enough to it that they belong in this conversation. Tampa Bay never even made the trip to Atlanta in their 56-14 demolition at the hands of the Falcons, the Jaguars have been outscored 119-44 through 3 games, and the Raiders have crossed the goal line just 4 times so far this season. Besides the three annual punching bags, there will also be mediocre teams that are clearly getting bogged down by subpar, backup-worthy QB play (a natural occurrence due to my theory that there are only 15 QB's present in the league at any one point in time that are capable of winning the Super Bowl. Don't worry, this will be the topic of a future post). Those teams in 2014 are the Texans, Rams, and the entire AFC East besides the Patriots (although Brady doesn't look too great so far either). The NFL's most recent expansions (the addition of the Texans in 2002, the re-activation of the Cleveland Browns in 1999, and the Jaguars and Panthers in 1995) have clearly diluted the talent pool in the NFL, resulting in those unfortunate bottom-dwellers rendered helpless to the more talented teams in the league.
The NFL will never cut down the number of teams in the league, because that would make no sense financially. I'm fully aware of this. However, this means that the cycle of 4 unlucky franchises and their fans being forced to suffer through agonizing seasons over and over again for 10-year stretches will continue forever. Or, at least until football no longer exists.
Sp football Standing through Week 3:
3 Stripes
If it's alright with you guys, I'm going to supplant my usual opening section by having another all-encompassing 5 star performance: the Washington Professional Football Team-Eagles game from this past week.
Being in Philadelphia, it was naturally the game that was being televised when I flipped to FOX at 1:00. I didn't quite know what to expect of this contest, with it being Kirk Cousins' first game as the new face of the ***skins (I really wish it weren't so, but he's here to stay. Sorry RG3 fanatics) and Desean Jackson's return to Lincoln Financial Field. Nonetheless, I was excited just to watch my boy/4th round fantasy pick Alfred Morris run wild on an undermanned Eagles defense (LB Mychal Kendricks was out).
Unfortunately for me, I did not get to see that, as Alf ran for just 77 yards on 23 carries. Instead, I was treated to an absolute shootout between 2 magnetic quarterbacks and their loaded offenses. Now, usually when a quarterback is described as magnetic, they are either proven, elite quarterbacks with charismatic personalities (Rodgers, Peyton, Brady) or they are electrifying dual-threat quarterbacks who make plays with their legs just as much as their arm (Cam, Griffin pre-knee destruction, Kaepernick). Well, Kirk Cousins and Nick Foles don't really fall into either of those categories, now do they? How then, can they still be described as "magnetic"? It's simple, really. On Sunday, these two guys were fearless gunslingers who constantly were looking to make the biggest play possible, with varied results. This made for some great entertainment for a neutral viewer such as myself.
There was one throw in particular where Cousins inexplicably tried fitting a ball into double coverage along the sideline. When viewed from Cousins' perspective, it truly does not look like Pierre Garcon is open at all. It looks like a guaranteed incompletion, possibly even an interception. Despite this, our gallant young passer somehow places the ball in the exact spot it needed to be so that only Garcon would have an opportunity to make a play on the ball, and of course, he sure did. There were some other throws that were just plain fun to see him wind back and release, like another downfield strike to Garcon in between two defenders, as well as a well-placed deep ball to Niles Paul. It wasn't all high-risk passes to unopen receivers, though. Cousins' bomb to Desean was obviously a no-doubter considering he had at least a step on the safety, but I like to think that Cousins was going to launch it downfield no matter what the coverage was. You can see all of Cousins' best passes from an afternoon where he put up 46.85 SP here.
Meanwhile, Nick Foles was sensational chucking the football all around the field, but his toughness is what infinitely earned my respect. That dude took an extraordinary beating on Sunday, including an uncalled-for cheap shot from Redskins DE Chris Baker that knocked Foles on his ass. After every crushing hit, however, Foles got right back up and moved on to the next play, partly to exhibit his leadership and partly because Chip Kelly probably would have benched him if he didn't snap the ball in the next 4 seconds.
Contrary to what you may believe, we really don't get true shootouts featuring exceptional quarterback play from both teams like this too often at all. Therefore, I appreciated what I was watching for the entire 4 quarters. By the time the game ended, I felt like I just watched a game concocted by the NFL in a lab that allowed viewers like me to remember why we love football so much in the midst of all the negative attention the game has been receiving over the past two weeks. I found myself immersed in the joys of watching this great sport, perfectly able to block out all the lingering issues associated with the NFL. For 3 and a half hours, I was just watching football, in the simplest, basic form that those two words can mean. And I gotta say, it was great.
4 Stars
3 Stripes
The Cincinnati Bengals - Is it actually correct to say Marvin Lewis' squad has been the best team in football over the first 3 weeks of the season? Wow, how long has it been since someone was able to say that? Straight up, the Bengals have no mercy for their opponents, and, especially their past two games. they have made their dominance look almost effortless. Gio Bernard is, along with Le'veon Bell, the top young running back in the league, Jeremy Hill looks like a future star at running back as well, A.J. Green may be from outer space, and that defense is just as ferocious as it ever was, with their insanely deep secondary terrorizing quarterbacks. Andy Dalton may never be a top 10 quarterback, but with the weapons he has around him, plus the fact that he's rarely playing from behind, allows him to perfect his role as the ultimate game-manager who is terrific at putting his playmakers in the best positions to succeed. Also, he has more touchdown receptions than all the Chiefs' wide receivers combined! Cincinnati has a bye week 4, and then week 5 they get the Patriots at Foxboro. If they can take down the Pats on the road, I think it would be safe to consider them a legitimate threat to the Broncos' stranglehold of the AFC.
2 Stripes
Rashad Jennings - Just one week after the Giants placed in my "1 Star" category, one of their best offensive players was able to jump 3 sections to this very spot. Jennings was sensational on Sunday, carving up a stout Texans defense for 176 yards on an obscene 34 carries. Jennings' strong performance opened up the passing game for Eli Manning, who was uncharacteristically super-efficient, at least based on his last 18 games. Back to Jennings, though, who was a career backup for his first 5 years in the league before coming over to the New York Football Giants to be their workhorse. Many questioned whether or not he could produce consistently enough to warrant that title. Consider those questions answered after Sunday's performance. Honestly, anyone who runs for 176 yards on a J.J. Watt-led defense should be inducted into the Hall of Fame immediately following the game. In all seriousness, Jennings seems to be quite comfortable in his new role and will help the Giants immensely as they look to build upon their 30-point performance against the Texans for their next game as well as the rest of the season.
