Big 12 North's Top Prospects

While signings aren't completely finished... actually they're probably not even close to being finished, I still thought it would be fun to look at some of the best players at each position in an attempt to forecast the 2010 season. 

Since I live on Rivals (and work for them) I feel somewhat qualified to make these selections. It will be interesting to see how these recruits, along with a number of others not mentioned, turn out once they hit the D-1 gridiron this summer. 

Here's my look at the top players coming into the Big 12 North.

QB: James Franklin (Missouri) > I'm with Jeremy Crabtree of Rivals.com on this one. Franklin is a true talent at this position and has all the tools to be a threat on the ground and through the air at the next level. His collected presence in an often times shrinking pocket particularly stands out to me on film. Too bad for James he'll have to fight with the Gabbert brothers for playing time.

RB: DeMarcus Robinson (Kansas State) > While Nebraska fans might be upset at this selection do to the fact that they just picked up a monster com

mitment in Braylon Heard from Ohio, Robinson is the man here. His vision and cutting ability alone have left K-Staters drooling since April. His speed would compliment nicely with Daniel Thomas in next year's backfield had the Wildcats not brought in some talent at this position in the '09 class. Look for Robinson to red-shirt and make his impact in the '11 season.

WR: Ricki Herod Jr. (Kansas) / Marcus Lucas (Missouri) > This was a particularly tough decision for me, so I decided to take the easy route and choose 2 players. Herod lacks the breakaway speed at the next level, but his hands stood out to me on film; very soft and like glue. He also uses his body very nicely to shield off defenders and make use of his leaping abilities. Lucas is a giant threat at the outside standing 6'5". He's a prototype Missouri wide receiver and has surprisingly good speed. If he can add some weight to his frame and show more of a physical threat along with his finesse, he could be yet another great Tiger player. However, if Lucas doesn't work out, Missouri is blessed to have a dark horse: Jimmie Hunt. He could be a special freshman as well.

TE: Ricky Howard (Iowa State) > The Cyclones finally made a return to respectability this season and don't think it hasn't made an impact with recruits. Howard is a solid mix of strength and consistency. He's not the fastest guy in the world, but you can send him out to make simple catches. He's not the biggest guy either, but he blocks surprisingly well and uses his feet aga

inst sometimes larger ends.

OL: Mike Moudy (Nebraska) / Jemarcus Hardrick (Nebraska) > Take your pick Husker fans because you've got some really good lineman headlining a talented '10 class. Hardrick is the clear cut choice and is a mammoth tackle. He's still a little raw and has gotten away with using his size alone at the JUCO level. Moudy is the sleeper here though. His hands and lower body strength caught my attention initially. Constantly makes sure he's in the right position against his defensive foes and I think he could be a productive guard or tackle at the next level. 

DE: Geneo Grissom (Kansas) > While Grissom isn't 100% on board with the Jayhawks since the firing of Mark Mangino, fans in Lawrence are praying he sticks around and for good reason. Grissom was a standout on the standout team in Kansas (Hutchinson). He has an amazing frame to work with at the next level and has a quickness off the edge that is fun to watch for a kid his size. The sky is the limit for Grissom. 

DT: Chase Rome (Nebraska) > Wildcat fans may not like me for this choice, but I like what Rome brings to the table. Don't get me wrong, Javonta Boyd could easily slide in here, but Rome gets the nod for more than just his strength. The Rock Bridge product shoots out of his stance like a cannon, making it difficult for offensive lineman to pick him up off the snap. When they do manage to get a hold of him, he drives them backwards with his

 lower body, nearly always disrupting the quarterback's rhythm in the process. 

LB: Jeremiah George (Iowa State) / Laton Dowling (Kansas State) > Yet another tough decision at linebacker. Both George and Dowling are two of the least talked about prospects, not only on their individual squads, but also in the North. George's vision gets him on the list. There are plenty of linebackers who appear impressive on film simply because they're always blitzing. However it was George who got my nod because of his ability to track down the ball in spy and coverage situations. He also shares a talent with the future Wildcat Dowling in that their closing speed is phenomenal. Dowling stands 6'4" and could easily be made into a defensive end. However it's what he does in the open field that makes him so appealing at linebacker. He could be the next Mark Simoneau if he puts his mind to it. 

CB: Dave Clark (Kansas) > No disrepsect to Clark, but this wasn't much of a unit for the North all around. There are a number of defensive back commitments, but none are really spectacular. Clark impressed me with his ability to disrupt his opponent. He may not intercept it or even get a piece of the ball while defending a receiver, but he does enough to make sure they don't come down with the catch. His size and arms are similar to another Jayhawk - Aqib Talib. Now if only Kansas can keep him locked in Lawrence. 

