We have not seen a verified quarterback rich draft in sometime in the NFL. Even last season, where 5 were taken in the first round, was hardly a war chest of game ready QBs who stepped in ready to become stars. This year's class brings more of the same to bare, as there are, once again, more questions than answers regarding each member of the 2019 QB draft class.
In years past, I have given you an average ranking of each prospect in each draft class, based on several different draft service rankings. I am ditching that concept in 2019, and will firmly base these rankings on my own notes throughout the process, for each position. I promise you that they will likely differ from most services. I will give you my honest portrayal of each prospect throughout the draft process based on my own findings only, and we begin with the 2019 quarterback class.
2019 Quarterbacks
1st Round Grade
1. Dwayne Haskins, Ohio State
There is simply no other QB in this draft class that comes close to what Haskins brings in 2019. Like all others in this class, he brings more questions than answers, but he is light years ahead of everyone else in this group, so take that for what it is worth. He has solid size (6-3, 220), and is built to look much bigger in pads. He has the requisite arm strength to win now, but the one thing he does not have is extended experience, as he was a one year starter at Ohio State.
Pros: His size is impressive, and he hold sup well in the pocket. He is not a true runner, and although he can run when needed, he is an absolute pass first QB in every way, as he rushed for just 180 yards last fall at Ohio State. He is incredibly accurate, as he never completed fewer than 70% of his passes in two seasons in Columbus. He finds the open man, does it quickly, and reads through progressions like a pro already. He does not force what is not given, and rarely makes key mistakes with the football. He had a ratio of over 5:1 on TDs to INTs in 2018, which is highly impressive, given how often he threw the football (38.1 attempts per game). He threw less than one INT per game over the course of the season.
His football IQ seems off the charts right now, and he is only going to get stronger in his reads as he learns the system more as he matures as a player.
Cons: There are some issues that run hand in hand with his youth and general immaturity as a player on the field at times. I am not saying that Haskins cannot control a huddle or an offense, but by maturity, I am referring to his general overall youth as a player who has not seen a ton of time as a starting QB. In essence, I am referring to a general lack of key on-field experience overall.
He needs to command the pocket more as a field general, as he does, at times, get nervous in key situations, and he allows the pocket to break down quickly. He will also make a throw too quickly at times rather than allowing the play to develop to its full intent. That comes from youth and nerves, as on other plays, he can show patience and read through progressions beautifully. He needs to find his center and play like someone commanding the field at all times, and not let the field play him.
He does possess some mechanical issues, specifically relating to footwork, but these are things that are learned over time, and time is not something he has had much of at this point. These are also items that can be worked out through coaching and development as a pro.
Overview: Haskins is the absolute best QB in this draft class, and could go to the Giants at the #6 spot, but the Raiders could also look hard at kicking the tires at #4, if they do not lose their minds and completely over spend for Kyler Murray, which would be a huge mistake, and would not fill a need. Haskins should be afforded some time, as much as a full season, to develop on the bench, as Patrick Mahomes did, before being thrust in as a starter, if a team is to see his full potential. If that happens, he can develop into a solid future starter for a team in need, but he should not be rushed, as his development is not nearly complete.
2. Drew Lock, Missouri
I am not as sold on Lock as I am on Haskins at this point. Lock was not the nearly immediate success at Missouri as Haskins was at Ohio State, and some of that could have to do with not having the same kind of talent around him. It's not that his numbers were bad, as they were not, but some of the intangibles are differing overall between the two, especially when it comes to overall accuracy. Still, Lock should be seen as someone who should start out in a developmental role, with a starters future if a team handles his career appropriately.
Pros: Lock has tossed just 21 INTs in 856 collegiate passing attempts over the last two seasons, which is a solid look at his ability to make smart decisions with the football in the passing game. The previous two seasons saw him toss 18 in 697 attempts, so as a four year player, his ability to process the field showed significant improvement over time. That also signifies that he can be coached, and is learning. He completed just 49% of his passes as a freshman, and evolved into completing 62% as a senior, again, showing a process in development with his overall game. His final season TD:INT ratio was 3.5:1, whereas when he was a freshman, it was an abysmal 1:2. Again, development.
He showed vast potential at the Senior Bowl, where NFL coaches stated that he was an apt learner who processed an NFL offense fairly quickly.
He possesses a cannon arm, and he can make all the throws necessary. One of his better traits is in how he can bounce back from a poor performance, as those things do not stick in his head. He learns from his mistakes and moves on.
Cons: He can be streaky at times, and some scouts have him billed as a system QB, who may need to fit a certain attack in an NFL offense to be successful, and I would tend to agree to a point. He also does not have the trait of being a leader from the front, and can be a bit on the quiet side, and will not take control of a team.
In the NFL, a QB has to basically be the face of the franchise, but he does not like the spotlight, and that role may very well not work for him. His inability to take charge and be a vocal leader as an NFL QB may not endear him to teammates on the field.
He has had the very bad trait of playing his worst games against the best teams that he has to face, which makes one wonder if he can get up when he needs to, or will he be a middle of the road performer who cannot win the big game when needed. It would seem that the pressure makes him implode a bit at times.
His accuracy has not been great during his four year career, and he had his max out season in 2018 at just over 62%. He may be on the rise in that department, but it has taken some time to get there, as his previous high was 57.8%.
Overview: Lock is a good, but not great option for a team desperately in need at the position. He lacks general leadership qualities, and that makes him a no go for me moving into this draft at this position. His ceiling is hard to grade, as he is still improving, but as he showed serious improvement as a senior in some ways, he stepped back in others. Someone will take a first round flyer on him based on his improving numbers and film, and because he showed an ability to pick up and process an NFL playbook quickly in the Senior Bowl, and scouts generally liked him across the board as someone that a staff could work with. If he wants to succeed, he will have to come out of his shell and be a team leader, and that may or may not work with him. Time will tell. Again, he is not a day one ready starting QB, and will need at least a year to adjust to the next level. Rushing him could end up being incredibly detrimental.
Round 2 Grade
3. Daniel Jones, Duke
Jones was an under the radar type coming out of high school, as he was a 2 star recruit who was thrust into action early in his college career. Jones has gotten on the radar in a big way this off-season, as he has amazing NFL size for the position, and he was coached in college by David Cutcliffe, who also coached both Manning brothers in college. Overall, he is a player who is exactly what you see. He will not blow you away with his numbers, but he will bring smarts and coachability to the next level.
Pros: At 6-5, he has the height and body type that NFL scouts are looking for, and he has the ability to add 15-20 more lbs. to his frame without bulking out. He has solid arm strength, and has been coached well in college by Cutcliffe.
His pocket presence has been praised, and he has the ability to hang in and make plays under pressure. He has solid depth on this throws, and has accuracy downfield, which is a rarity in this class.
Scouts appreciate his overall football IQ, and he studies film well. He is adept at being a strong practice QB, and knows where the ball needs to go in game play decisions based on his prep work during the week.
Despite being a big guy, he can move, and can move the pocket with his feet as well, much like Tom Brady when he was younger. He has not always had top flight talent around him, and with a solid NFL bevy of offensive weapons around him, he could finally be ready to let loose, which he has not truly done until now.
Cons: Several people in the league looked at Jones as a player who maybe should have returned to school in 2019 to get one more full season of development. His numbers have been a little bit all over the place, and he has yet to turn in one really outstanding season at the position. 2018 was a season in which he finally broke the 2:1 TD to INT ratio, but just barely. He has the ability to turn the football over too many times compared to his scoring plays, and that is not sustainable on the next level.
He will need to shorten his delivery, as he has a tendency to wind up for a big throw, which allows pass rushers more time to get at him.
Jones also suffered a collarbone injury in 2018, which should be healed completely, but it is something worth looking at moving forward.
