Texas Tech vs. Virginia 

This game presents one of the truly great matchups of the entire bowl season. For UVA, you have a tough defense led by Chris Long and his 14 solo sacks, tops in the ACC going against Mike Leach, Graham Harrell, Michael Crabtree and another explosive Texas Tech offense. With two such evenly matched units lining up against each other, it seems pertinent to look at the other side of the ball for each team. Offensively, UVA has struggled to score points offensively, finishing seventh in the ACC in scoring offense. Quarterback Jameel Sowell has been solid but unspectacular and hasn’t got much help from a UVA offensive unit without a player in the ACC’s Top 10 in rushing, reception and receiving yards. If the Cavaliers are to have success offensively, it will likely have to be on the ground with Sowell making plays and improvising on the run. Al Groh would do well to stay out of the skies against the Big 12’s top ranked pass defense and away from Texas Tech sophomore Jamar Wall who finished tied for second in the conference in interceptions. UVA’s defense has been good but not good enough to stop an offense that is AVERAGING 537 yards per game, the nation’s 2nd best. Look for Chris Long to get at least one sack, the great ones always find a way, but Long won’t be enough to slow down the nation’s leading quarterback and receiving combo. I’ll take Texas Tech in what could be Mike Leach’s last game in Lubbock.

Tuesday, Jan. 1 - Capital One Bowl

Florida vs. Michigan

Rather, the Storyline Bowl. In one corner, Michigan comes into the game off a disappointing season, losing its first two in catastrophic fashion and ending the season on a two-game losing streak, losing against to Ohio State. The Wolverines have a little extra motivation/distraction as the game will be head coach Lloyd Carr’s last game at Michigan. For Florida, Tim Tebow comes into the game after making Heisman history last week as the only sophomore ever to take home the trophy for the nation’s best player and has cemented a bull’s eye squarely on his back. Offensively for Michigan, Chad Henne has to have a big day and could very well going up against a Florida pass defense that finished dead last in the SEC. I like how Michigan stacks up against Florida’s corners with Mario Manningham and Adrian Arrington. My concern is that the offensive strategy will be centered too much on Mike Hart and against a Florida defense that allowed just 99 yards a game on ground, the SEC’s best, rushing yards could be hard to come by. Michigan has to give Henne enough touches to let him get into a rhythm and pick apart this young, inexperienced Florida secondary and use Hart strategically. On defense, I think Florida’s offense poses some very troubling mismatches for this Michigan defense, particularly with the size and speed of Tebow, Percy Harvin and Bubba Caldwell. Michigan has been steady in shutting down the pass but their ability to defend the spread and keep Tebow in the pocket and not running around will be key in this game. Offensively, I just think Florida has too much speed for Michigan but if Henne plays well and the offense is centered around exploiting Florida’s secondary, Michigan could send Lloyd Carr out with a win. I’m still going with the Gators and more importantly with Tebow in this one.

Tuesday, Jan. 1 - The Rose Bowl 

Illinois vs. USC

No bowl has a greater tradition than the Rose Bowl, the Granddaddy of Them All, but I think it’s safe to say that the Rosel Bowl may have gone overboard this year in trying to get a Big Ten/Pac-10 matchup after Ohio State was selected for the BCS Title Game in New Orleans. You really can’t say enough about the job Ron Zook has done at Illinois this year but I can’t say I think this team deserves to be in this game. Having watched the Illini play on two occasions this year, I can say that I love their swagger and the real sense of irreverence they play with. Watching them play against Wisconsin when the Badgers were a top 5 team and then again at Ohio State when they were number 1, I noticed that Illinois never seemed to have a sense about them that they weren’t supposed to beat those teams. They will need a similarly irreverent attitude when they face the red hot Trojans in Pasadena. From a team speed standpoint, USC has it in droves. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: No team in America has more depth and speed at the skill positions than USC and they will use that depth to exploit Illinois defense. Getting pressure on John David Booty will be huge for an Illinois defense that finished fourth in the Big Ten in sacks. Booty has shown poor mobility and decision-making when pressured this season and isn’t anywhere near as stoic or accurate as his predecessors, Matt Leinart and Carson Palmer. But if the Illinois defensive line can’t put pressure on the quarterback and give Booty time to find tight end Fred Davis, Patrick Turner, Vidal Hazleton and Joe McKnight out of the backfield, it could be a very long afternoon for Zook’s Illini. The key for USC on defense, a unit that finished first against the pass and second against the run, will be containing Illinois quarterback Juice Williams, who is most dangerous outside the pocket and tailback Rashard Mendenhall, who had a breakout year in ‘07 and stands to be a Heisman frontrunner in ‘08. I’ve liked Illinois all year but USC is playing great at the right time of year and will win the Rose Bowl for the 32nd time in school history.