1 Stripe
The New York Jets' Run Defense - Simply put, it's ridiculous. Through 3 games, the Jets are allowing an average of 55.0 yards-per-game on the ground, with opponents carrying the ball at a clip of 2.84 YPC. Like I said, RIDICULOUS. The stingiest run defense of all time was the legendary 2000 Baltimore Ravens, who gave up 60.6 yards-per-game, had a 2.7 YPC against them, and only saw five rushing touchdowns scored on them all season. In other words, the Jets are on a pretty historic pace through 3 games. Of course, it is extremely difficult to keep up with those 2000 Ravens (that's why they hold the record), but I would not be surprised if the Jets are, say, only 5 or so yards-per-game off the pace by the last quarter of the season. If anyone can do it, it's these Jets. Led by a front line of Muhammad Wilkerson (6-4, 315), Sheldon Richardson (6-3, 294), and Desmond "Snacks" Harrison (6-4, 350!), the Jets' run D is suffocating, as evidenced by their performances against some of the top running backs in the league already this year. On Monday, Matt Forte was bottled up all night, rushing for just 33 yards on 13 carries, and Eddie Lacy was only able to manage 43 yards in Week 2. However, Week 1 was by far the Jets' most impressive performance. Although no one is confusing Darren McFadden and Maurice Jones-Drew for Eric Dickerson and Craig James during their SMU days, there is really no disputing that both are serviceable NFL running backs. Well, I guess the Jets can after they held the duo to 13 carries for 26 yards! That stat pretty much speaks for itself. Long live Snacks.
3 Stars
3 Stripes
Johnny Manziel's 37-yard Trick Play Reception That Got Called Back Because of a Penalty - #JohnnyMegatron was trending on Twitter shortly after this play occurred, which is amazing. Manziel's unlikely almost-contribution to the Browns' heartbreaking 23-21 defeat at the hands of the Ravens is certainly not how a former Heisman-winning quarterback should be used on an NFL field, even if the QB can't throw. That being said, how exciting was it to see JFF with the ball in his hands again?!?! Say what you will about the guy off the field, he is absolutely thrilling to watch play football. My favorite part about this play is that at the start of it, Manziel and a couple Browns coaches were engaged in a fake-argument, you know, to help make it all look authentic! How great is that fact? The Browns decided that to make a play with Johnny Manziel not taking the snap as the QB seem completely normal, there must be a pretend-verbal altercation between Manziel and whoever is telling him to play out-of-position. Eventually, Brian Hoyer will prove he's not the man for the unenviable job of Browns QB, and Manziel will step in to lead the city of Cleveland to glory with Josh Gordon at his side (starting in week 11). For now, though, we must settle for these types of Manziel sightings, which are, in a way, nearly as special.
2 Stripes
The Unlikely Emergence of Joe McKnight in Kansas City - Who saw that shit coming? McKnight, a former five-star recruit and 4th round pick of the New York Jets, has "enjoyed" a pretty disappointing career thus far in his 5 years in the NFL. Expected to be a dynamic home-run threat at running back and returner, McKnight has toiled away on the bench instead. That all changed when he exploded for 64 receiving yards and 2 touchdowns for the Chiefs in their rout of the Miami Dolphins on Sunday. It seems that 'Ol Andy Reed was able to harness McKnight's 4.4 speed by exclusively utilizing him in the passing game where he can catch the ball and use his natural playmaking ability to rack up some yardage. Although its highly improbable McKnight will sustain that type of production once Jamaal Charles comes back (he probably wouldn't have even if Charles didn't come back), just receiving any contribution from McKnight is at the very least a solid defense for Chiefs GM John Dorsey when he is eventually pleading for his job later in the year. Oops, did I just reveal that I don't think the Chiefs are very good despite their win on Sunday? Oh, sorry, I guess I did.
1 Stripe
The Cowboys-Rams game - Probably the most underrated interesting game from this past week. St. Louis held a 21-10 lead at halftime, prompting talks of Austin Davis working toward making Rams fans forget the name "Sam Bradford" and of the Cowboys, well, doing Cowboys things. Romo was underwhelming, the defense was pathetic, and the city of Dallas was going to burn down as a result. The second half was a different story for the Pride of Jerry Jones, however, as Romo started to catch fire after a 68-yard TD to Dez Bryant in the third quarter and then later, LB Bruce Carter took a Davis interception for six with 6 minutes left in the game. Suddenly the Cowboys were up 10 points and the defense was actually preventing the Rams from putting up points (imagine that?). Dallas' improbable comeback was completed when much-maligned former 1st-round pick Morris Claiborne sealed the victory with an interception as the Rams were attempting a game-winning two-minute drill. It would not have surprised anyone if the Cowboys found a way to lose that game, but instead they pulled it out. I have to give props to Austin Davis though, the guy is no scrub. Also, Janoris Jenkins is a stud.
2 Stars
3 Stripes
The NFL Debuts of Blake Bortles and Teddy Bridgewater - I don't mean this like they were awful or anything. They were both rookie quarterbacks making their first ever regular season appearances, I didn't expect anything that great. However, I was not pleased with the manner in which they made their debuts. Let's start with Teddy, who entered the Vikings week 3 contest against the Saints in the second quarter. The reason Bridgewater was forced to trade in his clipboard for a football was because Matt Cassel apparently "suffered multiple fractures in his foot." Is it just me, or wouldn't the sight of Cassel being booed off the field by the sparse Vikings fans who made the trip to New Orleans, only for those boos to quickly turn to cheers as those same Vikings fans saw Bridgewater jog onto the field have been so much better? Regardless, the Bridgewater era in Minnesota is finally here. Good luck running an offense built around Adrian Peterson and Kyle Rudolph that's missing Adrian Peterson and Kyle Rudolph. As for Bortles, what was going on with this pass? Honestly, Jags fans probably won't even notice any interception Bortles throws this entire season just because they will be blinded by hope for the first time since Justin Blackmon (yeah, Blackmon references in back-to-back posts. I miss that lovable pothead) had the most dominant performance by a WR in Jacksonville Jaguar history (did you see the stats from that game?!?! Schuab had 527 yards and 5 TD's!!! Never doubt the Jaguars ability to make people look way better than they are). Back to Bortles, he had 2 picks in the 2 mediocre quarters he played on Sunday, and Jags fans couldn't be happier.
2 Stripes
2nd Half Colin Kaepernick - What an enigmatic character. Kaep has that type of mesmerizing throwing and running talent that makes you want to name your first son Colin and teach him to kiss his bicep before he says his first word. However, he has a list of criticisms so long you would think he was a presidential candidate being ripped apart by the opposing party. What I'm trying to say, whether you love him or hate him, is the guy drives you crazy. I happen to be a big Kaep fan, but I'm also not a 49ers fan, so I usually just focus on his positive plays instead of the head-scratching, frustratingly stupid ones that have been popping up this season in particular. Through 3 games, Kaep, and by extension the entire Niners offense, has had a strangely difficult time in the 2nd halves of games. In 6 second half quarters compared to 6 first half quarters, he is averaging one less yard per attempt, has been sacked 5 times to 1, and thrown 0 touchdowns and 2 interceptions to 4 touchdowns and only 1 pick in first halves, all resulting in a QB rating of 70.2 compared to 111.7. There really isn't a concrete reason for this, but it has cost the 49ers wins in their past two games against the Bears and Cardinals. Whatever issues he's having closing out close games, he must fix them soon. The 49ers are 1-2 and, being in the brutal NFC West, have little margin for error. Kaepernick must turn around his 2nd half woes or else we may not see those garnet and gold 49ers jerseys on the field come January.