Lacking a big season, Jones is someone I would, if I were in charge of a team, be someone who I would be wary of at this point based on a lack of outstanding output, and an inconsistent approach to each season. He certainly is not near starter ready at this point of his career, and thrusting him into that role would probably end badly.
Overview: Jones has some nice NFL intangibles, but he also has a spotty resume that does not scream early round QB to me. This is a weak class, however, and some teams like things about him that they would ignore in a stronger yer for the position. Therefore, he gets graded a bit higher than I would normally like based on the overall lack of strength in the class. He could go as early as round one, but if you are placing that kind of investment in someone, you would need more general readiness out of that prospect, and that is something that I do not see him providing you.
Jones is, at best, a developmental prospect in this class, who is a few years away from being ready to regularly contribute on this level. In short, another season at Duke may have served him well.
4. Kyle Shurmer, Vanderbilt
Shurmer is yet another QB from a non traditional program that did not win as much as one would like. Still, he has pedigree, as he is the son of Pat Shurmer, head coach of the Giants. When you look at what he was able to do at Vanderbilt, at times, you are left impressed, as it is hard to find success there on any level. He is yet another steadily developing QB in this class, who has been underrated by most, but is still not yet ready to be a full-time provider of services on the next level.
Pros: Shurmer is a smart QB on the field, who has yet to reach his full potential. He can easily be coached up, and may very well be the one of the more underrated QBs in this class because of a lack of a big stage to this point. He has a strong arm, and can get things done, even on a team almost void of any discernible talent around him.
As a senior, he tossed a 4:1 TD to INT ratio, and completed a career high 62.6% of his passes. Again, he did that without much in the way of talent surrounding him at key offensive positions, and he did not nearly have the best line available to work behind.
We could very well have a raw gem in this class that has yet to be formed into someone workable as a prospect.
He has solid arm strength and size, and should be able to hold up in a pocket to make plays, which he showed he could do as a senior.
Cons: Accuracy issues plagued him over the course of his first three seasons with the Commodores, and he had his career high season in his final year when everything was on the line. He needs to show that his progress is on the upward trend, and that he is still learning and developing at the position.
He has not been able to win many big games, but he played at Vanderbilt, a program long in the shadows in the SEC. It has been a place where careers go to die for decades now, and unfortunately, medium success at Vandy is treated with a certain degree of over hype.
Shurmer will need some solid developmental time on the next level, and may be yet another guy who would be wasted as an early round draft pick, but again, in a weak class, he gets significantly bumped up, even if he probably should receive a lower round grade.
Overview: Shurmer is a raw prospect just dying to get some solid coaching on the next level. I believe that if he lands in the right place, with the right staff, he could could be a developmental prospect with a future as a starter in the league. He is a ball of clay just waiting to be molded into something solid, and is smart and talented enough to really excel on the next level over time. Playing at Vanderbilt did not help his career, but it may help a team sneak in and stash him away for the future because of lack of overall exposure. This is a potential diamond in the rough.
Round 3 Grade
5. Ryan Finley, NC State
Finley transferred to NC State out of Boise State, and played solidly for 3 seasons for the Wolfpack. He gave the program a solid consistency at QB for three seasons, and was quietly one of the better QBs in the ACC during that period. He now has to prove that he can be of the same kind of value to an NFL franchise in need of some long term stability at the position, much as he did in Raleigh.
Pros: Finley is a solid player, who does not make many terrible mistakes at QB. He is a solid game manager that can move the football up the field and take charge as a leader. Finley is a smart decision maker with the football, and has shown consistent accuracy with the football over the last three seasons. He is excellent with ball placement, and knows where to put the football to avoid allowing a DB to make a play on the ball. He will not try to play hero ball and force throws which should not be made, which makes him someone you can depend on in game play. He also has solid arm strength, and has really developed a nice touch on his deep ball.
Cons: Finley is not adept at reading progressions in the passing game, and will lock on too often to his first read, and sometimes his second. He doe snot take the time he needs to process the entire field, and will need to get out of that first read mentality that is a plague to young QBs in the college game these days. Teams locked onto that in 2018, and he threw a career high 11 picks, and was barely over a 2:1 ratio for the season.
Finely is not spectacular in any one area. He is a very vanilla QB in terms of production and changing the game. He is not a star on the field, and caps out at solid game manager, much as Andy Dalton has at times. I cannot see a long shelf life for him, and he may max out as a dependable backup option with some short term starter capability. Not horrible, just not great.
Overview: Finely is simply a guy where what you see is what you get. There does not seem to be a ton of long term high ceiling with him, as he has basically shown that he has maxed out on his abilities at this point. Scouts liked him at the senior bowl, but they did not love him. If he catches the right break, and does not have to be a front line star at the position, he could have a solid career, but he is never going to be the guy that blows the doors off the building.
Round 4 Grade
NONE
Round 5 Grade
6. Will Grier, West Virginia
Grier is a QB that many in the media want to push as an early round pick, but the reality is that Grier is a second day pick quality player with a limited skill set, who may be a guy who was fairly solid to great in college, but that was his ceiling.
Pros: Grier is a gamer who can make some solid throws. He finds ways to motivate his team to winning close games, and has solid accuracy, maxing out at a career high 67% in 2018. His two year TD:INT ratio was 3.7:1, which is a highly remarkable rate for any college QB.
He is a work horse QB who puts in the work, and has had solid QBR during his time in college, and averaged over 351 yards passing per game as a senior.
He returned to WVU rather than turning pro after the 2017 season, which showed some commitment at the time.
Cons: His arm strength was a real letdown at the post season workouts, and he showed a bit of a character flaw by ditching out on his teammates for their bowl game to prepare for the draft, which was an essential factor in WVU losing their bowl appearance to Syracuse, only to turn around and appear at the Senior Bowl weeks later.
There are also off-field issues that have to be scrutinized, such as Grier's history with PEDs, which caused a suspension and his eventual transfer from Florida. It has also been stated that Grier and his family members are difficult personalities, and there could be some significant issues with that on the next level.
Grier basically, as I had written above, caps out as a very good college player who may not have much future as a pro, and that is OK, but the worst thing you can do with a guy like this is over hype him and set him up to fail, and there are plenty of people trying to do that now.
Overview: Grier may or may not be drafted on the second day of the draft, and he was really exposed at Senior Bowl workouts. He is simply a system guy who played in a college system at WVU that got the most out of him, but that should really be the end of the road. I don't see that much of a path forward for him outside of an AAF or XFL appearance, because his percentages of success in the NFL just will not be very high. You can get away with lagging arm and personality issues in college, but as an NFL QB, those things are the undoing.
7. Jarrett Stidham, Auburn
Stidham was billed as the guy who would take Auburn to the next level after transferring from Baylor, but what he ended up being was a guy who never lived up to the hype, and seemed lost in Gus Malzahn's system most of the time. It may very well be that he was mismanaged at Auburn from the start, but he never lived up to his top flight billing, and left many Tigers fans disappointed and disjointed with the overall lack of success of Auburn during his time there.
Pros: Stidham is a solidly accurate game manager who completed 66.5% of his passes in 2017. He hardly makes mistakes with the ball in the air, and knows how to throw away from defenders in key situations.
He is a worker who will put in what he needs to, and tends to learn from bad games as well as good. He has solid arm mechanics, and can change where he releases the ball when needed, and knows how to feel and read pressure in the pocket. He has a solid and quick release to move the ball out of his hands under pressure.
He has solid athletic ability, and has solid ability to escape when the pocket shuts down, though he is not a running QB.
He has solid character, and is tough mentally. His football IQ is highly regarded overall, and he fits in the locker room as well as a film room.
Cons: Never tossed more than 20 TD passes in a season with Auburn, and the team around him was not very good. He does not elevate the talent around him like the great ones do, and he just sort of fits in, which is not a good thing for a QB.