S: Harvey Jackson (Nebraska) > So far, there are no safeties committed to any North team. Yet when you watch Harvey Jackson on film, it's pretty clear the Huskers have plans to put on some weight and potential have him fill the void left by Larry Asante. Jackson patrols the last line of defense like a snake and seemingly always knows where the QB is throwing. He's definitely more of an interception threat than a hard nosed hitter, but with a little time in the weight room, things could change.

ATH: Donnie Duncan (Colorado) > Don't think I'm choosing Duncan only so every North team can be represented. No, no, no. This kid could be the surprise of the entire division come '10. The Buffs could use him either at wide receiver or corner and that's because of his distinctive athletic ability. On offense, his breaks off the line of scrimmage are marveling and while his routes could be crisper, he makes sure to catch the ball. On defense, it's his feet once again that are most impressive, sticking with defenders all around the field. I really like the idea of having Duncan on the turf in some way, shape, or form if I'm Dan Hawkins.

Oops!

Nobody's perfect, but my goodness, after 6 months the worldwide leader in sports still can't remember who coaches the great and all-mighty Kentucky?

Way To Go Tigers!

Another coaching vacancy filled with a motivated, qualified, blue and grey blooded mastermind. Let's do this!

LARRY PORTER

Ames gets Busted by Barnes

My take on the Harrison Barnes saga which ended today with the #2 ranked player picking UNC over hometown Iowa State.

Click Here to Read My Article

Like I Said - Charlie Strong

Make this happen Memphis...

""The 22nd Head Coach at the University of Memphis is..."

A little more than six months ago to the day and the Memphis Tigers are right back to where they left off- looking for a new head coach. This time, the signal caller won't be on the hardwood though. This coach will fill as the replacement of football coach Tommy West. 

Effective this morning, Memphis athletic director R.C. Johnson announced the remaining 3 games on the Tigers' schedule will be the last West coaches from the sideline as the leader of the pack. 

The firing finishes off a career that was less than stellar, with statistical success shadowed by underachievement. 

Did West lead Memphis to its first bowl in 32 years? Yes and No.

Did West lead Memphis to only its second back-to-back-to-back 7+ win season? Yes and No.

You see, while West appears to have an impressive resume as Memphis coach, the majority of his success came on the legs of this guy... DeAngelo Williams. 

Factor in the 3 season's since DeAngelo's departure and West is average at best.

2006:  2-10

2007:  7-5 (Bowl loss)

2008:  6-7 (Bowl loss)

For some programs, bowl seasons equal success and happiness. However, given the recent influx of talent Memphis has seen due to the team's publicity in the "Williams Years", West has been blessed with some of the best individuals the squad has ever seen. That said, there's little excuse for nor room for error and major losses. 

Currently in a massive mess-up of a fall, where a team expected to contend for the Conference title may not win another game (2-7 record so far), the time has been here for a while and the West era's end was inevitable. 

SO WHO WILL MEMPHIS HIRE??!!

Well, going by this comment from Johnson at the press conference Monday, it becomes easier to narrow down qualified candidates...

Well, certainly recruiting because that’s what this business is all about. I have always preferred somebody who has head coaching experience, but that is not absolutely necessary. I think if you do that you limit yourself because somewhere along the line the assistant coach has to have a chance to be a head coach. Certainly recruiting experience at the Division I level is important because I would be hard pressed to bring someone in that has never had any Division I recruiting experience or success.  

So let's break this down by priority and assumption of what Johnson has done in the past.

1) Recruiting capabilities 

2) Flawless resume (meaning prior sanctions, etc. because Memphis is not in the place to deal with off the field issues)

3) Collegiate experience

4) Southern knowledge

5) Youth and Vigor before Age and Discipline 

Factoring in this information and weeding through the quantity of names being thrown out by "Memphis maniacs", here is a Top 5 list where I'm willing to bet the eventual coach will be chosen. (This is a list of my favorite candidates, not a list of the most likely candidates)

- CHARLIE STRONG / Defensive Coordinator/ Florida : Is he the #1 candidate? Likely not. Should he be the #1 candidate? Without question. Strong is far and away the best coordinator on either side of the ball in the country. He's a complete package- young, vivacious, successful, experienced, and eager to move to a head coaching position. It's tough to tell whether Strong would have any interest in a job like Memphis, given the fact that he's qualified to take on an even higher program even though he's never been a head coach. Still, he's definitely on R.C.'s radar because Johnson is the type of athletic director who is always out to hit a home run first before going for a sleeper. 