Shouldn’t have come to a surprise as anyone. Ever since Dennis Dixon went down against Arizona towards the end of the season (torpedoing the Ducks’ season, his Heisman chances and the Oregon offense), Tebow was my pick to win the award. I agree with ESPN’s Ed Cunningham that this is an award that should be voted on after the bowl season but no one, up until this point, has had been as consistently great as Tebow has. Period. Say what you want about the Gators’ three losses (which this season didn’t put a BCS bowl that far out of reach), Tebow was the reason that team won nine games this season. I thought Darren McFadden was completely undeserving of the award given his mid-season slump and then spectacular last two games. More deserving of a chance to New York than McFadden and Mizzou QB Chase Daniel was Central Florida’s Kevin Smith who, after the Knights Liberty Bowl game against Mississippi State, could put together the greatest season by any college running back ever. Despite his 2,400 yards, Smith was never mentioned in connection with the Heisman, which I think is criminal. But congrats to Tebow who becomes the third Gator to win the Heisman and the first since Destin’s Danny Wuerffel took home the prize in 1996.

The Patriots won’t lose this year

The first half of yesterday’s Steelers/Patriots game was an entertained as I’ve been watching the NFL since.. well, since the Patriots/Colts or the Patriots/Ravens last Monday night. Make no mistake, this team is beatable but none of the teams they play for the rest of the year have the means to exploit their weaknesses. The Steelers, Ravens and Colts have all found ways to take the Pats to the wire but the team always finds a way to create one or two turnovers and win late. Yesterday’s game was no exception. Struggling to stop the Steelers offense (whose strategy was conservative to say the least), the Patriots pulled out the throwback pass and broke the Steelers back. The team never recovered from that touchdown in the third quarter and the league’s only unbeaten team cruised to an easy victory. There are a couple areas of concern if you’re a Patriot fan. One is dropped passes. What I’ve seen when watching the Patriots the last two weeks is tight end Benjamin Watson, the wildly, grossly overrated Wes Welker and Randy Moss all routinely drop catchable balls, particularly in the red zone. Against a better team, that could be an issue. Two, the Patriots defense is especially weak at the corners. The linebacking corps of the Patriots is pretty good in coverage and isn’t giving up a lot underneath but Ellis Hobbs and James Sanders are hardly players without exploitable weaknesses. If yesterday’s game proved nothing it’s that you can’t be afraid to take shots downfield against this Patriot defense and the Steelers were. The last game of the season, one that many of us will never seen because it’s on NFL Network, could be a good one. The Giants have a great pass rush with Michael Strahan and Osi Umenyiora coming off the edge but they are weak at corner and even weaker at safety and not giving Tom Brady time to sit in the pocket and throw has been huge for success against this Patriot offense. The Giants have big play wide receivers with Plaxico Burress but I wonder about Eli Manning’s ability to hold up under pressure and the mental toughness of the Giants as a whole.