Scouting is largely scattered across the board on him, and nobody likes or dislikes the same things about him. He was not very well reviewed at the Senior Bowl, where he did not do anything to elevate himself.
When he was given more freedom in the offense in 2018, he actually regressed in many phases of the game. He is a notoriously slow starter early in the season, and had some games that largely made on wonder where his head was at.
Overview: Stidham has largely not lived up to his billing when he left Baylor, and that has hurt the overall perception of him. Some scouts liked him as a first round pick, and prior to 2018, many people agreed with that assessment. What we know now is that he is not a first round quality talent, and although he did not have top tier offensive talent around him at Auburn, he didn't elevate the talent that he did have around him to any real degree, and that is not a good thing. Stidham is falling like a rock, and does not present as a starting QB in the NFL.
8. Justice Hansen, Arkansas State
Hanson is a QB who put up big numbers in an offensive system that got the best out of his abilities overall. He has solid NFL size for the position, but because of the system he played in, it would seem that very few people know what to do with him moving forward. Personally, if I were taking a shot at any of the mid to late round prospects, it would be on this guy.
Pros: System or not, Hansen has the requisite size that NFL personnel people drool over at 6-4 and 218. He has the frame to add more muscle without bulking out over the next year. He has a live arm and can run well in a spread type system that is all the rage, even in the NFL these days to a degree. He has 83 career TD passes, and that isn't anything to dismiss easily, and finished his career with a 2.7:1 TD to INT ratio as a three year starter.
He showed potential for growth every season, and reduced his INTs as a senior by almost half from his junior season, while attempting 33.4 passes per game. Accuracy is solid with Hansen, as he finished with a 65.4% completion rate as a senior, which was up over 3 points from the season prior.
Cons: Scouts are dismissing his accomplishments in droves, and that is not a good thing for overall perception by NFL execs who will let him slide if their perceptions are what they are.
He did not get a ton of exposure in college, and really got crushed by Alabama when he had a shot to shine.
He did manage to toss 16 picks as a junior, and ball placement is something that he has had to work on over the last three years.
Teams will not invest in him early, as he is a developmental type, and the league does not take a ton of time to develop QBs anymore.
Overview: I am not an NFL personnel paid employee, but if I were, and this prospect were sitting there late, I would advise the pick, because with some developmental time, I could see him as a long term diamond in the rough type who could turn into a surprise player that few would see coming. He is adaptable and coachable, and that should earn him a slot in the league. He likely will not get as much a shot as I'd like to see him have, but Hansen is very much under valued here.
Round 6 Grade
9. Jacob Dolegaga, Central Connecticut State
We finally land on our first real FCS prospect, who scouts really have become taken with in recent workouts. He has amazing size at 6-6, 235, and has a live arm with solid strength behind it. He is one of the classic prospects who falls between the cracks because of school affiliation, but the film shows someone who could really play. He could end up being drafted earlier than this position, but not many people know who he is.
He did not blow the doors off statistically speaking, with just 16 TD passes to 6 INTs last fall with a 61% completion rate, but he was also not surrounded with top flight talent by FCS standards, and could be someone that has not reached his peak yet.
In a weak class, I could see Dolegaga sneaking in as high as a 4th round slot by a team that has put some resources into scouting him.
Watch for him in the draft, because some fan base will not realize what they are getting in this pick.
10. Tyree Jackson, Buffalo
Jackson was eligible for a grad transfer, and had put his name into the transfer portal, but instead of waiting out that process, he decided to bolt for the NFL now, rather than head off to a higher profile school to get some decent exposure. That may have been a fatal mistake. Jackson is a giant of a QB at 6-7 and 245, but has some serious mechanical flaws, and may almost be too big for the spot. His completion ratio is very low for a prospect, and he only completed 55% of his passes as a junior, despite having solid receivers to work with, including Anthony Johnson.
Jackson should have returned to school in 2019 to show that he can work in his fundamental issues, but it's too late now. He may have just overestimated his value.
11. Brett Rypien, Boise State
Rypien was largely mismanaged in 2017, and was placed in a QB rotation, which seemed to dramatically effect his on field demeanor and his confidence. The nephew of Mark Rypien, he has enough talent to show that he can play, but he really came off of that rotation experience a lessor player than he was before it, and there was an edge that was simply missing with him in 2018. He still managed to put up solid numbers, and his accuracy was on point, but he has to get that edge back to his persona, and do so fast. Still, I would take a shot on him, if given the shot.
12. Gardner Minshew, Washington State
Does anyone know quite what to do with the most entertaining player in the nation from the 2018 college football season? Minshew was a machine for Mike Leach last season, and was a ton of fun to watch, but his WSU numbers do not mesh clearly with the numbers he put up over 2 years at East Carolina before he transferred. He was a sub 60% completion rate guy at ECU, but completed 70% of his passes last season at WSU, and so which film was more reliable?
Minshew turned into a true college QB last season, but Mike Leach guys do not have solid track records as pros, as his system does not quite translate to the NFL. Minshew could end up being a very good one year wonder for Washington State, and that may be his ceiling, but again, he's worth a late round look to see what he has left.
Round 7 Grade
13. Kyler Murray, Oklahoma
Murray made a ridiculous selection by ditching guaranteed money in baseball to commit himself to football. He got some very bad career advice along the way from his agent/father Kevin Murray, who hardly had what I would call a stellar QB career.
Murray played everyone in this process, and the Oakland A's found out via Twitter that he was picking football. He has some serious character and immaturity issues, which were on full display as he made a media tour in Atlanta during Super Bowl week.
The facts are simple. He is too small to be an NFL QB, as he looks much smaller than his listed size of 5-10. He has a tiny frame, and his insistence on running will get him killed in the league. He will not be able to sit tight in the pocket and make plays, and teams will have to go away from traditional norms to even give him half a shot at working out.
In short, and I may be wrong, but I see this ending badly for Murray. Someone will take a high round flyer on him, but I would absolutely not draft him with someone else's pick.
14. Clayton Thorson, Northwestern
Thorson's style, for me, does not translate to the NFL. A lot of people have him graded highly on two facts: one is his longevity, as he started 53 games at Northwestern over four seasons, and his size, as he is 6-4. For me, that's where it starts and ends.
Thorson was not the kind of player that elevated talent around him at Northwestern, and rather than do what he could to elevate his teammates abilities, he was given a pass for mediocre numbers instead. I am not a fan of that.
Thorson is a turnover machine, as he has been picked off 27 times over the last two seasons, while only tossing 32 TDs, making his TD:INT ratio almost even, which is horrible. He threw 45 career INTs over four seasons, and that had little to do with the talent around him.
He forces throws more often than not, and his arm strength, overall, does not impress me. He tends to play hero ball, which loses more games than not.
Overall, it's a hard pass for me.
Projected UDFA
Easton Stick, North Dakota State
Trace McSorley, Penn State
Nick Fitzgerald, Mississippi State
Kyle Kempt, Iowa State
Jake Browning, Washington
Tanner Mangum, BYU
Brad Mayes, Lehigh
Best In Class: Dwyane Haskins, Ohio State
Most Over hyped: Kyler Murray, Oklahoma
Diamond in the Rough: Kyle Shurmer, Vanderbilt; Jacob Dolegaga, Central Connecticut State; Brett Rypien, Boise State; Justice Hansen, Arkansas State
Tuesday, February 12, 2019
Monday, January 28, 2019
LeBron Camp Supporting Magic's Want To Oust Luke Walton
NBA Notes
Written By: Scott Bilo
There has not been any issue reading the intent on Magic Johnson to make a play to remove Luke Walton. That has been an ongoing battle since day one of Magic's tenure in Laker Land. Now it would appear that LeBron James (shockingly...see cynical) and his camp have lumped themselves onto that wagon as well. LeBron has never been shy about going for blood against his coaches in the past, and while he has sometimes succeeded in removing a coach that he was not fond of, he has also failed at times as well. In this case, it's simply an alliance of resources between Magic and LeBron against the fortress of support for Walton built by the owner of the franchise, Jeannie Buss, who seems to win high stakes battles as a hobby.