- LARRY PORTER / Running Backs & Special Teams / LSU : Porter seems to be the popular choice among the majority of Memphians and for good reason. If Strong is choice 1A, Porter is easily choice 1B. He's a former standout running back for the Memphis Tigers in the mid 1990's and is a native a nearby Jackson, Mississippi. A disciple of Les Miles since 2002 (also coaching at Wooddale high school out of college), Porter has been groomed and appears prepared to take over a program of his own. Notably, his alma mater. His resume includes preparing the likes of Jacob Hester, Joseph Addai, and Tatum Bell.

- TYRONE NIX / Defensive Coordinator / Ole Miss : I haven't seen Tyrone mentioned much with this opening but personally, I would stand by this hire. I could be because he's a coordinator at rival Mississippi, but fans should look past his current employer and instead at his resume. As a recruiter, he's locked down the likes of Patrick Trahan and Eric Norwood while at South Carolina. As a coach, he's walked the sidelines with the likes of Jeff Bower, Steve Spurrier, and now Houston Nutt. His defenses have been pressure heavy and superior at tackling. Nix is yet another coach on this list who appears ready for the next level. 

- GUNTER BREWER / Offensive Coordinator & Quarterbacks / Oklahoma State : Honestly, Gunter wasn't really a name that I was crazy about early on in this process. But as the hours have gone by, he appears more and more intriguing and word

 around Memphis is that he is gaining steam with many big boosters and members of the community. Brewer is the son of former Ole Miss coach Billy Brewer and is well known throughout the coaching world for his knowledge of football offenses. His background speaks for itself: coach at Marshall, North Carolina, and now Oklahoma State / position coach for Randy Moss, Adarius Bowman, Dez Bryant,  and Zac Robinson. He has southern ties from his days as a youngster around Ole Miss and East Tennessee State. Plus, if this website isn't a showcase for his resume as head coach, I'm not sure what is. 

- KIRBY SMART / Defensive Coordinator & Secondary / Alabama : Smart is another name that may not be on the short list of media outlets around Memphis, but he's a valuable target and one R.C. Johnson is sure to at least contact. Simply look at what Alabama has accomplished since Smart and Nick Saban arrived and it's pretty clear at the possibilities Smart has in the future. His coaching resume includes working with and at the best of the best including Valdosta State, Georgia, Florida State, Alabama, and of course a one year stint with the Miami Dolphins. Known as an active and vocal coach, he's been a successful recruiter while with the Tide. The only question marks surround whether he would leave his loyalty with Saban and if he is 100% ready to take over a program of his own. 

Besides those candidates listed above, I would definitely keep an eye out for 3 more "Honorable Mention" coaches...

Al Golden - Head Coach / Temple 

Turner Gill - Head Coach / Buffalo

Derek Dooley - Head Coach / Louisiana Tech 

All are rising stars in the lower ranks. They have resurrected programs that were without a doubt dormant before they arrived and are considered high IQ coaching minds. Given what they've been able to do at the places they coach now, it's intriguing to see what they could do with the resources at Memphis. Will R.C. pull the trigger on a coach like these two though? Not so sure. 

SO... if I had to guess the answer the title of this post less than 12 hours after the job opened, I would say -

"The 22nd Head Coach at the University of Memphis is... Larry Porter."

And for option 2? Look out for Brewer.

Thought I'd Satisfied My Daily Requirement...

of 1 post per day, but then I stumbled upon the homepage at ESPN.

First off, I need to address a minor issue that I find ridiculous.
Evidently at last weekend's game, fans made such a big deal about this "taunt"...


that the University of Minnesota was forced to issue a public apology.
Was the Gopher mocking God? C'mon now folks - no way. Goldy was doing his job to try and mess with a player. Could he have picked a different Nittany Lion to bother rather than the one in prayer - probably. But do we really have to make a big issue out of something like this before a game involving a stuffed Gopher? Unbelievable.

NOW ON TO THE MORE PRESSING TOPIC...

His name is Terrelle Pryor and he was supposed to be the second coming.

The town of Jeannette, Pennsylvania was in love in 2007. They had the biggest star on their hands since hometown hero Meadowlark Lemon strutted his stuff with the Harlem Globetrotters.
Pryor was a U.S. Army All-American and All-American Game MVP. He was a Parade All-American and National Player of the Year. He was named a 5-Star prospect by Rivals.com and eventually became the Nation's top prospect at any position. He was even a big enough star to get away with holding a press conference on signing day only to tell cameras, "I'm just here to tell everybody I need more time."