Larry Bird and Jamaal Tinsley should both be on the next flight out of Indianapolis

For those of you who haven’t heard, Pacers point guard Jamaal Tinsley has been involved in yet another off-the-court incident involving a late night, a nightclub and guns. This time, it appears that the Pacers point guard had his Rolls Royce sprayed with assault rifle fire after an argument at an Indianapolis nightclub at three in the morning. Tinsley was not hurt but the Pacers equipment manager was shot in both elbows. Again, the Pacers are reprimanding Tinsley for being out so late and using bad judgment and putting himself in harm’s way but how many times will the team stand behind this knucklehead while he continue to embarrass himself, his team, his league and the community? It’s time to cut him loose. Now onto Larry Legend. When will he and team president Donnie Walsh be held accountable for what this team has become? Upon Bird’s arrival he has made questionable, borderline awful personnel moves and took a perennial playoff team, brought in guys with questionable character and turned it into the 2007 version of the Portland Jailblazers. In a city that has a team like the Indianapolis Colts, the community will not continue to support a team that conducts themselves as poorly off and on the court as this one does and it’s time that Larry be shown the door for bringing in, and standing behind, guys like Marquis Daniels, Stephen Jackson and Jamaal Tinsley.

Tennessee just scored quickly while sporting what I can only describe as dreamsicle-colored uniforms.

UPDATE - 3:34 Lightning will not strike twice for Boston College as Matt Ryan throws a heartbreaking interception deep in Virginia Tech territory with two minutes left. The Eagles got the ball back with 30 seconds left but Xavier Adibi picked off a batted ball and took it to the house for six. The Bottom Line on Championship Saturday, 2-1.

UPDATE - 6:41 Well I could be wrong but LSU looks like they have survived a pre-game full of rumors that their coach is leaving to win the SEC Championship. I wonder where, in the spectrum of hated athletes at Tennessee, Erik Ainge falls after basically losing the ballgame for the Vols tonight. Twice, Ainge failed to read the defenders before throwing the ball and twice the Tigers defense made him pay. For me, this loss goes back to what I believed early this season about Tennessee – they have absolutely zero big play possibilities on that offense, opting instead to nickel and dime their way down the field and tonight two of those plays really cost them the conference championship. Ainge just has to see Daryl Beckwith underneath on that last interception. That turnover is inexcusable. The Bottom Line on Championship Saturday, 3-1.

UPDATE - 7:45 If you like two teams just blowing each other up, I hope you are watching the Big 12 Championship right now. Missouri and Oklahoma have been trading blows for most of the first quarter and the winner of this game could turn out to be the team with the most starters still conscious. I like the way Oklahoma is playing on defense. Nothing that Missouri has tried on offense so far has been even remotely successful. We could be in for a good one. Oh and for the record, Missouri wide receiver Jeremy Maclin is as fast as any player I have seen this year. He is so explosive. If Mizzou wins this game, it will be on the legs of Jeremy Maclin.

UPDATE - 8:16 Oklahoma just came up huge on third and goal from the 2 and forced another Missouri field goal. Mizzou has gotten some questionable pass interference calls on third down on two scoring drive so far and this game really reinforces my belief that I could never be a head coach. When a referee throws a flag for defense pass interference well after the play (as was the case on both of those pass interference calls), I would likely strike said referee with the nearest blunt object. Apparently, this is not acceptable in the coaching profession, something about assault with a deadly weapon makes some athletic departments squeamish.

UPDATE - 8:22 Is it just me or does Missouri quarterback Chase Daniel look like Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger after a horrible beekeeping accident?

UPDATE - 9:44 Pitt has West Virginia on the ropes but the officials appear to be keeping West Virginia in the game. Two bad holding calls and a no-call on obvious pass interference call has Pitt coach Dave Wannstedt fuming. Pitt has outplayed West Virginia the game and it would be a shame to see them robbed of the upset because of poor officiating but so far that appears to be the case. Elsewhere, Oklahoma scored a big touchdown to take the lead again against Missouri.

UPDATE - 9:51 All Pitt needs is a first down to pull off an enormous upset after Pat White soars the ball over the head of his receiver on 4th and long. The officials continue to be atrocious after flagging a Pitt corner for unnecessary celebration for doing absolutely nothing. ESPN announcer Mike Patrick accurately said the officials were sucking the joy out of the game. Oklahoma goes up 14 after an interception by Oklahoma linebacker Curtis Lofton lead to a Sam Bradford touchdown pass. Chase Daniel is really beginning to show his frustration. I think the BCS may need to find two new teams for its championship when the night is over.

UPDATE - 9:56 See ya, West Virginia. Pitt has done it and the Mountaineers are out of the national championship after dropping to the Panthers, a 28-point underdog, at home.