Buss is steadfast in her support of Walton, and has resisted the push by Magic (who also had a history of pushing out coaches as a player) to remove Walton at all costs. This is probably a smart move on the part of Buss, as Walton has kept the Lakers in a playoff push for the 8th spot despite lingering injuries to James and Rajon Rondo. The reality is stark and simple. LeBron is old. He may not see the end of his current contract as a player with the Lakers, and that is the honest truth. His body is showing signs of breaking down, he has a reputation of being toxic to work with to some stars in the league, and his ability to sway stars to the franchise has been, well, less than overwhelming. Of course, the Anthony Davis situation changes some of that if it works in the favor of LA, but short of that, these things ring true.
Magic also hardly has a stellar resume as an executive in the league who understands anything closely resembling nuance. He has already walked a very fine line regarding tampering, and has fallen over the line on multiple occasions already, and may do so again in the hunt for Davis. If he doesn't fall over that line, LeBron may surely do so all by himself, and likely already has. If LeBron and Magic cannot herd the kind of talent and return to glory that was promised when they were brought on board, then why pay heed to their wants regarding Walton?
This post is hardly a testament to my love for Walton as a coach. It is not. What it is, is an example of how pragmatism should win out in this scenario. Walton has done, in my opinion, a good job of holding the mess that has been the Lakers together. The internal strife is not new here, as Jeannie Buss will tell you. At the end of the day, however, Buss is pragmatic enough to realize that Magic has an iffy track record, and she can win with him in the front office, or without, and this is a battle that neither Magic, nor LeBron should win here. If Buss decides to move on from Walton, it should be for her own reasons, and her own only. If she caves here, she loses more than he coach, she loses her reputation around the league in that she does not have the steel to stand up for what her vision is, and that damages this franchise more than it already has been. The message will be clear that there is no true control of this franchise, and malcontents are running the ship. This is a message that you cannot sell to the fans, to potential free agents, or to execs that you try to recruit to the cause, should Buss tire of Magic and LeBron's shenanigans down the road.
There is only one clear choice here for Buss...stay the course.
Anthony Davis Trade Demand Is No Surprise
NBA Notes
Written By: Scott Bilo
There will be those who feign surprise over the news that Anthony Davis has told the New Orleans Pelicans that he is demanding a trade and will not sign an extension with the team. If you are someone who finds yourself shocked by this news (there aren't many), you shouldn't be. This has been coming for some time, especially when Davis attached himself to the agent who represents LeBron James.
James recently had dinner with Davis after a Lakers game against New Orleans, and has all but tampered with Davis for months. Several small market teams had filed tampering charges against the Lakers, who have hardly been able to wipe the froth from their mouths at the idea of acquiring Davis, who is putting up monster numbers at the apex of his career currently. Davis has also been vocal about the only team that he would sign an extension with, and that would be..wait for it...the Lakers.
Now the Lakers have all of the assets to make a deal with New Orleans for the services of Davis, including team controlled contracts in young players such as Lonzo Ball, Kyle Kuzma, Brandon Ingram, and Kantevious Caldwell-Pope. Josh Hart would be another consideration, as is Ivica Zubak. The Lakers also could, and should, dangle a first round pick in any deal. It will likely be a requirement in any such deal that New Orleans would presently make. It's a lot to think about, a package like that. However, it may not exactly be the best package that the Pelicans could attain, and making matters more interesting, they are not exactly showing a sense of urgency on their end to get anything done before the summer.
The reason for the hesitance to make such a move sooner than later would fall in line with the Celtics, who very much want to get involved in any deal. The deal could be made in July, as Khyrie Irving's deal expires. The reason for that wait is because Irving's deal falls under the Rose Rookie Deal rule, and NBA teams can only carry one such deal at a time. Irving's deal expiring opens them to taking on Davis, who also falls under that rule. The Celtics could very well offer up a better overall package than the Lakers can, and may consider throwing in Jason Tatum, as well as others, and they could also throw in more picks, as the Celtics have been hording picks for some time.
There may very well be several suitors in this process, which only helps New Orleans long term in their pursuit of finally building a foundation, albeit one that will not include the center pillar that they had long envisioned. Davis was always to be the centerpiece in their process, but he simply ran out of patience for a long running project that seemingly has no end in sight.
Patience for any athlete only runs so long, and although he envisioned himself in New Orleans long term, his clock is ticking in his prime years to compete and make a run at a title that New Orleans, which has been a long unstable franchise, is not anywhere close to making a run at. Davis was willing to give his all, and has, but at some point, one has to concede defeat and move on, and he has at this point. He realizes that he has to carry this franchise night in and out to get wins, and that energy runs out after a period of time. His has no run out.
Davis will be a key player for any franchise that acquires his services, and they will be acquired sooner or later, with a time stamp of no later than the summer of 2020. I still see his changing of teams happening sometime in the next 4 to 6 months, as New Orleans can hardly afford to allow him to walk away for free.
The only question remaining is whether a franchise will take him on a what some outlets are referring to as a super rental, or if he lands in the one and only place he wants to land in and extend himself to, and that would be LA. LeBron James has been many things, but his ability to sway super stars to LA to join his cause has recently been less than impressive, as was shown last summer when several key free agents decided to resist his so-called sway, and Kevin Durant shows outright repulsion at playing with him. Can LeBron win this battle? That remains to be seen, as in my next post, I will discuss the internal battle in LA between Magic Johnson, LeBron James, and Jeannie Buss over the future of the franchise.
Written By: Scott Bilo
There will be those who feign surprise over the news that Anthony Davis has told the New Orleans Pelicans that he is demanding a trade and will not sign an extension with the team. If you are someone who finds yourself shocked by this news (there aren't many), you shouldn't be. This has been coming for some time, especially when Davis attached himself to the agent who represents LeBron James.
James recently had dinner with Davis after a Lakers game against New Orleans, and has all but tampered with Davis for months. Several small market teams had filed tampering charges against the Lakers, who have hardly been able to wipe the froth from their mouths at the idea of acquiring Davis, who is putting up monster numbers at the apex of his career currently. Davis has also been vocal about the only team that he would sign an extension with, and that would be..wait for it...the Lakers.
Now the Lakers have all of the assets to make a deal with New Orleans for the services of Davis, including team controlled contracts in young players such as Lonzo Ball, Kyle Kuzma, Brandon Ingram, and Kantevious Caldwell-Pope. Josh Hart would be another consideration, as is Ivica Zubak. The Lakers also could, and should, dangle a first round pick in any deal. It will likely be a requirement in any such deal that New Orleans would presently make. It's a lot to think about, a package like that. However, it may not exactly be the best package that the Pelicans could attain, and making matters more interesting, they are not exactly showing a sense of urgency on their end to get anything done before the summer.
The reason for the hesitance to make such a move sooner than later would fall in line with the Celtics, who very much want to get involved in any deal. The deal could be made in July, as Khyrie Irving's deal expires. The reason for that wait is because Irving's deal falls under the Rose Rookie Deal rule, and NBA teams can only carry one such deal at a time. Irving's deal expiring opens them to taking on Davis, who also falls under that rule. The Celtics could very well offer up a better overall package than the Lakers can, and may consider throwing in Jason Tatum, as well as others, and they could also throw in more picks, as the Celtics have been hording picks for some time.
There may very well be several suitors in this process, which only helps New Orleans long term in their pursuit of finally building a foundation, albeit one that will not include the center pillar that they had long envisioned. Davis was always to be the centerpiece in their process, but he simply ran out of patience for a long running project that seemingly has no end in sight.