Well a few weeks later, Pryor held true to his word and decided to become the future of Ohio State football. Immediately he was given high praise and publicity and just weeks into the 2008 season was named the Buckeye's starter. It was a learning session for Pryor in that freshman campaign, but there were enough bright spots for analysts and fans alike to dub him a player to watch in 2009. Many even included him in Heisman talks for this fall.

Well, here we sit 7 weeks into the 2009 football season and Pryor is the subject of both criticism and comfort. Following a road loss to Purdue last Saturday, Pryor's high school coach Ray Reitz told reporters it was Jim Tressel's fault for his former QB's poor play-
‘‘They need Terrelle to run more. They’ve put the reins on him and they need to let him go free. When I watch Terrelle play right now, I see a robot.’’

Now, hot off the press today, the 19 year-old has sport's biggest superstar coming to his aid-

"[I'm] trying to mentor him and get him through 'life in the spotlight,' which I've been through," James said after a preseason game in Columbus on Wednesday night.

James said he has been speaking to Pryor on the phone in recent weeks to try to help him deal with celebrity at a young age.

"Being that No. 1 guy, how do you adjust to it and how do you get through it and still perform at a high level?" James said. "Sometimes it can be very difficult on [a young athlete]. I'm trying to be that guy who can really help him get through a lot of situations which he's never seen before but now he's seeing and understanding."

Here's the deal.
First and foremost, I feel for Pryor. That's right Terrelle - I'm sorry for you.
Sorry that you were dumb enough to think Ohio State would feature an offense that catered to your talents.
Are you kidding me? This is the same Jim Tressel who's QB's at OSU since arriving from Youngstown St. have included the amazing athletic talents of Craig Krenzel, Justin Zwick, and Todd Boeckman. Sure there was Troy Smith, but even then, did Tressel truly utilize Smith to his full potential. Doubtful.
In his best season, Smith rushed for 611 yards on 136 attempts. Compare that to two of the Big 12's most prolific runners (since I am a K-State kid) Ell Roberson and Michael Bishop. Roberson's 3-year career tallies 2,818 yards on 600+ rushes while Bishop tacked on 1,314 yards on 324 carries in just a 2-year span. The facts speak for themselves - Terrelle, you knew you weren't going to run.
More importantly, when you come in with your swagger and your #1 ranking, don't expect hugs and kisses when the program isn't winning. Especially when you're the QB. If things go downhill, the signal caller will be the first to catch the fire from fans and even quicker if the signal caller is arguably the top prospect to ever wear the school's colors.

Listen, maybe the truth to all of this isn't even found in the numbers or the play calling. Why is it so hard for people to fathom this honest opinion after watching #2 for 2 seasons -
"TERRELLE PRYOR JUST ISN'T THAT GOOD."

It's not hard to say. It's only 6 words long. In fact, it only takes 2 seconds to roll off the tongue.

So why won't more people admit the truth? Why are so many people caught waiting for this kid to pan out?
Maybe it's the Vince Young comparisons. After all, it did take VY nearly 3 years to truly hit his stardom and comfort level.
Still, that's rare. In 99.9% of cases, if you're the nation's top QB out of high school and aren't putting up numbers early, you probably just weren't as good as heralded.

Think about this : since Rivals began evaluating prospects, the top QB's of each class have included Vince Young, Kyle Wright, Mark Sanchez, Matt Stafford, Jimmy Clausen, Terrelle Pryor, and Matt Barkley. In each of the afore mentioned player's 2nd seasons, the worst is (at worst) statistically even if not slightly better than Pryor's numbers this season. Yes, even Kyle Wright.

Pryor isn't as elusive a runner as we expected and he doesn't have the arm strength nor accuracy we expected to see in Columbus.

So I pray to the sports god's above - please end this Pryor publicity.

If he comes around like many believe will happen, I'll eat crow and throw out my keyboard.
But if not... don't say I didn't tell you so.

Only a Matter of Time...

As I've stated before, maybe this is me being biased. Maybe this is me being bitter over what's happened in Memphis over the course of the last 6 months. But regardless, after the track record John Calipari piled up both at UMass and more recently at Memphis, is this really that much of a surprise?

Let's be real : Wall will play and play early. Kentucky wants it and can make it happen. The SEC needs it and will make it happen.

But the facts and evidence are beginning to pile up on the freshman phenom.
Overall, I think Wall is probably a good kid. Now a days though, it seems you can't get any 5-Star prospect without high school baggage.

Surely a prospect we need to keep an eye on, and for more than just his highlights.

NFL Mock Draft - Version 1.0

Having seen at least 6 weeks of action for both the College and NFL football seasons to this point, only now do I feel confident and comfortable in making my Mock Draft - Pt.1 (Top 10 only)

Hopefully this will be updated every other weekend and we can find out how close I come in April. Here goes nothing...