1 Stripe
E.J. Manuel's Downfield Passes - They're pretty sickening to watch. Take this throw to an open Sammy Watkins, for example. It's a fluttering mess of a pass that bounces at Watkins' feet and results in an incompletion. Virtually any other NFL quarterback is perfectly capable of hitting Watkins in stride, or at least just in his upper body, allowing Watkins to then use his surreal athleticism to pick up additional yards after the catch. Not E.J. though. Bills RB Fred Jackson is currently tied for the team lead in receptions with 13, demonstrating how conservative Manuel is and how often he checks down. Fans and pundits alike have been calling for the Bills to open up their offense more for weeks now so that if the running game isn't necessarily humming, Buffalo isn't automatically down 2 possessions by halftime. The conundrum, as we saw, is that E.J. is not very good at completing passes that travel through the air for more than 10-15 yards. When asked about E.J.'s problems with accuracy, head coach Doug Marrone actually responded, "There's no problem with E.J. Manuel's accuracy." Maybe he's talking about a different E.J. Manuel, because the one I'm watching looks terrified to attempt any difficult pass for fear of being benched in favor of this guy. Manuel has the size, arm strength, and leadership qualities necessary to be a successful quarterback. It just seems like, on game day, everything doesn't quite all come together. E.J. only has 13 career starts under his belt, so I guess there is still time for him to improve, but the Bills are trying, desperately I might add, to make the playoffs and that goal simply can not be accomplished unless E.J. contributes more to the offense.
1 Star
The Ever-Apparent Fact that the NFL Has Like 4 Too Many Teams - This rant I'm about to go on deserves the entire "1 Star" section. Over the past 10 seasons, the Lions, Browns, Bills, Raiders, Jaguars, and Rams have been pretty awful. Those 6 teams have a combined THREE playoff appearances since 2005, with Jacksonville somehow having 2 of those. These 6 franchises have consistently been the epitome of futility and disgrace in the past decade.
Now, I'm not saying that I believe these teams specifically should simply be discontinued as NFL squads, all I'm arguing is that it is crystal-fucking-clear that there is not enough good players to spread around to 32 teams, leaving 3-4 teams every year looking overmatched and hopeless. This year, those teams appear to be the Raiders, Buccaneers, and Jaguars, although Oakland may not be quite as pathetic as the latter two, but close enough to it that they belong in this conversation. Tampa Bay never even made the trip to Atlanta in their 56-14 demolition at the hands of the Falcons, the Jaguars have been outscored 119-44 through 3 games, and the Raiders have crossed the goal line just 4 times so far this season. Besides the three annual punching bags, there will also be mediocre teams that are clearly getting bogged down by subpar, backup-worthy QB play (a natural occurrence due to my theory that there are only 15 QB's present in the league at any one point in time that are capable of winning the Super Bowl. Don't worry, this will be the topic of a future post). Those teams in 2014 are the Texans, Rams, and the entire AFC East besides the Patriots (although Brady doesn't look too great so far either). The NFL's most recent expansions (the addition of the Texans in 2002, the re-activation of the Cleveland Browns in 1999, and the Jaguars and Panthers in 1995) have clearly diluted the talent pool in the NFL, resulting in those unfortunate bottom-dwellers rendered helpless to the more talented teams in the league.
The NFL will never cut down the number of teams in the league, because that would make no sense financially. I'm fully aware of this. However, this means that the cycle of 4 unlucky franchises and their fans being forced to suffer through agonizing seasons over and over again for 10-year stretches will continue forever. Or, at least until football no longer exists.
Sp football Standing through Week 3:
- What are the chances - 3-0
- Marks Marauders - 2-1
- Notorious M.A.F.I.A. - 2-1
- #SantiniCrimeFamily - 2-1
- The Uncle Ricos - 2-1
- Krazy Kevs - 1-2
- TuckerRightInThePusy - 1-2
- 10 AM in Philly - 1-2
- Scooby Doos - 1-2
- The Dominators - 0-3
Monday, September 22, 2014
Week 4 College Football Shoutouts
A bye week for the Longhorns meant a 3-hour block that was opened up to me to watch more college football. I have to say, it was nice to be a neutral viewer and appreciate the several competitive games from Saturday night. Week 4 gave us some upsets, some surprisingly close games, and a certain wide receiver, who will receive my first shoutout, that told possibly the best cover corner in the country to hold his dick.
On that note, let's proceed to the shoutous!
Shoutout to the WR who is hinted at above, Amari Cooper, for causing All-American Florida cornerback Vernon Hargreaves III to have vivid nightmares of the number "9" devouring him whole for at least the next couple of weeks. The guy had more yards by himself (201) than the whole Florida offense (200)! I don't think I have seen a WR dominate a matchup that overwhelmingly since Justin Blackmon did it every game he played when he was still at Stillwater (and still actually playing football). It's almost a decent comparison actually. Blackmon possessed greater strength and physicality than Cooper at his stage of his career, but they are both 6'1", aren't the fastest guys on the field, but still have the natural ability to turn in big plays downfield despite tight coverage. Blake Sims had a GREAT game, no doubt about it, but there were some throws where you saw Sims winding up to launch it downfield, and before he even released the ball, you knew Cooper was going to catch it. Not only is Cooper the undisputed favorite for the Biletnikoff (award for best WR), but I believe he should be top 5 in the Heisman race right now, possibly top 3. Easily a top 10 pick in the 2015 NFL draft, and my guess is Cooper has, at the very least, a long pro career with multiple 1,000 yard seasons.
Shoutout to Samaje Perine for strapping the #4-ranked Oklahoma Sooners on his back and leading them to victory against a very scrappy West Virgina squad. The Mountaineers don't make it easy on anybody, do they? In a contest where the Sooners' vaunted defense struggled, and Trevor Knight reverted back to his 2013 regular-season form, Perine answered the bell and took 34 carries for 242 yards and 4 touchdowns as Oklahoma's workhorse. Usual lead back Keith Ford was out with an injury, so head coach Bob Stoops was forced to turn to the true freshman Perine. At 5'11" and 243 pounds, Perine is a beast of a running back, and this fact is very visible when watching him run. He is an absolute load to handle, and West Virgina defenders were just bouncing off of him like they were bumper cars. I believe this run pretty much illustrates Perine's dominance well. Perine figures to be a huge problem for Big 12 defenses, and the Sooners' run game will only be more lethal when Ford returns to the backfield in a couple of weeks. Oklahoma definitely looks determined to nab a spot in the playoffs, and their on-field performance is justifying their placement in it as of now.