Patience for any athlete only runs so long, and although he envisioned himself in New Orleans long term, his clock is ticking in his prime years to compete and make a run at a title that New Orleans, which has been a long unstable franchise, is not anywhere close to making a run at. Davis was willing to give his all, and has, but at some point, one has to concede defeat and move on, and he has at this point. He realizes that he has to carry this franchise night in and out to get wins, and that energy runs out after a period of time. His has no run out.
Davis will be a key player for any franchise that acquires his services, and they will be acquired sooner or later, with a time stamp of no later than the summer of 2020. I still see his changing of teams happening sometime in the next 4 to 6 months, as New Orleans can hardly afford to allow him to walk away for free.
The only question remaining is whether a franchise will take him on a what some outlets are referring to as a super rental, or if he lands in the one and only place he wants to land in and extend himself to, and that would be LA. LeBron James has been many things, but his ability to sway super stars to LA to join his cause has recently been less than impressive, as was shown last summer when several key free agents decided to resist his so-called sway, and Kevin Durant shows outright repulsion at playing with him. Can LeBron win this battle? That remains to be seen, as in my next post, I will discuss the internal battle in LA between Magic Johnson, LeBron James, and Jeannie Buss over the future of the franchise.
Friday, August 31, 2018
Virginia Tech vs. Florida State Match History
Virginia Tech at Florida State
The Hokies and Seminoles will meet for the 37th time this Monday night. Florida State leads the all-time series 23-12-1.
Florida State has won 5 of the last 7 meetings against Virginia Tech, with the last meeting happening in 2012, a Florida State 28-22 win on the road.
The series began in 1955, and saw Virginia Tech win the first 2 games. From 1955 through 1980, the Seminoles and Hokies would play every year but two, and Florida State would lead 14-10 during that period. From 1976 through 2005, Florida State ran off 12 straight wins against the Hokies.
The two sides ended their yearly agreement after 1980, and would not meet again until 1988, when they embarked on a 4 year home and home deal. Florida State would win each of the 4 games during that series. After playing in 1991, they would not meet again until 2000. Florida State has a 5-2 record between 2000-2012 in the series.
The Hokies and Seminoles will meet for the 37th time this Monday night. Florida State leads the all-time series 23-12-1.
Florida State has won 5 of the last 7 meetings against Virginia Tech, with the last meeting happening in 2012, a Florida State 28-22 win on the road.
The series began in 1955, and saw Virginia Tech win the first 2 games. From 1955 through 1980, the Seminoles and Hokies would play every year but two, and Florida State would lead 14-10 during that period. From 1976 through 2005, Florida State ran off 12 straight wins against the Hokies.
The two sides ended their yearly agreement after 1980, and would not meet again until 1988, when they embarked on a 4 year home and home deal. Florida State would win each of the 4 games during that series. After playing in 1991, they would not meet again until 2000. Florida State has a 5-2 record between 2000-2012 in the series.
Miami vs. LSU Match History
Miami vs. LSU
This will mark the 13th all-time meeting between Miami and LSU on Sunday night in Dallas. LSU holds an all-time lead of 9-3 in the series.
This will be the first time the sides have met up since 2005, when LSU drubbed the Hurricanes 40-3 in Atlanta. That was the first meeting since 1988, when Miami handed LSU a 44-3 defeat in Baton Rouge.
Prior to the 1988 meeting, the two had not met since 1969. The series began in 1946, when LSU defeated Miami 20-7 in Miami under head coach Ben H. Moore. The sides would meet up again in 1958 and 1959, which LSU won both of by a combined score of 68-3.
LSU ran off a 7-0 run against Miami from 1946-66, and Miami would not win their first in the series until a 17-15 win in 1967. Miami would win again the following year 30-0 in Miami, but would not see another win over LSU again until 1988. LSU won in 1969 20-0.
The history of this series is rife with blowouts, as 5 of the 12 meetings have ended with a differential of 20 or more points when all was said and done.
This will mark the 13th all-time meeting between Miami and LSU on Sunday night in Dallas. LSU holds an all-time lead of 9-3 in the series.
This will be the first time the sides have met up since 2005, when LSU drubbed the Hurricanes 40-3 in Atlanta. That was the first meeting since 1988, when Miami handed LSU a 44-3 defeat in Baton Rouge.
Prior to the 1988 meeting, the two had not met since 1969. The series began in 1946, when LSU defeated Miami 20-7 in Miami under head coach Ben H. Moore. The sides would meet up again in 1958 and 1959, which LSU won both of by a combined score of 68-3.
LSU ran off a 7-0 run against Miami from 1946-66, and Miami would not win their first in the series until a 17-15 win in 1967. Miami would win again the following year 30-0 in Miami, but would not see another win over LSU again until 1988. LSU won in 1969 20-0.
The history of this series is rife with blowouts, as 5 of the 12 meetings have ended with a differential of 20 or more points when all was said and done.
BYU vs. Arizona Match History
BYU at Arizona
This will mark the 24th all-time meeting between former WAC conference mates Arizona and BYU this Saturday night. Arizona leads the all-time series 12-10-1.
This will be the first meeting between the Cougars and Wildcats since they met in Glendale, AZ in 2016, a game that BYU would win in a defensive battle, 18-16. Over the last 4 meetings, dating back to 2006, the schools have evenly split, 2-2.
BYU and Arizona started their series in 1936, when Arizona would beat the Cougars 32-6. They would not meet again until 1957, which resulted in the only tie in the series at 14-14. BYU would get their first win in the series in 1959, an 18-14 Cougar win in Tucson.
Between 1962 and 1977, the two sides played fairly regularly, with Arizona going 9-7 during that time against the Cougars. Arizona would leave the WAC after the 1978 season to take the PAC-8 to being the PAC-10, along with Arizona State. It would be 28 years before the sides would meet again in 2006, and the teams are 2-2 against each other since that date.
This will mark the 24th all-time meeting between former WAC conference mates Arizona and BYU this Saturday night. Arizona leads the all-time series 12-10-1.
This will be the first meeting between the Cougars and Wildcats since they met in Glendale, AZ in 2016, a game that BYU would win in a defensive battle, 18-16. Over the last 4 meetings, dating back to 2006, the schools have evenly split, 2-2.
BYU and Arizona started their series in 1936, when Arizona would beat the Cougars 32-6. They would not meet again until 1957, which resulted in the only tie in the series at 14-14. BYU would get their first win in the series in 1959, an 18-14 Cougar win in Tucson.
Between 1962 and 1977, the two sides played fairly regularly, with Arizona going 9-7 during that time against the Cougars. Arizona would leave the WAC after the 1978 season to take the PAC-8 to being the PAC-10, along with Arizona State. It would be 28 years before the sides would meet again in 2006, and the teams are 2-2 against each other since that date.
SMU vs. North Texas Match History
SMU at North Texas
This will be the 38th all-time meeting between North Texas and SMU, with the Mustangs leading 31-5-1. This will be the 4th consecutive season that the two sides have met, with SMU winning the previous three contests, including last season, 54-32 in Dallas.
SMU is averaging 38.33 points per game in the last 3 meetings, while UNT is averaging 22 points per game in the last 3 meetings. The average margin of victory for SMU in the last 3 meetings has been 17.67 points per game.
North Texas last beat SMU in 2014, a 43-6 thumping in Denton.
This series dates back to 1922, when SMU won the first 9 games between 1922 and 1932. North Texas won for the first time in the series in 1933, a 7-0 win. SMU would go on to run off another 9 straight wins against North Texas between 1934 and 1942.
After the 1942 Mustang win, the teams would not meet again until 1974, when SMU began a 9-2 run over the Eagles between 1974 and 1992. They would not meet again until 2006. In that current part of the series (2006-17), SMU is 4-2 against UNT.