(Predicted Order of Finish - Picks Based on Team Need)

#1 TAMPA BAY - Ndamukong Suh : Defensive Tackle : Nebraska

#2 ST. LOUIS - Sam Bradford : Quarterback : Oklahoma
#3 TENNESSEE - Jimmy Clausen : Quarterback : Notre Dame
#4 DETROIT - Russell Okung : Offensive Lineman : Oklahoma St.

#5 OAKLAND - Trent Williams : Offensive Lineman : Oklahoma
#6 KANSAS CITY - Dez Bryant : Wide Receiver : Oklahoma St.
#7 WASHINGTON - Eric Berry : Safety : Tennessee

#8 CLEVELAND - Jahvid Best : Running Back : California
#9 BUFFALO - Taylor Mays : Safety : USC

#10 JACKSONVILLE - Tim Tebow : Quarterback : Florida

Skating Strong

Check out my latest entry for my Sports Reporting class about the return of the NHL.

Click Here

Hey Chicago, Life Goes On

Read all about it. Click here.

Dreaming of Salina

Never thought I'd ever say that. But beginning tomorrow night, there's no place I'd rather be. 

Unfortunately, seeing my main man John Legend play live right down the highway at the Steifel Theatre just isn't in the cards... or more importantly, my finances. 

In his honor though, here's a fantastic live version of probably my favorite of his songs. 

I'll be back tomorrow or Tuesday to recap the college football weekend. Until then, enjoy!

One Of My Favorite People Is At It Again

I don't even know where to begin, so let me make this quick. 

ANY Floyd Mayweather fight is better than a UFC card if you have any appreciation at all for the sport of boxing. He's not ducking and running because he doesn't want to be hit, Dana. He's earning defensive points from judges. People should be amazed at Floyd's defense and counter-punching ability because some of the best fighters of all time couldn't make it look so easy. 

As for the comment about UFC having the better card, I'm pretty sure this may be the worst headliner for an event I've seen in a long time. Sure UFC100 blew it out of the park and I anticipate when Rashad Evans and Rampage Jackson tangle late this year excitement being just as big. But Rich Franklin? Franklin's resume is about as impressive as the guests Jim Rome has on his TV show. Wins over a bunch of non-title holders and losses to Anderson Silva (x2) and Dan Henderson. Vitor Belfort hasn't even fought since 2005, and is coming off a loss at that to Tito Ortiz. Down the card there's some guy called the Janitor who's fighting and looks about 40 years old, perennial loser Frank Trigg, and a semi-headliner between a 35 year old and a 25 year old. 

With Floyd, you're getting one of the best in the business. He's fighting a guy in Marquez who gave the best pound-for-pound fighter all he could handle on 2 separate occasions. And the undercard? Many analysts believe some of those fights may upstage the final fight in excitement value. 

You're guaranteed to see 2 people enter a ring and throw punches at each other instead of rolling around an octagon trying to "mount" an opponent. 

There's a reason boxing PPV's cost more. Admit it or not, it's better action and UFC is still just UFC. They have no Ali, Frazier, Sugar's, Tyson, Lewis, Holyfield... I could go on. It's an up and coming sport no doubt, but it hasn't and probably never will reach that level. The day that George St. Pierre becomes a household name and can be wheeled into an arena in a wheelchair and have another group of sporting fans give him a standing ovation, Dana White can personally slap duct tape over my lips. Until then, I'm taking Floyd over a UFC fight any day.

Is this the fight that we all wanted? No. But Pacquiao vs. Mayweather is inevitable and we can wait. Pretty sure the original card of Franklin vs. Henderson wasn't what your fans wanted either and that's why you changed it. Even now I doubt many people want to see Franklin vs. ____ as a headline event. 

Allow me to finish on this note- Dana White shouldn't say anything about fights nobody wants to see. He has zero room after he failed once again to put Fedor in the UFC. You want a fight nobody wants to see, how about starting with your entire heavyweight division? Lesnar against anybody but Fedor is a fight NOBODY wants to see. 

WEEK 2 ROUNDUP

Well after a fairly predictable Week 1, we got our first dose of upset specials or near upsets in the 2nd week of the season. In case you missed it...

Week #2

Hope You Were Watching: Purdue @ Oregon - Boy, were there some great games this last weekend but leave it to the final match-up of the night to take the cake. Autzen Stadium was crazy as always, doing everything possible to keep their Ducks from falling 0-2 for the first time since 2004. This game featured at least a touchdown for both squads in every quarter and a combined 807 yards of total offense! The heat really turned up in the 2nd half where fans only witnessed 3 punts in the 3rd and 4th quarters. With Blount out for the season, we knew Oregon would lean heavily on QB Jeremiah Masoli but wow, never did I think he could carry his team to a victory like this- 163 through the air and 84 on the ground, much of which came on the final 3 drives for the Ducks. Great game.