(Mini-shoutout to West Virginia QB Clint Trickett, as well as his top two wideouts Kevin White and Mario Alford. Those guys are playing some seriously good ball right now, and I gotta think Big 12 defensive coordinators are tearing their hair out attempting to devise a game plan to slow them down)
Shoutout to Dak Prescott for making me look brilliant/foolish depending on how you interpret my thoughts on his chances of upsetting LSU. Prescott, who threw for 262 and 2 and ran for 105 and 1, stole the show in Death Valley Saturday night as Mississippi St. did indeed take down the Tigers. This will most likely go down as Prescott's career game because of the result more than his stats, but his numbers were excellent anyway. Watching him is even more of a treat though. The color commentator for the game, whose name escapes me, compared Prescott to Tim Tebow in terms of his ability to extend plays with his legs, power running style, and, most importantly, his enthusiasm and leadership. Prescott led the Bulldogs to that victory, in every sense of the word. RB Josh Robinson was extremely impressive in carving up the LSU defense for 197 yards on only 16 carries, but it was Prescott who orchestrated this win. This win should end the universal underrating that Mississippi St. is often subject to. Their offense is dynamic, their defense is physical and athletic, and their quarterback has to be at the top of everyone's Heisman dark horse lists. The Bulldogs' next two games are absolutely brutal, as they have to face off against back-to-back top 10 teams in Texas A&M and Auburn. Somewhat of a silver lining is that they are both home games, and it is no easy task to come to Starkville and escape with a win. Without a doubt those two match-ups will determine whether or not the 4-0 Bulldogs are legitimate contenders in that daunting SEC West.
Shoutout to Shane Carden in what seems like a weekly segment for me at this point. The insanely good East Carolina QB frankly took a dump on UNC on Saturday, throwing for 438 yards and 4 TD's while also adding 2 scores on the ground. Bottom line, Carden is on par with Bryce Petty, Jameis Winston, Kenny Hill, and all the other best pocket passers in the country. He is now third in the country in passing yards, only behind the QB's who pilot the most pass-heavy offenses in the country (East Carolina's running game is very much a present part of their offense, as showcased by RB Breon Allen's 211-yard performance on Saturday). Carden is surrounded by a stable of talented wideouts, like Justin Hardy, Isaiah Jones, Cam Worthy and Trevon Brown, but where would those guys be without their stud QB? If I'm the GM of NFL team looking to pick up a QB with above-average arm strength and accuracy in the middle rounds of the draft, I would not hesitate to grab Shane Carden and feel confident that I have a potential starter on my team. That's how highly I think of him. And honestly, you should too.
Finally, shoutout to entertaining games. Week 4 finally saw them return to our lives with a couple ones that went down to the wire. Of course, the Clemson-Florida State OT thriller was exceptional to watch, especially in the second half as both young quarterbacks started to pick up their play and give us some solid offensive drives. Defensive playmakers were flying around all night, especially Clemson OLB Vic Beasley, who looks every bit the part of a star NFL pass rusher. The tight contest culminated with a game-winning touchdown scamper by RB Karlos Williams in OT, giving #1 Florida State the victory. Another game that didn't make me want to turn it off in the middle of the second quarter was the Oregon-Washington State game. Shockingly, Washington State hung around with the Ducks for all four quarters, something basically no one does besides Stanford sometimes. Mariota was brilliant as always, but Oregon was not able to pull away from the Cougars as a result of the ineffectiveness of their running game. Although 172 yards on the ground would be solid for most teams, that number on 42 carries (4.1 YPC) constitutes an off day for the Ducks. Luckily, Mariota is ridiculous and has enough talent to win the game for Oregon exclusively through the air. He went 21/25 with 329 yards and 5 TD's, easily one of his most brilliant performances strictly passing in his entire career in Eugene. Washington State QB Connor Halliday put up mind-bending numbers, as always, which kept Washington State behind by only one touchdown until 3:34 left in the game when he was sacked on 4th down, giving the ball to Oregon who was able to run off the rest of the clock. Lastly, how about LSU's dramatic near-comeback at home against Mississippi State? As I mentioned above, the Bulldogs pulled off the upset, but what I did not discuss was the furious charge the Tigers staged in trying to steal the game. With the score 31-10 after three quarters, LSU outscored Mississippi State 19-3 in the fourth quarter, as a pair of true freshmen left it all on the field in an attempt to save LSU's undefeated season. QB Brandon Harris and WR Malachi Dupre hooked up on scores of 31 and 30 yards within 28 seconds of each other, bringing the score to 34-29 (Kenny Hilliard plowed his way into the end zone for a 1-yard TD in the beginning of the fourth quarter). Mississippi State then recovered the ensuing onside kick, but failed to convert a first down, instead giving the ball back to LSU at their own 20 yard-line with only 20 seconds left. After driving up the field and getting into Bulldog territory, a last second heave to the goal line was intercepted by Mississippi State, ending the game. Still, it was nice to see that type of fight out of LSU, whose season is certainly not over despite the conference loss. All in all, I hope to see a trend begin to develop now that conference play is starting toward close, competitive games that force me to watch all 60 minutes.
On that note, let's proceed to the shoutous!
Shoutout to the WR who is hinted at above, Amari Cooper, for causing All-American Florida cornerback Vernon Hargreaves III to have vivid nightmares of the number "9" devouring him whole for at least the next couple of weeks. The guy had more yards by himself (201) than the whole Florida offense (200)! I don't think I have seen a WR dominate a matchup that overwhelmingly since Justin Blackmon did it every game he played when he was still at Stillwater (and still actually playing football). It's almost a decent comparison actually. Blackmon possessed greater strength and physicality than Cooper at his stage of his career, but they are both 6'1", aren't the fastest guys on the field, but still have the natural ability to turn in big plays downfield despite tight coverage. Blake Sims had a GREAT game, no doubt about it, but there were some throws where you saw Sims winding up to launch it downfield, and before he even released the ball, you knew Cooper was going to catch it. Not only is Cooper the undisputed favorite for the Biletnikoff (award for best WR), but I believe he should be top 5 in the Heisman race right now, possibly top 3. Easily a top 10 pick in the 2015 NFL draft, and my guess is Cooper has, at the very least, a long pro career with multiple 1,000 yard seasons.