This will be the 38th all-time meeting between North Texas and SMU, with the Mustangs leading 31-5-1. This will be the 4th consecutive season that the two sides have met, with SMU winning the previous three contests, including last season, 54-32 in Dallas.
SMU is averaging 38.33 points per game in the last 3 meetings, while UNT is averaging 22 points per game in the last 3 meetings. The average margin of victory for SMU in the last 3 meetings has been 17.67 points per game.
North Texas last beat SMU in 2014, a 43-6 thumping in Denton.
This series dates back to 1922, when SMU won the first 9 games between 1922 and 1932. North Texas won for the first time in the series in 1933, a 7-0 win. SMU would go on to run off another 9 straight wins against North Texas between 1934 and 1942.
After the 1942 Mustang win, the teams would not meet again until 1974, when SMU began a 9-2 run over the Eagles between 1974 and 1992. They would not meet again until 2006. In that current part of the series (2006-17), SMU is 4-2 against UNT.
Middle Tennessee vs. Vanderbilt Match History
Middle Tennessee at Vanderbilt
The Blue Raiders and Commodores meet for the 19th time Saturday, with Vanderbilt holding a 15-3 all-time lead in the series.
This will be the 4th consecutive season that the teams have met, with Vandy on a 3 game winning streak in the current run. Vanderbilt won last season, 28-6, in 2016, 47-24, and in 2015 17-13.
Prior to the current 3 game win streak for the Commodores, Middle Tennessee had been on a 3 game win streak of their own in the series, as they won games in 2001, 2002, and 2005. Those were the only 3 Blue Raiders wins against Vanderbilt all-time.
The series dates back to 1915, a 51-0 Vanderbilt win that started a streak of 12 straight wins from 1915 through 1956. The sides would not meet after 1956 until they restarted the series in 2001.
The Blue Raiders and Commodores meet for the 19th time Saturday, with Vanderbilt holding a 15-3 all-time lead in the series.
This will be the 4th consecutive season that the teams have met, with Vandy on a 3 game winning streak in the current run. Vanderbilt won last season, 28-6, in 2016, 47-24, and in 2015 17-13.
Prior to the current 3 game win streak for the Commodores, Middle Tennessee had been on a 3 game win streak of their own in the series, as they won games in 2001, 2002, and 2005. Those were the only 3 Blue Raiders wins against Vanderbilt all-time.
The series dates back to 1915, a 51-0 Vanderbilt win that started a streak of 12 straight wins from 1915 through 1956. The sides would not meet after 1956 until they restarted the series in 2001.
Michigan vs. Notre Dame Match History
Michigan at Notre Dame
Michigan and Notre Dame renew their rivalry Saturday, meeting for the first time since 2014. Michigan leads the all-time series 24-16-1, with Michigan winning 6 of the last 9 meetings. Notre Dame has won 2 of the last 3 meetings, however, and won the 2014 battle 31-0 in South bend.
This is one of the oldest series in college football history, with the first meeting taking place in 1887, which started a streak of 8 straight wins for the Wolverines over the Fighting Irish that went from 1887 through 1908. Notre Dame won their first game in the series in 1909, an 11-3 win.
The teams did not play again after that Notre Dame win until 1942, when Michigan won 32-30, before Notre Dame won in 1943, 35-12.
That sparked another hiatus in this series, as the two sides did not play again until 1979, a 28-14 Michigan victory. There was never again a hiatus in the series of more than 3 years, until the current 4 year hiatus that was ended in a phone call between Jim Harbaugh and Brian Kelly to fire it up once again.
Michigan's longest win streak was the one that started it all, an 8 game run. Notre Dame's longest win streak in the series was a 4 game streak from 1987-90.
Michigan and Notre Dame renew their rivalry Saturday, meeting for the first time since 2014. Michigan leads the all-time series 24-16-1, with Michigan winning 6 of the last 9 meetings. Notre Dame has won 2 of the last 3 meetings, however, and won the 2014 battle 31-0 in South bend.
This is one of the oldest series in college football history, with the first meeting taking place in 1887, which started a streak of 8 straight wins for the Wolverines over the Fighting Irish that went from 1887 through 1908. Notre Dame won their first game in the series in 1909, an 11-3 win.
The teams did not play again after that Notre Dame win until 1942, when Michigan won 32-30, before Notre Dame won in 1943, 35-12.
That sparked another hiatus in this series, as the two sides did not play again until 1979, a 28-14 Michigan victory. There was never again a hiatus in the series of more than 3 years, until the current 4 year hiatus that was ended in a phone call between Jim Harbaugh and Brian Kelly to fire it up once again.
Michigan's longest win streak was the one that started it all, an 8 game run. Notre Dame's longest win streak in the series was a 4 game streak from 1987-90.
UNLV vs. USC Match History
UNLV at USC
This will be just the second all-time meeting between UNLV and USC. The teams last met in 1997, a 35-21 Trojan win at the Coliseum in Los Angeles. That win was the 100th of John Robinson's career at USC. USC trailed 21-14 in the game before running off 3 late scores for the win.
USC is currently on a 16 game home winning streak. Clay Helton has never lost a home game as head coach of the Trojans.
USC is 32-1-1 all-time against Mountain West opponents, with 2 of those wins having been vacated by NCAA penalty. They have not lost to a Mountain West opponent since 1992, a loss to Fresno State.
USC is 92-24-8 in openers all-time, and is 64-16-7 all-time in home openers. They have 36 shut out wins in openers all-time.
UNLV is just 23-27 all-time in season openers, 5-18 on the road. This will be the first ranked opponent UNLV ha splayed in an opener since 2011, a loss to Wisconsin. UNLV is just 4-15 all-time vs. the PAC-12.
This will be just the second all-time meeting between UNLV and USC. The teams last met in 1997, a 35-21 Trojan win at the Coliseum in Los Angeles. That win was the 100th of John Robinson's career at USC. USC trailed 21-14 in the game before running off 3 late scores for the win.
USC is currently on a 16 game home winning streak. Clay Helton has never lost a home game as head coach of the Trojans.
USC is 32-1-1 all-time against Mountain West opponents, with 2 of those wins having been vacated by NCAA penalty. They have not lost to a Mountain West opponent since 1992, a loss to Fresno State.
USC is 92-24-8 in openers all-time, and is 64-16-7 all-time in home openers. They have 36 shut out wins in openers all-time.
UNLV is just 23-27 all-time in season openers, 5-18 on the road. This will be the first ranked opponent UNLV ha splayed in an opener since 2011, a loss to Wisconsin. UNLV is just 4-15 all-time vs. the PAC-12.
Wyoming vs. Washington State Match History
Wyoming at Washington State
Washington State leads the all-time series against Wyoming 4-2, with the last meeting coming in 2015, when the Cougars beat the Cowboys 31-14. The previous meeting had occurred in 1990, a 34-13 win by Wyoming. The teams met for the first time in 1962, when WSU defeated the Cowboys 21-15. The teams also met in 1964, 1987, and 1989. Wyoming won in 1964, with the Cougars taking the meetings in 87 and 89.
This will be the first time that the Cougars will have traveled to Laramie since 1989. WSU has dropped their last 7 season openers on the road, and have not won a season road opener since 2004, which was a 21-17 win over New Mexico. Washington State is 70-59-5 all-time in season openers.
Wyoming is coming off of a defensive domination on the road last Saturday in a 29-7 win over New Mexico State in Las Cruces, and this will be their home opener. New Mexico State did not score until the game was within the final 2 minutes of the contest. Nico Evans rushed for 190 yards on the night.
Wyoming is 13-2 in their last 15 home openers.