Well, You Didn't Miss Much: Idaho St. @ Oklahoma - Oh c'mon. I bet you can't even name the Idaho St. mascot anyway, so who really cares. And ya, they got blanked. See, while Texas fans partied after Sam Bradford's injury, the boys from tiny Pocatello, ID were sobbing endlessly. They knew it would be rough and it was.

All-Wally Offensive Award: Jeremy Moses, QB/Stephen F. Austin - I could've easily chosen the Lumberjacks in the category above as well, but where's the fun in that? Either way, you want to talk about a performance for the year, how about the play of the junior QB from Baytown, TX. Moses was a perfect 12-12 on a night which saw him throw for 285 yards and 6 TD's to 5 different receivers as Stephen F. Austin rolled Texas College... are you ready... 92-0. I'd say that's one way to rebound from an opening week loss to SMU.


All-Wally Defensive Award: Rahim Moore, S/UCLA - If the Bruins coaches gave grades for their 2008 players, it goes without question that Rahim Moore wouldn't have received a letter at all. Instead it most likely would've read, "IP- In Progress". Turn the tables and give the sophomore a grade through 2 weeks in 2009 and the 6'1 ball hawk still wouldn't have a letter- "RG- Really Good". It's hard to top a week where you intercept 3 balls and deflect another in front of a home Rose Bowl crowd. Somehow Moore decided he was able to do better and in turn took his highlight show on the road to one of the most intimidating stadiums in all the land and picked off 2 more passes while adding 6 total tackles. Need I mention who UCLA plays next? Ya, my Kansas State Wildcats.

Didn't See That Coming: Toledo's 54-38 win over Colorado - Little do Boulder Buffs know, but despite assumptions, their CU squad is actually 2-0 this season. As in, they've been winners of this category for 2 weeks straight! First it was Colorado State and now Toledo. And folks, Dan Hawkins' club isn't just losing, they're getting torched: through 2 weekends the black and gold defense has given up a Rocky Mountain cool 1,000 yards. The real question is how long the former Boise St. mastermind can last. CU's next 4 games don't look promising- Wyoming, @ West Virginia, @ #2 Texas, #22 Kansas.

Even Hellen Keller Predicted That: California 59, Eastern Washington 7 - If you haven't been able to catch the Golden Bears in action yet, you need to. This team is flying up the rankings and is every bit as advertised. Not only are the Bears a legit threat to USC's conference dominance, but Tebow & McCoy should keep a close eye on Jahvid Best in the Heisman race. I said before the season if there was one player that could be a serious threat it would be Best and he hasn't let me down- 281 yards rushing on the season, with 2 rushing TD's and 1 receiving TD.


Wally'z Failed Winners: Tennessee, Fresno St, and Air Force let me down in valiant efforts. And remind me why I picked Notre Dame? I don't even like the Irish. Scratch that the rest of the year.

Wally'z Success Story: Big shout out to the Warriors from Hawaii who put a pounding on Washington St. No surprise here. Thanks for making me look smart for at least one game fellas. Mahalo.

Looking Ahead: Strange enough, I can predict which games should be good to watch. I just can't predict the winners! Here are the Top 5 Must-See's this week...

1. Tennessee @ Florida (Not because it will be a good game, but more because of the coaching war)
2. Utah @ Oregon
   
3. Arizona @ Iowa
   
4. Florida St. @ BYU
   
5. Cincinnati @ Oregon St.
   

Honorable Mention: West Virginia @ Auburn, Texas Tech @ Texas
Upset Special: Middle Tennessee St. over Maryland

Pee Pee Mouth

This is an enormous week for me as a sports fan.

Forget the fact that K-State is playing UCLA at the Rose Bowl, forget that Lane Kiffin and my man Urban Meyer finally go head to head, and forget that my Seattle Seahawks will take on the San Francisco 49ers for an early season division lead in the NFC West.

No, no, no.

IT'S FIGHT WEEK!

That's right- Pretty Boy Floyd "Money" Mayweather Jr. against Juan Manuel Marquez.

For the past two Mayweather fights, I was privleged enough to have HBO in my home so I could watch the fantastic 24/7 series their sports department films. Honestly, one of the best shows on television and I wish they did them more often. Well, this time around, HBO isn't at the apartment. So last night, I was forced to play catch-up on the past 2 weeks thanks to YouTube.
Which brought me to this...