Shoutout to Samaje Perine for strapping the #4-ranked Oklahoma Sooners on his back and leading them to victory against a very scrappy West Virgina squad. The Mountaineers don't make it easy on anybody, do they? In a contest where the Sooners' vaunted defense struggled, and Trevor Knight reverted back to his 2013 regular-season form, Perine answered the bell and took 34 carries for 242 yards and 4 touchdowns as Oklahoma's workhorse. Usual lead back Keith Ford was out with an injury, so head coach Bob Stoops was forced to turn to the true freshman Perine. At 5'11" and 243 pounds, Perine is a beast of a running back, and this fact is very visible when watching him run. He is an absolute load to handle, and West Virgina defenders were just bouncing off of him like they were bumper cars. I believe this run pretty much illustrates Perine's dominance well. Perine figures to be a huge problem for Big 12 defenses, and the Sooners' run game will only be more lethal when Ford returns to the backfield in a couple of weeks. Oklahoma definitely looks determined to nab a spot in the playoffs, and their on-field performance is justifying their placement in it as of now.
(Mini-shoutout to West Virginia QB Clint Trickett, as well as his top two wideouts Kevin White and Mario Alford. Those guys are playing some seriously good ball right now, and I gotta think Big 12 defensive coordinators are tearing their hair out attempting to devise a game plan to slow them down)
Shoutout to Dak Prescott for making me look brilliant/foolish depending on how you interpret my thoughts on his chances of upsetting LSU. Prescott, who threw for 262 and 2 and ran for 105 and 1, stole the show in Death Valley Saturday night as Mississippi St. did indeed take down the Tigers. This will most likely go down as Prescott's career game because of the result more than his stats, but his numbers were excellent anyway. Watching him is even more of a treat though. The color commentator for the game, whose name escapes me, compared Prescott to Tim Tebow in terms of his ability to extend plays with his legs, power running style, and, most importantly, his enthusiasm and leadership. Prescott led the Bulldogs to that victory, in every sense of the word. RB Josh Robinson was extremely impressive in carving up the LSU defense for 197 yards on only 16 carries, but it was Prescott who orchestrated this win. This win should end the universal underrating that Mississippi St. is often subject to. Their offense is dynamic, their defense is physical and athletic, and their quarterback has to be at the top of everyone's Heisman dark horse lists. The Bulldogs' next two games are absolutely brutal, as they have to face off against back-to-back top 10 teams in Texas A&M and Auburn. Somewhat of a silver lining is that they are both home games, and it is no easy task to come to Starkville and escape with a win. Without a doubt those two match-ups will determine whether or not the 4-0 Bulldogs are legitimate contenders in that daunting SEC West.
Shoutout to Shane Carden in what seems like a weekly segment for me at this point. The insanely good East Carolina QB frankly took a dump on UNC on Saturday, throwing for 438 yards and 4 TD's while also adding 2 scores on the ground. Bottom line, Carden is on par with Bryce Petty, Jameis Winston, Kenny Hill, and all the other best pocket passers in the country. He is now third in the country in passing yards, only behind the QB's who pilot the most pass-heavy offenses in the country (East Carolina's running game is very much a present part of their offense, as showcased by RB Breon Allen's 211-yard performance on Saturday). Carden is surrounded by a stable of talented wideouts, like Justin Hardy, Isaiah Jones, Cam Worthy and Trevon Brown, but where would those guys be without their stud QB? If I'm the GM of NFL team looking to pick up a QB with above-average arm strength and accuracy in the middle rounds of the draft, I would not hesitate to grab Shane Carden and feel confident that I have a potential starter on my team. That's how highly I think of him. And honestly, you should too.
Finally, shoutout to entertaining games. Week 4 finally saw them return to our lives with a couple ones that went down to the wire. Of course, the Clemson-Florida State OT thriller was exceptional to watch, especially in the second half as both young quarterbacks started to pick up their play and give us some solid offensive drives. Defensive playmakers were flying around all night, especially Clemson OLB Vic Beasley, who looks every bit the part of a star NFL pass rusher. The tight contest culminated with a game-winning touchdown scamper by RB Karlos Williams in OT, giving #1 Florida State the victory. Another game that didn't make me want to turn it off in the middle of the second quarter was the Oregon-Washington State game. Shockingly, Washington State hung around with the Ducks for all four quarters, something basically no one does besides Stanford sometimes. Mariota was brilliant as always, but Oregon was not able to pull away from the Cougars as a result of the ineffectiveness of their running game. Although 172 yards on the ground would be solid for most teams, that number on 42 carries (4.1 YPC) constitutes an off day for the Ducks. Luckily, Mariota is ridiculous and has enough talent to win the game for Oregon exclusively through the air. He went 21/25 with 329 yards and 5 TD's, easily one of his most brilliant performances strictly passing in his entire career in Eugene. Washington State QB Connor Halliday put up mind-bending numbers, as always, which kept Washington State behind by only one touchdown until 3:34 left in the game when he was sacked on 4th down, giving the ball to Oregon who was able to run off the rest of the clock. Lastly, how about LSU's dramatic near-comeback at home against Mississippi State? As I mentioned above, the Bulldogs pulled off the upset, but what I did not discuss was the furious charge the Tigers staged in trying to steal the game. With the score 31-10 after three quarters, LSU outscored Mississippi State 19-3 in the fourth quarter, as a pair of true freshmen left it all on the field in an attempt to save LSU's undefeated season. QB Brandon Harris and WR Malachi Dupre hooked up on scores of 31 and 30 yards within 28 seconds of each other, bringing the score to 34-29 (Kenny Hilliard plowed his way into the end zone for a 1-yard TD in the beginning of the fourth quarter). Mississippi State then recovered the ensuing onside kick, but failed to convert a first down, instead giving the ball back to LSU at their own 20 yard-line with only 20 seconds left. After driving up the field and getting into Bulldog territory, a last second heave to the goal line was intercepted by Mississippi State, ending the game. Still, it was nice to see that type of fight out of LSU, whose season is certainly not over despite the conference loss. All in all, I hope to see a trend begin to develop now that conference play is starting toward close, competitive games that force me to watch all 60 minutes.
Friday, September 19, 2014
Week 4 College Football Preview
Ah, college football. Free from all the domestic violence issues of its big brother, the NFL, my beloved college game will never be overrun by the shameful crimes of certain, unnamed "professionals".
What's that? There's college football players who are punching women out? Damn it, come on guys! You're supposed to be better than that! After all, you are a bunch of 18-22 year old males at major universities making most of your decisions while downing bottles of Ciroc paid for by boosters.
And here I was thinking the only thing the NCAA had to deal with was Heisman winners yelling extremely funny phrases around campus. My bad.