UPDATE - 10:45 Adios, Mizzou. What Oklahoma proved tonight was that Missouri was a complete fraud as the number 1 team in the country and  that Chase Daniel never belonged in the Heisman conversation with McFadden and Tebow (I would argue that McFadden does not belong in that conversation either). Oklahoma hit him early and often and Daniel folded like a cheap card table. I will give Daniel a pass on the game-changing interception, he did throw behind tight end Martin Rucker but it is hard to blame a quarterback for an interception off a deflected pass. So where does that leave us now? Presumably, Ohio State is in but who is number 2? Is it Georgia? Is it the famous undefeated-in-regulation Tigers of Louisiana State? Is it the recently resurgent Trojans? I have no idea. My hunch is that we will see Georgia in there, given that they are number four in the BCS standings at this moment but with this system, it is anyone’s guess. I will agree with Kirk Herbstreit when he said that its a shame that Mizzou will not get into a BCS bowl and Kansas will given that the Jayhawks never had to play Oklahoma. I hope that Kansas and Hawaii get put in the same bowl so I can completely avoid having to watch both teams altogether. If all of the great games today are proof of anything, it is that nothing — and I mean nothing NFL execs — beats college football.

MAC CONFERENCE CHAMPIONSHIP - Miami (OH) at Central Michigan - 12:00

I’ll take the defending MAC Champion Chippewas and QB Dan LeFevour in this one. LeFevour recently won the MAC Offensive Player of the Year award after setting school records for completions, attempts, yards and total offense this season. Still, the game could be interested. Miami of Ohio does possess the conference’s best passing defense, best rushing and scoring defense. The question will be if the Redhawk offense, which ranks 10th in the conference in scoring, can put points on the board. I’ll take CMU.

CONFERENCE USA CHAMPIONSHIP : TULSA AT UCF - 12:00 P.M.

Tulsa has one of the best offenses in the country and UCF has one of the best running backs in America. I’ll take UCF in this one for any number of reasons, not the first of which is that my girlfriend is a Knight. The game is being played in Orlando, at their new Bright House Networks Stadium on campus so for that reason alone, I’ve gotta go with George O’ Leary’s squad. Not to mention that last week, Tulsa gave up over 700 yards of total offense, 541 threw the air. This could be a shoot out and is definitely worth your time. I’ll take the formerly Golden Knights of Central Florida.

ACC Championship - Virginia Tech at Boston College - 1:00 p.m.

I’ve been on the BC bandwagon and I don’t intend to get off despite that they face off against a much better Virginia Tech team than the one the Eagles beat earlier this year in Blacksburg. I think the game will ultimately come down to how well Tyrod Taylor/Sean Glennon is able to lead the Virginia Tech offense against an underrated and fast Boston College defense. If VT is able to move the ball effectively, it could be lights out for BC’s BCS dreams but I don’t anticipate that being the case. I’ll take the Eagles in a close one.

SEC Championship - Tennessee at LSU - 4:00 p.m.

In what could be Les Miles’ last SEC game as the head coach of LSU, I’ll take the Bayou Bengals coming off a heartbreaker last week against Arkansas. Tennessee has been one of the most hideously inconsistent teams in the SEC and I don’t think that the UT offense has what it takes to hang with the hard-hitting, lightning-quick LSU defense. LSU had better get creative on offense and not rely on the Hester up the middle, Keiland Williams to the outside, Matt Flynn on QB Draw that we’ve seen too many times this year. They need to spread the field and keep the ball away from Tennessee freshman cornerback Eric Berry who makes his Atlanta homecoming Saturday. I’ll take LSU by at least 10. The Tigers are just thankful they’re not playing Georgia.

Big 12 Championship - Missouri at Oklahoma - 8:00 p.m.