Now, nothing against Marquez. He's a fantastic fighter and as a huge Mayweather fan, I've not been more nervous about a fight than I am for this Saturday's. But goodness gracious- your own urine? I guess...more power to him....????

Anyway, I anticipate a great fight and I encourage you to purchase it via Pay-Per-View if at all possible. Boxing is one of the world's greatest and most under-appreciated sports and now that Floyd is back, I see a bright future with a crop of talented youngsters to boot.

My pick to win? C'mon. How could anyone really believe a guy who trains like this will lose? Mayweather by decision.

It Has Returned...

and yet we still have teams who didn't receive my "fix your jersey memo".

Call me anal or just flat out annoying, I've heard it all before. I'm pretty sure there are even people out there who refuse to watch games with me because of the pesky problem, but when your jersey's don't match, I let it be known... loudly.
For years there have been a few teams who've been a thorn in my side and it appears that in 2009 they've returned for more irritation.
You can say all you want that you don't care, but after these pictures, at least you won't be able to ignore this major problem any longer.

CULPRIT #1 - New Orleans Saints

Probably one of the worst in all of sports. Are they black and gold, black and bronze, or black and copper? I can't decide because they use all different shades. Take the picture below for instance...


Notice the difference between helmet color, numeric color on the jersey, and pant color. Absolutely hideous.

CULPRIT #2 - Dallas Cowboys
For whatever reason, I never have found a problem with the Cowboys road uniforms (below)


Call it tradition (I'm pretty sure that's the excuse from Dallas fans), but there is a glaring problem with the home dreads in comparison.


Notice a problem? In case you're color blind, allow me to be of assistance. We start with the helmet, displaying a crisp NAVY blue star emblem on a silver hat. When we get down to the jersey however, we notice ROYAL blue come into play on the numbers. Then when moving to the pants, the silver which should match the helmet is gone. Instead we see this strange shade of turquoise appear. And making things more strange, we find a navy blue stripe. Then the socks go back to the royal blue color. So in all we have 4 different color schemes- Navy Blue, Royal Blue, Turquoise Blue, and Silver.
Ya, and you always thought the Cowboys were supposed to be Silver and Navy. Ya... supposed to be.

CULPRIT #3 - Grey Facemask
One of my oldest foes may be multiplying and trust me, I'm not at all happy about it.
First, it was the Indianapolis Colts.


It's not a huge problem, but as much as you see close up camera shots of players, it's highly irritating. Answer me this- Do the Colts feature grey anywhere else on their jerseys? So why have it as the color on your facemask? They didn't use to use grey (circa early 2000's)


And don't even start with the whole, "Well maybe that's as close as they can get to white". Never seen a Texas Longhorn game? (Chiefs and Bills among others also feature pure white facemasks).


But enough about the Colts. They aren't alone. Where else is grey featured in the Arizona Cardinals color scheme? NOWHERE!


I just don't get it. It's not a hard concept. You have 3 options: make them white, make them black, or make them red.
And don't think I forgot about you Cleveland Browns. You also use "The Grey", but you escape without an embarrassing picture because I'm pretty sure my readers have the concept by now.

CULPRIT #4 - Cincinnati Bengals

It's not a huge mishap, but I read about this on a blog awhile back and unfortunately, it's stuck with me ever since.
While many despise the Bengals uniforms in general, I personally have no problem with the futuristic/arena look. However, they seemed to make a minor mistake on the shoulder pads.


While the creators decided to stitch the stripes closest to the arms, it seems they either ran out of funding or just got lazy because notice the difference with the top stripe which appears to be ironed-on. The problem continues on the pants as well. Either make it all iron-on stripes and numbers or not. Do not try and combine Wal-Mart with Nordstrom's.


- Finally, allow me to end this post on a high note and congratulate a former villain on making a positive change for the ages. Since I was a child, one of my biggest fears was watching an entire Minnesota Vikings game. As good as they were on the turf in Minneapolis, they just could not decide whether they were Purple or Blue. And boy did it look goofy on television.


But in heroic fashion, a player named Adrian Peterson came along, which in turn meant a jersey change. And thus, the Vikings have finally hit normalcy... or as close as you can be. Job well done you Nordic footballers.



Call this entire argument pointless, but hey, I bet you start to notice more issues around the sports world. And whether you care or not, at least I know I got your attention.

FUTURE FILMS

With a break in the sports action, I got a little idea to do something today after surfing through imdb.com 

Here's a look at 8 movies I'm excited to see coming out before year's end.