Washington State leads the all-time series against Wyoming 4-2, with the last meeting coming in 2015, when the Cougars beat the Cowboys 31-14. The previous meeting had occurred in 1990, a 34-13 win by Wyoming. The teams met for the first time in 1962, when WSU defeated the Cowboys 21-15. The teams also met in 1964, 1987, and 1989. Wyoming won in 1964, with the Cougars taking the meetings in 87 and 89.
This will be the first time that the Cougars will have traveled to Laramie since 1989. WSU has dropped their last 7 season openers on the road, and have not won a season road opener since 2004, which was a 21-17 win over New Mexico. Washington State is 70-59-5 all-time in season openers.
Wyoming is coming off of a defensive domination on the road last Saturday in a 29-7 win over New Mexico State in Las Cruces, and this will be their home opener. New Mexico State did not score until the game was within the final 2 minutes of the contest. Nico Evans rushed for 190 yards on the night.
Wyoming is 13-2 in their last 15 home openers.
Northern Illinois vs. Iowa Match History
Northern Illinois at Iowa
This will be the first time that NIU and Iowa have met up since 2013, when the Huskies upset the Hawkeyes in Iowa City 30-27. That was the only time that the Huskies have ever beaten Iowa, as the Hawkeyes lead the all-time series 8-1.
This series dates back to 1985, which started Iowa's 8 game winning streak against NIU. Iowa and NIU have met twice on a neutral field (Chicago), but have never met in DeKalb, Illinois. The 6 other meetings have all occurred in Iowa City.
When Iowa wins in this series, the margin of victory on average is 25.63 points per game, but the series has tightened up in recent years, as the last 4 meetings have been decided by 6.75 points per game on average.The last two meetings have been decided by 3 points or less.
Northern Illinois head coach Rod Carey is 4-1 as a head coach against current Big 10 teams.
Kirk Ferentz is 16-3 as Iowa head coach in season openers. Iowa is 95-32-2 all-time in season openers.
This will be the first time that NIU and Iowa have met up since 2013, when the Huskies upset the Hawkeyes in Iowa City 30-27. That was the only time that the Huskies have ever beaten Iowa, as the Hawkeyes lead the all-time series 8-1.
This series dates back to 1985, which started Iowa's 8 game winning streak against NIU. Iowa and NIU have met twice on a neutral field (Chicago), but have never met in DeKalb, Illinois. The 6 other meetings have all occurred in Iowa City.
When Iowa wins in this series, the margin of victory on average is 25.63 points per game, but the series has tightened up in recent years, as the last 4 meetings have been decided by 6.75 points per game on average.The last two meetings have been decided by 3 points or less.
Northern Illinois head coach Rod Carey is 4-1 as a head coach against current Big 10 teams.
Kirk Ferentz is 16-3 as Iowa head coach in season openers. Iowa is 95-32-2 all-time in season openers.
Central Michigan vs. Kentucky
Central Michigan at Kentucky
This will be the first meeting between the Chippewas and Wildcats since 2011, a game that Kentucky won 27-13. Kentucky has won all 6 meetings against Central Michigan in their histories.
CMU and UK first met in 1983, as Kentucky won 31-14. Other meeting include 1988, 1990, 1992, and 2006. Kentucky's average margin of victory has been 10.17 points per game, while they are averaging 28.67 points per game. The Chippewas are averaging 16.83 points per game historically against Kentucky in this series.
CMU last opened the season with a road win in 1996, and has not one a season opening road game with a win since, going 0-7.
Kentucky is 3-2 in season openers under Mark Stoops, and is 86-36-5 all-time in season openers.
This will be the first meeting between the Chippewas and Wildcats since 2011, a game that Kentucky won 27-13. Kentucky has won all 6 meetings against Central Michigan in their histories.
CMU and UK first met in 1983, as Kentucky won 31-14. Other meeting include 1988, 1990, 1992, and 2006. Kentucky's average margin of victory has been 10.17 points per game, while they are averaging 28.67 points per game. The Chippewas are averaging 16.83 points per game historically against Kentucky in this series.
CMU last opened the season with a road win in 1996, and has not one a season opening road game with a win since, going 0-7.
Kentucky is 3-2 in season openers under Mark Stoops, and is 86-36-5 all-time in season openers.
Marshall vs. Miami (Ohio) Match History
Marshall at Miami (Ohio)
One woul be surprised to learn that Miami leads this series 30-13-1. That would because recent history would suggest otherwise, as Marshall has won the last 4 games in the series dating back to 2004, including a 31-26 win by the Thundering Herd in 2017 in Huntington, WV. This series dates back to 1905, when Miami won 35-0.
Miami won the first 5 games in the series, until Marshall finally broke through in 1937, which started a 3 game winning streak for Marshall that saw the Herd outscore Miami 60-0 from 1937-39. It would seem that Miami never got over it, as they then ran off a 19 game winning streak over Marshall that covered 1948-75. Miami won 24 of 25 meetings in a span that covered the 19 game winning streak and continued on through 1980. Marshall's only win in the run came in 1979, a 21-16 win.
The teams did not meet again after 1980 until 1997, when Marshall started to turn their fortunes against Miami completely around. Since 1997, Marshall is 9-2 against the Red Hawks, which is the number that should be focused on when the teams meet again tomorrow. Marshall has not lost to Miami since 2003, and in the last two decades, the Thundering Herd has started to dominate the series.
The Marshall win last season was the season opener for both programs.
One woul be surprised to learn that Miami leads this series 30-13-1. That would because recent history would suggest otherwise, as Marshall has won the last 4 games in the series dating back to 2004, including a 31-26 win by the Thundering Herd in 2017 in Huntington, WV. This series dates back to 1905, when Miami won 35-0.
Miami won the first 5 games in the series, until Marshall finally broke through in 1937, which started a 3 game winning streak for Marshall that saw the Herd outscore Miami 60-0 from 1937-39. It would seem that Miami never got over it, as they then ran off a 19 game winning streak over Marshall that covered 1948-75. Miami won 24 of 25 meetings in a span that covered the 19 game winning streak and continued on through 1980. Marshall's only win in the run came in 1979, a 21-16 win.
The teams did not meet again after 1980 until 1997, when Marshall started to turn their fortunes against Miami completely around. Since 1997, Marshall is 9-2 against the Red Hawks, which is the number that should be focused on when the teams meet again tomorrow. Marshall has not lost to Miami since 2003, and in the last two decades, the Thundering Herd has started to dominate the series.
The Marshall win last season was the season opener for both programs.
Washington vs. Auburn Match History
Washington vs. Auburn
This game has serious playoff implications for later this season.If Washington loses, it can honestly be expected that the PAC-12 could get left out of the playoff once again, even if the Huskies win out. For Auburn, a loss is not as detrimental, but could be damaging.
This will be the first ever meeting of the schools, as they meet up in Atlanta this week. This will mark the second ever neutral site non conference (and non bowl) game for Washington, while Auburn will be playing in their 2nd straight non con or bowl game in Atlanta. Auburn is on a current 2 game losing streak in Atlanta dating back to last season. Auburn was beaten by Georgia in the SEC title game, and by UCF in the Peach Bowl. No other team in history has played 3 straight neutral site games in the same venue.
Washington is 87-35-2 in season openers all-time, while they are 17-11 in season openers since 1989. They are 10-1 at home, just 7-9 on the road, and 0-1 in their only other neutral site opener. The Huskies have opened against ranked opponents 12 times since 1994, and are just 5-7 in that run.
This will be Auburn's 3rd appearance in the Chik-Fil-A Kickoff. Auburn is 8-3 all-time vs. the PAC-12, and have a losing record only against USC (1-2). This will be their first contest against a PAC-12 opponent since 2013, a win over Washington State at home. The Tigers are 4-3 in season openers against the PAC-12, but is a perfect 5-0 against the conference in neutral site games.