With the obligatory Jameis mention out of the way, I have to spend just a little bit of time on the Auburn-Kansas State game that preceded this post. Usually, Thursday night games in college are reserved for a random top 25 team playing some middle-of-the-pack conference opponent, but this past Thursday brought us an extremely intriguing ranked matchup as the defending SEC champion Auburn Tigers traveled to the Little Apple to face off against the perennially underrated Wildcats, led by their soon-to-be Hall of Fame coach Bill Snyder. Nick Marshall is at the helm of another dynamic Auburn rushing attack, while Kansas State's Jake Waters and Tyler Lockett are one of the best QB-WR tandems in the country. Uncharacteristically of him, however, Lockett let a ball go right through his hands in the end zone and into the arms of an Auburn defender. Although it's not like this play decided the game (it happened in the first quarter), mistakes like that just can't happen if you wish to beat Auburn. Especially when said Auburn team has WR D'haquille "Duke" Williams, who is drawing comparisons to Cordarrelle Patterson due to his JUCO roots and undeniable awesomeness. Standing 6-2 and 217 pounds, Williams is your classic tall, strong, explosive #1 WR that should be hearing his name called in the 1st round of either the 2015 or 2016 NFL Draft. Anyway, Auburn escaped Manhattan with a W, and that's all that really matters. Good win for the Tigers, good effort by the Wildcats.
3:30 PM ET - 6 Texas A&M (-35) at SMU
Why in the world am I even discussing a game that is giving a home underdog 35 points? 2 reasons really. First of all, Kenny Trill and A&M are involved, and, as much as I hate to admit it, these guys are absolutely must-see TV right now. Freshmen phenoms are all over the place for the Aggies, as 3 former 5-star recruits (Ricky Seals-Jones, Speedy Noil, and Myles Garrett) are making huge impacts on both sides of the ball. Seals-Jones and Noil have become a scary combo, with Noil's game-breaking speed serving as the perfect compliment to Seals-Jones' monster 6-5, 230 pound frame. Meanwhile, all Garrett has done is tied A&M's freshman sack record of 5.5 through only 3 games. Calling him a beast just seems like the understatement of the year (besides "Roger Goodell is a bad commissioner"). The second reason this game is noteworthy is because it will be the Mustangs' first game since coach June Jones resigned. Jones, who was the subject of an exceptional column by Chris B. Brown of Grantland.com, was highly respected throughout college football for leading the resurgence of both the Hawaii and SMU football programs. At Hawaii, he helped Colt Brennan become the holder of several NCAA records. Jones also led SMU to its first winning season in 2 decades in just his second season there. After a nightmarish start to the 2014 season (SMU has been outscored 88-6 in its first 2 games), Jones stepped down, citing "personal issues". Can SMU pull of an upset for the ages in honor of its departed coach? No, not a chance in hell. In fact, just covering the spread would be a huge moral victory for the Mustangs. Sorry, but A&M just doesn't give a shit about sentimental stuff like that, Mr. Trill throws for 300 yards and 4 touchdowns with more ease than the Falcons beating the Buccaneers on Thursday night. Expect more gaudy numbers from all the guys I talked about above, as well as others like Malcome Kennedy and Trey Williams.
3:30 PM ET - Florida at 3 Alabama (-15)
5 years ago, this is like the biggest matchup of the entire year. Now it's just another talented but overmatched SEC team that Bama will run through. Or is it? Eh, the best answer is "probably". Make no mistake about it, Florida fields a team that, based on ability, is easily top-15. Things just haven't quite come together for Will Muschamp's squad the past 2 years. Speaking of Muschamp, what's up with all the anger? Not even Frank Martin ever frowned that intensely, and he invented the hilariously terrifying tirade. Nevermind about that, back to football. 9th-year QB Jeff Driskel has been solid for Florida, who, of course, has leaned on their rushing game thus far in 2014. Matt Jones and Kelvin Taylor are a very productive 1-2 punch in the backfield, combining for 353 yards on 60 carries in the Gator's first 2 games. The Gators' biggest offensive weapon, though, has to be WR Demarcus Robinson. The #53 overall recruit in the Class of 2013, Robinson has emerged as Florida's top playmaker on the outside, putting up 21 catches for 339 yards and 3 TD's. All of this Florida hype adds up to the Gators...still losing to the Tide by double-digits. You know it's true. Despite Florida seeming to have improved from last year (although it was hard not to), Alabama has Amari Cooper, so they will win the football game. Cooper is simply the most dominant wide receiver in the country right now, and defenses still have to deal with RB's T.J. Yeldon and Derrick Henry. I just don't see Florida's unproven defense stopping that, or even slowing it down much. Bama will roll...tide.
7:00 PM ET - Mississippi St. at 8 LSU (-8)
Dak Prescott will most likely have to turn in the best game of his career to take down the Tigers in Death Valley, but you know what? What's stopping him from doing just that? Prescott is off to a great start to the season, throwing for 9 touchdowns and adding 2 more on the ground, along with nearly 1,000 total yards. On the other side of the ball, the Bulldog defense must be the Bulldog defense that stifled Southern Miss and South Alabama, and not the one that allowed UAB to drop 34 points on them. If both phases can come together for head coach Dan Mullen, LSU should be on upset watch. The only problem is, it's going to be VERY difficult for the Bulldogs to truly achieve the type of success needed to beat LSU at home. Although Mississippi State's run defense has been very good this year, Leonard Fournette still has not had his breakout game yet. You know it's coming any week now. Add that to LSU's defense giving up a paltry 8.0 points per game on the year, and all the optimism I just instilled to all you Bulldog fans out there might end up being for naught. I expect LSU's secondary, led by CB Jalen Mills, to force some turnovers, while big-play specialist Travin Dural notches himself another long score. This one should be competitive, but I don't see the Mad Hatter dropping an important home game as he eyes a playoff appearance.
8:00 PM ET - Miami at 24 Nebraska (-8)
If only the U didn't fall to Louisville week 1, this could have really been a matchup of great importance. Instead, we get Nebraska simply looking to stay undefeated for 2 more weeks until they likely get trounced by Sparty in Lansing. I'm going to say Miami needs this win more, as going into ACC play with 2 losses just doesn't carry the type of momentum the Hurricanes want. To accomplish this, true freshman signal-caller Brad Kaaya just can't lose the game for Miami, and instead hope that the sensational Duke Johnson can finally return to his pre-injury form and carry the Hurricanes on his diminutive back. Johnson does have help on the offense, though, in the form of fellow RB Joseph Yearby, another true freshman. Yearby, the #23 overall recruit of this past class, is another undersized but dynamic weapon that, when teamed with Duke, form a tantalizing duo of speed and home-run ability. Phillip Dorsett, who reportedly has an average 40 yard dash time of 4.21, leads the receiving corps with 284 yards and 4 TD's, while also sporting an other-worldy 35.5 yards per reception. Obviously, he won't be able to sustain an average like that, but it sure does demonstrate his status as yet another Miami player who is capable of turning any play into 6 points. All these offensive playmakers won't really make a difference, though, if the Hurricane defense isn't able to corral the frightening Nebraksa ground game led by QB Tommy Armstrong Jr. and tailback Ameer Abdullah. The Huskers currently are 8th in the nation in rushing yards per game, as Armstrong and Abdullah have pretty much run wild over everyone they have faced so far. My gut feeling tells me their effectiveness running the football does not stop against Miami, and the Nebraska defense doesn't let Duke take over the game for Miami. Nebraska takes it, although Miami keeps it a one-possession game.