There’s an awful lot riding on this game for Missouri. For Mizzou QB Chase Daniel, it’s his chance to snatch the Heisman Trophy away from Tim Tebow, who’s been sizing up a place on his mantel for it for weeks. A great performance in a win against Oklahoma and the award for the nation’s best college football player is his. Bigger than that is that Missouri is playing for the national championship Saturday night. Beat Oklahoma and they’re in. I was asked earlier today by our publisher who I liked in this one. I explained that I would have taken Oklahoma had it not been for the announcement earlier this week that Sooner running back DeMarco Murray is done for the year with a dislocated kneecaps. Murray was the team’s most consistent running back and best offensive player, save wideout Malcolm Kelly. The key for Oklahoma will be forcing turnovers and getting on top early. If Mizzou gets in an early hole, maybe 10 or 14 points, I’m not sure they can come back from that against a pretty tough Oklahoma defense. Sam Bradford’s performance is huge for the Sooners. If he gets careless and starts throwing Favre-ian interceptions, it’s over for Oklahoma and we are looking at a Missouri-West Virginia National Championship. I am going to take a flyer on Bob Stoops and the upset-minded Sooners.

(AP Photo/Tom Strattman)

Austin Starr never pays for another meal in Bloomington ever again

I’ll get more to the Old Oaken Bucket game here in a bit but Starr’s game-winning 49-yard field goal with 30 seconds left to beat Purdue will be enough to make him a permanent fixture in the history of this series and in the history of this program for some time to come. To be able to come back onto the field, having missed a 42-yarder that would have put the game out of reach and hit the game winning kick, a career long, is unspeakably clutch.

(AP Photo/John Raoux)

Tim Tebow is this year’s Heisman trophy winner

Say what you want about Florida’s three losses coming off their national championship last year, no player in college football has been as consistently great as Tim Tebow. When Oregon’s Dennis Dixon limped off the field in the first quarter against Arizona last week, Tebow became a virtual lock to strike the pose. Basically all he had to do this week was not suck against Florida Atlantic (a team Florida has no business playing this last in the season). Well Tebow threw for 338 and three touchdowns and ran for another. I don’t know what this kid’s pro career looks like, given his awkward mechanics and playing in an offense that no NFL team runs but his college career is looking pretty bright.

(AP Photo/Butch Dill)

Alabama fans think they have 32 million reasons why they should never lose to Louisiana-Monroe — at home

Well, I think the shine is officially off the apple down in Tuscaloosa after Nick Saban’s Crimson Tide dropped a home tilt against the mighty 4-6 Warhawks of Louisiana-Monroe. In Saban’s defense, in every preseason interview I saw he tried to temper expectations and warn Tide fans, frothing at the mouth for national recognition again, that this was a rebuilding process and that the team had a long way to go. All of that went out the window when they beat Arkansas (a team that has shown to be one of the SEC’s most disappointing after winning the SEC West last year) in a thriller in Tuscaloosa. I think this is a fitting loss for a man who’s karmic account balance is overdrawn and a program so willing to get back on top that they were willing to hire a snake like Saban.

(AP Photo/LM Otero)

The BCS picture is clear as mud

I can’t say I’m surprised that Oklahoma went down to Lubbock under the lights and fell to Mike Leach’s Texas Tech team. Year in and year out, Tech is one of the most explosive offense teams in America and Bob Stoops’ team just had no answer for Graham Harrell. But where does this leave the race for New Orleans and the BCS Championship? Oklahoma, it stands to reason, is out, Ohio State appears to be back in. Kansas moves to number 2 but has a tough game next week against Missouri, who have national championship hopes of their own. And then there’s LSU who is hoping that Tennessee can hang onto the SEC East so the Tigers can beat their brains out in Atlanta, instead of playing Georgia, America’s hottest team. And what about West Virginia? After losing to South Florida earlier in the year, Rich Rodriguez’s team has been consistently great. Stay tuned.

(AP Photo/Tony Ding)

Lloyd Carr is done in Ann Arbor

It’s been a heck of a run for Lloyd Carr as the head coach of Michigan but let’s face it, even if he would have beat the archrival Buckeyes (which he failed to do again, dropping his record against Jim Tressel to 1-6), Carr was on the way out. Ever since Carr’s Wolverines dropped their home opener to Appalachian State, Michigan fans had moved on. Carr had a great tenure in Ann Arbor and should be remembered, not for losing the greatest upset in college football history, but for being one of the greatest coaches in the history of one of college football’s great programs.