Zombieland 

October 2nd - Woody Harrelson, Emma Stone, Jesse Eisenberg

More Than A Game

October 2nd - Lebron James, Dru, Romeo, Sian, & Willie

Law Abiding Citizen

October 16 - Gerard Butler & Jamie Foxx

Boondock Saints II : All Saints Day

October 30th - Sean Patrick Flanery, Norman Reedus, Billy Connolly

2012

November 13th - John Cusack, Thandie Newton, Chiwetel Eljiofor

The Blind Side

November 20th - Sandra Bullock, Quinton Aaron, Tim McGraw

(* This is the true story of Michael Oher - former Ole Miss All-American and 1st Round Draft pick of the Baltimore Ravens)

Armored

December 4th - Columbus Short, Matt Dillon, Laurence Fishburne

Sherlock Holmes

December 25th - Robert Downey Jr, Jude Law, Rachel McAdams

Week 1 Roundup

As promised, the college sports season is finally underway and that means that Wallyz World is back at full throttle.
Today, it's time to begin a segment that will carry on so long as College Football is in session. It's my recap of the past weeks game as well as a quick glance at some things to watch for in the week to come. Let's get it started!

WEEK #1

Hope You Were Watching: Miami @ Florida State - Should we be upset that by November it'll be a distant memory or excited that it could be a sign of things to come? Either way, it's very likely Monday night's match-up between the Canes and Seminoles will go down as one of, if not the best game of the year. Jacory Harris has all the tools to be one of the premiere signal callers come season's end and the combo of Graig Cooper/Javarris James is lethal for ACC competitors. Let's not forget how far the Seminoles have come. I see both of these squads playing on New Years Day if not later.

Well, You Didn't Miss Much: Nicholls St. @ Air Force - This wasn't just a blowout, this was an absolute destruction of the Colonels from Nicholls St. The Falcons held the visitors to just 151 net yards, forcing 5 fumbles and sacking freshman QB Jacob Witt twice. Doubt there were many fans left after Halftime: 45-0. Even more doubtful anyone stayed to see the final scoreboard: 72-0
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All-Wally Offensive Award: Robert Griffin, QB/Baylor - After quickly establishing his presence as a freshman last season, Griffin has gone "Evan Longoria" on us, displaying reason at Wake Forest that he will not suffer a sophomore-slump. Before Saturday, Baylor had not won they're opening game against a non-FBS opponent since 2005 when they defeated SMU. In fact it marks just the 4th time in the last 10 years that Baylor has opened a season 1-0. In the 24-21 win over Wake Forest, Griffin went for 136 yards through the air and another 41 on the ground with 2 TD's and 0 INT's. All that to go along with Griffin currently sitting atop the "Punting Average" category with a booming 59 yarder at Winston-Salem! What can't he do? (*Also, thumbs up to the Bear's uniforms Saturday. Sharp.)


All-Wally Defensive Award: Brandon Downs, DT/Eastern Michigan - As tempting as it was to give this award to the entire Notre Dame defense for not allowing a single point to the potent Nevada offense (seriously), I've got to keep this as an individual honor and Downs takes the cake. Before Saturday, Downs' had never had more than 29 tackles in a season. After the Eagles 27-14 loss to Army, he's already just 19 away from tying. Brandon also recorded 2 sacks on the day and added a forced fumble. Not a bad day for a 246 lb. defensive lineman.

Didn't See That Coming: Colorado State's 23-17 win @ Colorado - "10 Wins, No Excuses". Not sure I see that happening for the Buffs after this dismantling. This was all-Rams, all-the-time. I didn't want to believe that CU was as improved as many analysts detailed. I'm patting myself on the back as we speak. (*Also, sounds like things went from bad to worse for Boulder fans. Get used to Cody Hawkins for the rest of the year- like it or not.)

Even Hellen Keller Predicted That: Florida 62, Charleston Southern 3 - They almost held true to that absurd Vegas line. Need I say more?

Wally'z Failed Winner: What didn't go wrong for me this past weekend? Oregon= Wrong. Virginia Tech= Wrong. Florida State= Wrong. Georgia= Wrong.
Wally'z Success Story: Cincinnati was impressive against Rutgers as I predicted. The minor error- calling Jabu Lovelace the QB Rutgers needed to win. ( 0-2, 0 yards. 3 rushes, -2 yards )

Looking Ahead: The only place you can start is Columbus, OH - USC @ Ohio State. I forsee another Trojan taming of the Buckeyes. But how about a few other games to get excited for beginning with Thursday's meeting of Clemson and Georgia Tech. There's also the battle of the "Private Parts" - Stanford @ Wake Forest, which should be solid. Notre Dame @ Michigan has all the story lines you'll ever need, and don't sleep on Fresno State @ Wisconsin and East Carolina @ West Virginia.