8:00 PM ET - 22 Clemson at 1 Florida State (-14)
What, you thought we were done talking about him? Come on, you must not know me well enough then. As you are probably well aware of, Winston is suspended for this first half of FSU's annual monumental clash against the Clemson Tigers. Usually the game that decides which team represents the ACC Atlantic in the conference championship game, there is an extra level of intensity that is exhibited by the young men on each team in this game every year. In 2013, Jameis and the Seminoles flat out steamrolled the Tigers 51-14 as the redshirt freshman's simply couldn't be stopped on his way to the Heisman trophy. This time around, Sean Maguire will be making his first career start and, for 30 minutes, will have to avoid soiling himself as he runs for his life from star pass rusher Vic Beasley. Fortunately for Maguire, he has plenty of talent around him to take the take the pressure off his shoulders. The Seminoles' embarrassment of riches at the running back position is almost laughable, as they can trot out Karlos Williams, Mario Pender, Ryan Green, or highly touted true freshman Dalvin Cook and have an above-average runner carrying the football no matter what. Make no mistake about it, though, this game will be decided when Jameis makes his return to the game in the second half. Even if they aren't holding a lead at halftime, FSU should only be trailing by one possession, which is basically like a lead when Jameis is at the helm of the Seminole offense. Clemson has a good chance of keeping pace with FSU offensively, as redshirt freshman Deshaun Watson, as I predicted prior to the season, will receive the keys from Dabo Swinney and should proceed to strike some fear Jalen Ramsey, P.J. Williams, and the rest of that athletic secondary that Cole Stoudt would not have. Personally, I am beyond excited to watch this game unfold. It is certainly set up for Jameis to lead some type of miraculous 2nd half comeback as Watson struggles to pull of his best Winston impression, but this scenario is far from guaranteed. Clemson running backs Wayne Gallman and Adam Choice are no slouches and should put some pressure on FSU's front seven. No matter how much I look at Clemson and see a team capable of knocking the Seminoles off the perch they've held for almost an entire calendar year now, I just can't bring myself to picking against my man Jaboo. #GoNoles
(12:35 A.M. Saturday) Update: Jameis Winston is now suspended for the entire game against Clemson. This certainly makes things a lot more interesting, and could possibly tilt the game in Clemson's favor. Of course, it's not like Sean Maguire, Winston's replacement, is guaranteed to struggle. You still have to have plenty of talent to be the backup QB on Florida State. That being said, I don't think we should be expecting any type of Seth Russell-type shit in Tallahassee Saturday night. If the Seminoles wish to still claim victory despite the absence of their leader, the running game and defense must bring their A-game. Expect Vic Beasley and the Clemson front seven to be ultra-aggressive as they try to fluster Maguire and force him into committing mistakes/turnovers.
What's that? There's college football players who are punching women out? Damn it, come on guys! You're supposed to be better than that! After all, you are a bunch of 18-22 year old males at major universities making most of your decisions while downing bottles of Ciroc paid for by boosters.
And here I was thinking the only thing the NCAA had to deal with was Heisman winners yelling extremely funny phrases around campus. My bad.
With the obligatory Jameis mention out of the way, I have to spend just a little bit of time on the Auburn-Kansas State game that preceded this post. Usually, Thursday night games in college are reserved for a random top 25 team playing some middle-of-the-pack conference opponent, but this past Thursday brought us an extremely intriguing ranked matchup as the defending SEC champion Auburn Tigers traveled to the Little Apple to face off against the perennially underrated Wildcats, led by their soon-to-be Hall of Fame coach Bill Snyder. Nick Marshall is at the helm of another dynamic Auburn rushing attack, while Kansas State's Jake Waters and Tyler Lockett are one of the best QB-WR tandems in the country. Uncharacteristically of him, however, Lockett let a ball go right through his hands in the end zone and into the arms of an Auburn defender. Although it's not like this play decided the game (it happened in the first quarter), mistakes like that just can't happen if you wish to beat Auburn. Especially when said Auburn team has WR D'haquille "Duke" Williams, who is drawing comparisons to Cordarrelle Patterson due to his JUCO roots and undeniable awesomeness. Standing 6-2 and 217 pounds, Williams is your classic tall, strong, explosive #1 WR that should be hearing his name called in the 1st round of either the 2015 or 2016 NFL Draft. Anyway, Auburn escaped Manhattan with a W, and that's all that really matters. Good win for the Tigers, good effort by the Wildcats.
3:30 PM ET - 6 Texas A&M (-35) at SMU
Why in the world am I even discussing a game that is giving a home underdog 35 points? 2 reasons really. First of all, Kenny Trill and A&M are involved, and, as much as I hate to admit it, these guys are absolutely must-see TV right now. Freshmen phenoms are all over the place for the Aggies, as 3 former 5-star recruits (Ricky Seals-Jones, Speedy Noil, and Myles Garrett) are making huge impacts on both sides of the ball. Seals-Jones and Noil have become a scary combo, with Noil's game-breaking speed serving as the perfect compliment to Seals-Jones' monster 6-5, 230 pound frame. Meanwhile, all Garrett has done is tied A&M's freshman sack record of 5.5 through only 3 games. Calling him a beast just seems like the understatement of the year (besides "Roger Goodell is a bad commissioner"). The second reason this game is noteworthy is because it will be the Mustangs' first game since coach June Jones resigned. Jones, who was the subject of an exceptional column by Chris B. Brown of Grantland.com, was highly respected throughout college football for leading the resurgence of both the Hawaii and SMU football programs. At Hawaii, he helped Colt Brennan become the holder of several NCAA records. Jones also led SMU to its first winning season in 2 decades in just his second season there. After a nightmarish start to the 2014 season (SMU has been outscored 88-6 in its first 2 games), Jones stepped down, citing "personal issues". Can SMU pull of an upset for the ages in honor of its departed coach? No, not a chance in hell. In fact, just covering the spread would be a huge moral victory for the Mustangs. Sorry, but A&M just doesn't give a shit about sentimental stuff like that, Mr. Trill throws for 300 yards and 4 touchdowns with more ease than the Falcons beating the Buccaneers on Thursday night. Expect more gaudy numbers from all the guys I talked about above, as well as others like Malcome Kennedy and Trey Williams.