Les Miles better figure out a way to keep his team focused this week

With the Battle for the Golden Boot coming up this week against Arkansas in Baton Rouge, a potential trap game for LSU, it’s a bad week for Les Miles to be mentioned in connection to another head coaching job. It should come as no surprise to anyone that Michigan is giving a good, hard look at Les Miles to fill the coaching vacancy left by Lloyd Carr when he announces his retirement today. The real question will be how Miles deals with it and keeps it off the minds of his players going into a two-week stretch that will determine whether or not the Tigers play for the national championship. Miles has yet to flatly deny that he is interested in the vacancy saying that he is only focused on the job he has now and will not entertain any other offers right now. I wouldn’t be at all surprised to see Miles in maize and blue, and not purple and gold, by this spring.

Jeff Tedford is the most overrated coach in college football

Two losses in two weeks to two bad teams. Say what you want about UCLA’s undefeated mark in the Pac-10, UCLA is a horrifically inconsistent football team. And lest we forget, one of the Bruin’s two losses this season came at the hands of Notre Dame AT HOME. The same Notre Dame team that got shut out by 38 in South Bend this week by USC. Cal has become the Iowa of the Pac 10. Every year, there is a lot of hype surrounding the program and every year they come out and tank. When watching Cal, I am left with this thought: Can you imagine how electric DeSean Jackson would be if he actually had a decent quarterback throwing to him?

Tim Tebow will either revolutionize the NFL or join the long line of Gator quarterbacks that fizzled at the pro level.

Tim Tebow is every bit as good as advertised. But quick, name one NFL team that runs anything that closely resembles a spread offense? Can’t do it? That’s because there aren’t any. When I was watching Tebow slice and dice the Kentucky defense en route to 256 yards through the air and another 78 on the ground, I couldn’t help but wonder what his NFL future would be? Let’s make one this unmistakably clear: The numbers are deceiving, Tim Tebow is an exponentially more effective runner than he is a passer. Will his athleticism be enough to woo NFL execs into looking past the ugly-looking balls he throws and his awkward throwing motion? I’m not sure but he is, hands-down, the most unique mix of a running quarterback that the NFL has maybe ever seen. He is going to have to learn to be more of a pocket passer at the next level because, even with his frame, the punishment of an NFL season, taking the hits he’s taken this season could make for a short professional career.

We still have a shot at the LSU/USC Championship Game

For those of us who have been itching for an USC/LSU battle for the BCS Championship since Les Miles opened his mouth this summer, hope is very much alive. Don’t worry about Ohio State, they’ll lose this weekend at Penn State or at The Big House the last week of the season. Boston College, as much as I love that team, may not survive a trip down to Blacksburg this weekend. And if Oklahoma plays down to their competition, like they did this week at Iowa State, you can forget about the Sooners. Still, LSU must survive a trip to Tuscaloosa next weekend and the SEC Championship game. But hope is still alive for that epic showdown between the Tigers and the Trojans.

1. Andre Woodson - Kentucky

Woodson’s play last season was really the catalyst of the Wildcats’ Cinderella 8-4 season. It seems like every college football writer in America has drank the Kool-Aid on Woodson and it might be possible to say that the senior quarterback is overrated by no fault of his own. Simply put, there wasn’t a better quarterback in the country, perhaps in the nation, last year than Andre Woodson. The numbers really speak for themselves — 31 TDs, 7 INTs, a 63 percent completion percentage and more than 3,500 yards passing. There’s a reason everyone is drinking the Kool-Aid — Woodson’s the real deal.

2. Erik Ainge - Tennessee

What a difference a year makes. After deciding it might be wise to listen to much-heralded quarterback guru David Cutcliffe, Ainge exploded in ‘06 with 2,989 yards, 19 TDs to 9 INTs and a 67 completion percentage. Ainge will have to rely on his relatively inexperienced receivers to step up and become go-to options given the departure of Jayson Swain and Robert Meachem. I think given the system he plays in, Ainge will emerge as one of the most consistent and accurate, though unspectacular, passers in the conference.

3. Matt Flynn - LSU

Some would claim Flynn’s appearance at the 3 spot is a little high for a quarterback that didn’t play a whole lot in 2006. It’s important to remember that going into 2006, there was a quarterback competition in Baton Rouge between Flynn and Jamarcus Russell highlighted after the way Flynn lit up Miami in the ‘05 Peach Bowl en route to becoming the game’s offensive MVP. LSU is now Matt Flynn’s team and he has to find a way to step out of Russell’s shadow. And he will. While Flynn may not have the cannon arm and effortless throwing motion that the big fella from Mobile had, he does have a mobility and a presense in the pocket that will give the Tigers the ability to run packages and plays that they were not able to given Russell’s limited mobility. When you factor in the weapons LSU has on offense (especially Early Doucet), you have to figure Flynn is poised for a breakout year.

4. Brandon Cox - Auburn

When it’s all said and done, the senior from Trussville, Ala. might be the most underrated passer in the SEC. This year, all eyes are on Cox and the Tigers offense is only going to go as far as their quarterback can take them. However, Cox’s health will be a big piece in that puzzle. Having been sacked 34 times last year, the Tigers’ offensive line will have to do a better job of protecting their quarterback and Cox will have to learn to be a more accurate and efficient passer coming off a season where he completed just 60 percent of his passes. I put Cox in the same category as Ainge: consistent but unspectacular.

5. Matthew Stafford - Georgia

The first true freshman to start at Georgia since Eric Zeier certainly took him lumps last year. Having played in all 13 games in ‘06, Stafford comes into ‘07 with a tremendous upside that has Bulldog fans eying a return to glory (and hopefully a win against those pesky Gators). One thing Stafford must improve is letting the game come to him and not forcing the ball into tight spaces. Too many times last season, the true freshman forced a pass that led to a turnover though those instances became fewer as the season wore on. Still Stafford must improve from an ‘06 season in which he threw 13 interceptions and just 7 touchdowns and completed only 52 percent of his passes. There’s a lot riding on Matthew Stafford this season, I just wonder if he’s ready.

6.Tim Tebow - Florida

With Chris Leak gone, Tim Tebow will have to prove that he’s an actual quarterback in 2007 and not a weird H-back/quarterback hybrid. Tebow appears this low on the list because I don’t feel like anyone saw enough of him as a true quarterback to make an accurate assessment of his ability to consistently run an offense every down and he may not do it this year either. Meyer said he would like to have an offense that features two quarterbacks as he did last year (which I think is insane). Still, all Tebow needs to do is get the ball in the hands of Percy Harvin and let him “do what he do.” Tebow could very well appear at the top of this list next year but first he must prove that he is a quarterback and not a novelty.

7. John Parker Wilson - Alabama

The measure of a good quarterback is how he performs under pressure. John Parker Wilson wasn’t very good under pressure last season. Wilson didn’t show up in the big games and played like a middle-of-the-pack quarterback in ‘06, throwing 17 TDs on way to 10 INTs. Frankly, I’m not expecting much more in ‘07. Though he spent much of last season running for his life, Wilson did show that though he wasn’t great with the game on the line, he did hold up to punishment and was an effective scrambler. Returning all five starters from last year’s line, he may have to do the same this year. Parker must improve and quickly or I believe Nick Saban will begin looking around his sideline for a replacement.

8. Chris Nickson - Vanderbilt

Whether or not this is the year that Vanderbilt breaks its bowl-less drought will rest heavily on the shoulders of junior quarterback Chris Nickson.  Nickson had a little bit of a breakout year in his first year as a starter, throwing for more than 2,000 yards but his accuracy was spotty (52 percent completion percentage) and he struggled to hit open receivers. Still Nickson is an exciting quarterback to watch, very elusive, a threat to run every time he drops back (accounted for 694 rushing yards last season) and he’s got one of the SEC’s best receivers in Earl Bennett lining up wide. Nickson could, and needs, to take a big step forward this year.