3:30 PM ET - Florida at 3 Alabama (-15)
5 years ago, this is like the biggest matchup of the entire year. Now it's just another talented but overmatched SEC team that Bama will run through. Or is it? Eh, the best answer is "probably". Make no mistake about it, Florida fields a team that, based on ability, is easily top-15. Things just haven't quite come together for Will Muschamp's squad the past 2 years. Speaking of Muschamp, what's up with all the anger? Not even Frank Martin ever frowned that intensely, and he invented the hilariously terrifying tirade. Nevermind about that, back to football. 9th-year QB Jeff Driskel has been solid for Florida, who, of course, has leaned on their rushing game thus far in 2014. Matt Jones and Kelvin Taylor are a very productive 1-2 punch in the backfield, combining for 353 yards on 60 carries in the Gator's first 2 games. The Gators' biggest offensive weapon, though, has to be WR Demarcus Robinson. The #53 overall recruit in the Class of 2013, Robinson has emerged as Florida's top playmaker on the outside, putting up 21 catches for 339 yards and 3 TD's. All of this Florida hype adds up to the Gators...still losing to the Tide by double-digits. You know it's true. Despite Florida seeming to have improved from last year (although it was hard not to), Alabama has Amari Cooper, so they will win the football game. Cooper is simply the most dominant wide receiver in the country right now, and defenses still have to deal with RB's T.J. Yeldon and Derrick Henry. I just don't see Florida's unproven defense stopping that, or even slowing it down much. Bama will roll...tide.
7:00 PM ET - Mississippi St. at 8 LSU (-8)
Dak Prescott will most likely have to turn in the best game of his career to take down the Tigers in Death Valley, but you know what? What's stopping him from doing just that? Prescott is off to a great start to the season, throwing for 9 touchdowns and adding 2 more on the ground, along with nearly 1,000 total yards. On the other side of the ball, the Bulldog defense must be the Bulldog defense that stifled Southern Miss and South Alabama, and not the one that allowed UAB to drop 34 points on them. If both phases can come together for head coach Dan Mullen, LSU should be on upset watch. The only problem is, it's going to be VERY difficult for the Bulldogs to truly achieve the type of success needed to beat LSU at home. Although Mississippi State's run defense has been very good this year, Leonard Fournette still has not had his breakout game yet. You know it's coming any week now. Add that to LSU's defense giving up a paltry 8.0 points per game on the year, and all the optimism I just instilled to all you Bulldog fans out there might end up being for naught. I expect LSU's secondary, led by CB Jalen Mills, to force some turnovers, while big-play specialist Travin Dural notches himself another long score. This one should be competitive, but I don't see the Mad Hatter dropping an important home game as he eyes a playoff appearance.
8:00 PM ET - Miami at 24 Nebraska (-8)
If only the U didn't fall to Louisville week 1, this could have really been a matchup of great importance. Instead, we get Nebraska simply looking to stay undefeated for 2 more weeks until they likely get trounced by Sparty in Lansing. I'm going to say Miami needs this win more, as going into ACC play with 2 losses just doesn't carry the type of momentum the Hurricanes want. To accomplish this, true freshman signal-caller Brad Kaaya just can't lose the game for Miami, and instead hope that the sensational Duke Johnson can finally return to his pre-injury form and carry the Hurricanes on his diminutive back. Johnson does have help on the offense, though, in the form of fellow RB Joseph Yearby, another true freshman. Yearby, the #23 overall recruit of this past class, is another undersized but dynamic weapon that, when teamed with Duke, form a tantalizing duo of speed and home-run ability. Phillip Dorsett, who reportedly has an average 40 yard dash time of 4.21, leads the receiving corps with 284 yards and 4 TD's, while also sporting an other-worldy 35.5 yards per reception. Obviously, he won't be able to sustain an average like that, but it sure does demonstrate his status as yet another Miami player who is capable of turning any play into 6 points. All these offensive playmakers won't really make a difference, though, if the Hurricane defense isn't able to corral the frightening Nebraksa ground game led by QB Tommy Armstrong Jr. and tailback Ameer Abdullah. The Huskers currently are 8th in the nation in rushing yards per game, as Armstrong and Abdullah have pretty much run wild over everyone they have faced so far. My gut feeling tells me their effectiveness running the football does not stop against Miami, and the Nebraska defense doesn't let Duke take over the game for Miami. Nebraska takes it, although Miami keeps it a one-possession game.
8:00 PM ET - 22 Clemson at 1 Florida State (-14)
What, you thought we were done talking about him? Come on, you must not know me well enough then. As you are probably well aware of, Winston is suspended for this first half of FSU's annual monumental clash against the Clemson Tigers. Usually the game that decides which team represents the ACC Atlantic in the conference championship game, there is an extra level of intensity that is exhibited by the young men on each team in this game every year. In 2013, Jameis and the Seminoles flat out steamrolled the Tigers 51-14 as the redshirt freshman's simply couldn't be stopped on his way to the Heisman trophy. This time around, Sean Maguire will be making his first career start and, for 30 minutes, will have to avoid soiling himself as he runs for his life from star pass rusher Vic Beasley. Fortunately for Maguire, he has plenty of talent around him to take the take the pressure off his shoulders. The Seminoles' embarrassment of riches at the running back position is almost laughable, as they can trot out Karlos Williams, Mario Pender, Ryan Green, or highly touted true freshman Dalvin Cook and have an above-average runner carrying the football no matter what. Make no mistake about it, though, this game will be decided when Jameis makes his return to the game in the second half. Even if they aren't holding a lead at halftime, FSU should only be trailing by one possession, which is basically like a lead when Jameis is at the helm of the Seminole offense. Clemson has a good chance of keeping pace with FSU offensively, as redshirt freshman Deshaun Watson, as I predicted prior to the season, will receive the keys from Dabo Swinney and should proceed to strike some fear Jalen Ramsey, P.J. Williams, and the rest of that athletic secondary that Cole Stoudt would not have. Personally, I am beyond excited to watch this game unfold. It is certainly set up for Jameis to lead some type of miraculous 2nd half comeback as Watson struggles to pull of his best Winston impression, but this scenario is far from guaranteed. Clemson running backs Wayne Gallman and Adam Choice are no slouches and should put some pressure on FSU's front seven. No matter how much I look at Clemson and see a team capable of knocking the Seminoles off the perch they've held for almost an entire calendar year now, I just can't bring myself to picking against my man Jaboo. #GoNoles
(12:35 A.M. Saturday) Update: Jameis Winston is now suspended for the entire game against Clemson. This certainly makes things a lot more interesting, and could possibly tilt the game in Clemson's favor. Of course, it's not like Sean Maguire, Winston's replacement, is guaranteed to struggle. You still have to have plenty of talent to be the backup QB on Florida State. That being said, I don't think we should be expecting any type of Seth Russell-type shit in Tallahassee Saturday night. If the Seminoles wish to still claim victory despite the absence of their leader, the running game and defense must bring their A-game. Expect Vic Beasley and the Clemson front seven to be ultra-aggressive as they try to fluster Maguire and force him into committing mistakes/turnovers.
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