9. Blake Mitchell - South Carolina

I’ve gotta be honest. It’s really difficult for me to get over the fact that Blake Mitchell wears that goofy facemask and has a tribal armband tattoo but that not withstanding he’s a decent enough quarterback. Last year, he had a lot of ups and downs. Played very well at times, played horribly at times. Got arrested at times. You know, the usual. Still one can’t help but wonder if Mitchell is just keeping the seat warm for true freshman Stephen Garcia, if he can stay out of handcuffs long enough to buckle his chinstrap. For the time being though, it appears the job is Mitchell’s to lose. He will have to improve his decision making and accuracy and will have to do so behind a relatively inexperience offensive line that is struggling to find cohesion.

10. Casey Dick - Arkansas

Arkansas fans should get very used to this image. With the best pair of running backs, arguably, in the country lining up behind him, Arkansas QB Casey Dick will be handing the ball off — a lot. Consider this, Dick threw the ball just 132 times despite the fact that he played in all but 4 of the Razorbacks’ games last season. Dick will be the Arkansas version of Trent Dilfer, if and when he is asked to throw the ball, he needs to make the most of his opportunities and be an efficient and accurate passer. No one is asking  him to be Vince Young and win games on his own. Thankfully.
11. Seth Adams - Ole Miss

I firmly believe that Adams, a former walkon, will beat out last year’s starter Brent Schaeffer for the starting job at some point in this season. Though not as athletic as his counterpart Schaeffer, Adams has exponentially better decision making and accuracy. The Rebels offense will miss Schaeffer’s athleticism but not his erratic play in the pocket. Adams will not be asked to do much, mostly hand the ball to BenJarvus Green-Ellis but must show that he does not have the penchant for throwing poor interceptions that Schaeffer has.

12. Michael Henig - Miss. State

Given that he had the build of a place kicker, it’s not surprising that Mississippi State quarterback Michael Henig missed time in 2006 after breaking his collarbone. Well Henig has beefed up some and is ready for his junior year. Henig will need to become a little better at eluding the run and not taking rushers head on. In other words, get down. Accuracy is, of course, a concern for any quarterback but especially for a quarterback who completed just 43 percent of his passes last year (as Henig did). Let’s be honest though, this team is going to be putrid and will be lucky to win one conference game.

It’s never too early to talk college pigskin.

In reading Fox Sports’ Rich Cirminello’s Top 20 Heisman contenders this morning, it got me thinking about college football again and about who will be handed the Heisman in 2007.

While I think it’d be difficult to argue, though some may try, that the Heisman front-runner going into this season is anyone besides Arkansas running back Darren McFadden, where everyone else falls on that list of the nation’s elite is certainly up for debate.

Knowing that spring practice hasn’t even started for most teams and injuries and suspensions (SEE: Rhett Bomar) are sure to occur, there are a couple of Cirminello’s rankings that I took exception with.

1. Tim Tebow - #16 - I think this ranking is absolutely crazy. The media loves this kid and his story and playing in one of the nation’s most visible programs, the true sophomore from St. Augustine won’t be hurting for exposure anytime soon. Luckily for Tebow, he’s got one thing other quarterbacks don’t: Percy Harvin, one of the nation’s most electrifying play-makers. It’s put up or shut up time for Tebow. He’s going to have to start making plays with his arm and this season could be his breakout season and if it is, expect to see him as a finalist in New York City.
2. P.J. Hill - #13 - The running back from Wisconsin had a breakout year last year and proved he could be a difference maker. But I can’t help but wonder how effective Hill will be without John Stocco, which sounds  crazy. The Ron Dayne run-a-like is not going to sneak up on anybody and without a proven signal caller, teams will be able to load the box and bring the safeties up to stop the run. Hill shouldn’t be ranked higher than Oregon’s Johnathan Stewart, VA Tech’s Brandon Ore or Georgia Tech’s Tashard Choice, all of whom had nice years last year as well.
3. Ian Johnson - #10 - I know everyone loved the Boise State story from last year but to suggest that Ian Johnson is the 10th best player in the country is nuts. And consider this: Weber State, Washington, Wyoming, Southern Miss, Bowling Green. Those are the Broncos non-conference opponents this year. Johnson will have to be a statistical monster to even get a look from Heisman voters. And playing in the weak WAC doesn’t help his case either.

Barring injury or getting paid for not working at a car dealership, the Heisman finalists will be Darren McFadden, John David Booty, Brian Brohm and either Colt McCoy or Brennan.