Auburn is 96-27-2 all-time in conference openers, and have won 10 of their last 12. They are 4-1 in season openers under Gus Malzahn, with the only loss coming to Clemson, who eventually won the national title.
This game has serious playoff implications for later this season.If Washington loses, it can honestly be expected that the PAC-12 could get left out of the playoff once again, even if the Huskies win out. For Auburn, a loss is not as detrimental, but could be damaging.
This will be the first ever meeting of the schools, as they meet up in Atlanta this week. This will mark the second ever neutral site non conference (and non bowl) game for Washington, while Auburn will be playing in their 2nd straight non con or bowl game in Atlanta. Auburn is on a current 2 game losing streak in Atlanta dating back to last season. Auburn was beaten by Georgia in the SEC title game, and by UCF in the Peach Bowl. No other team in history has played 3 straight neutral site games in the same venue.
Washington is 87-35-2 in season openers all-time, while they are 17-11 in season openers since 1989. They are 10-1 at home, just 7-9 on the road, and 0-1 in their only other neutral site opener. The Huskies have opened against ranked opponents 12 times since 1994, and are just 5-7 in that run.
This will be Auburn's 3rd appearance in the Chik-Fil-A Kickoff. Auburn is 8-3 all-time vs. the PAC-12, and have a losing record only against USC (1-2). This will be their first contest against a PAC-12 opponent since 2013, a win over Washington State at home. The Tigers are 4-3 in season openers against the PAC-12, but is a perfect 5-0 against the conference in neutral site games.
Auburn is 96-27-2 all-time in conference openers, and have won 10 of their last 12. They are 4-1 in season openers under Gus Malzahn, with the only loss coming to Clemson, who eventually won the national title.
U Mass vs. Boston College Match History
U Mass vs. Boston College
This is the 27th meeting between the state "rivals", with BC leading the all-time series 21-5-1. U Mass has not beaten the Eagles since 1978, a 27-0 win in Amherst. BC currently has a 5 game winning streak against U Mass dating back to 2004, with the average margin of victory sitting at 22.4 points per game in favor of the Eagles.
This series dates back to 1899, when BC beat the Minutemen 18-0 in Amherst. U Mass has not won in the series since 1978.
U Mass is coming off a 63-15 week zero win over Duquesne last weekend. This is the season opener for Boston College. Legendary head coach Dick MacPherson coached U Mass to a win over Boston College in 1972.
This is the 27th meeting between the state "rivals", with BC leading the all-time series 21-5-1. U Mass has not beaten the Eagles since 1978, a 27-0 win in Amherst. BC currently has a 5 game winning streak against U Mass dating back to 2004, with the average margin of victory sitting at 22.4 points per game in favor of the Eagles.
This series dates back to 1899, when BC beat the Minutemen 18-0 in Amherst. U Mass has not won in the series since 1978.
U Mass is coming off a 63-15 week zero win over Duquesne last weekend. This is the season opener for Boston College. Legendary head coach Dick MacPherson coached U Mass to a win over Boston College in 1972.
Rice vs. Houston Match History
Rice vs. Houston
This is the 42 all-time meeting between the two Houston area schools, with Houston leading the series 30-11 overall. Houston has won 11 of the last 16 meetings, including the last 4. Houston beat Rice 38-3 last season, which was the first meeting between the 2 since 2013, a 31-26 Cougars win over the Owls. This series dates back to 1971, a Houston 23-21 win. They played every season from 1971-1993.
Houston longest winning streak all-time against Rice is 6 games, with a 64-0 win in 1989 coming as their largest margin of victory against the Owls.
Rice is already 1-0 in 2018 after beating Prairie View on a late FG last weekend, 31-28.
This is the 42 all-time meeting between the two Houston area schools, with Houston leading the series 30-11 overall. Houston has won 11 of the last 16 meetings, including the last 4. Houston beat Rice 38-3 last season, which was the first meeting between the 2 since 2013, a 31-26 Cougars win over the Owls. This series dates back to 1971, a Houston 23-21 win. They played every season from 1971-1993.
Houston longest winning streak all-time against Rice is 6 games, with a 64-0 win in 1989 coming as their largest margin of victory against the Owls.
Rice is already 1-0 in 2018 after beating Prairie View on a late FG last weekend, 31-28.
Ole Miss vs. Texas Tech Match History
Ole Miss vs. Texas Tech
Ole Miss currently holds a 3-2 lead in the all-time series, with the last meeting occurring in 2009, which ended in an Ole Miss win (47-34). Texas Tech won both meetings in 2002-03, and averaged 40.5 points per game in those wins.
Ole miss won an Independence Bowl over Texas Tech in 1998 (35-18), and won the first ever meeting between the schools in 1986, which was also an Independence Bowl win for the Rebels (20-17).
This will be the first neutral site game for Texas Tech since 1959, when Tech played in Dallas against Texas A&M. Texas Tech played Oklahoma State in 1958 in Oklahoma City.
Texas Tech has outscored their season opener opponents by 28.7 points per game dating back to 2000. This is the first season opener against the SEC for the Red Raiders since 1997, when they took on Tennessee. This is the first Power Five season opener for Tech since 2002.
Ole Miss is 18-3 in their last 21 openers, and has an overall record of 91-27-5 in season openers all-time. Ole Miss is 14-12 all-time against current Big 12 members.
Ole Miss currently holds a 3-2 lead in the all-time series, with the last meeting occurring in 2009, which ended in an Ole Miss win (47-34). Texas Tech won both meetings in 2002-03, and averaged 40.5 points per game in those wins.
Ole miss won an Independence Bowl over Texas Tech in 1998 (35-18), and won the first ever meeting between the schools in 1986, which was also an Independence Bowl win for the Rebels (20-17).
This will be the first neutral site game for Texas Tech since 1959, when Tech played in Dallas against Texas A&M. Texas Tech played Oklahoma State in 1958 in Oklahoma City.
Texas Tech has outscored their season opener opponents by 28.7 points per game dating back to 2000. This is the first season opener against the SEC for the Red Raiders since 1997, when they took on Tennessee. This is the first Power Five season opener for Tech since 2002.
Ole Miss is 18-3 in their last 21 openers, and has an overall record of 91-27-5 in season openers all-time. Ole Miss is 14-12 all-time against current Big 12 members.
Kent State vs. Illinois Match History
Kent State at Illinois
This will be the second ever meeting between Illinois and Kent State. Illinois won the only meeting 52-3 in 2015. Illinois is 90-33-5 all-time in season openers, and has won 20 straight season openers, one of the 5 best marks in the nation. Illinois is 58-27-4 all-time in home openers.
Illinois last lost a season opener in 2010 against Missouri, and have won 7 straight home openers. They are 25-5 when in August games.
Kent State is just 32-37-3 all-time in season openers, and is just 15-29-2 in season opening road trips. Kent State has not won a season opening game on the road since 2007, a 23-14 win over Iowa State. This will mark the 4th straight road opener for Kent State. Kent State is just 1-16 all-time against current Big 10 members.
This will be the second ever meeting between Illinois and Kent State. Illinois won the only meeting 52-3 in 2015. Illinois is 90-33-5 all-time in season openers, and has won 20 straight season openers, one of the 5 best marks in the nation. Illinois is 58-27-4 all-time in home openers.
Illinois last lost a season opener in 2010 against Missouri, and have won 7 straight home openers. They are 25-5 when in August games.
Kent State is just 32-37-3 all-time in season openers, and is just 15-29-2 in season opening road trips. Kent State has not won a season opening game on the road since 2007, a 23-14 win over Iowa State. This will mark the 4th straight road opener for Kent State. Kent State is just 1-16 all-time against current Big 10 members.
Maryland vs. Texas Match History
Maryland won their first game in this series in 2017, a 51-41 shocker in Austin, but they still trail Texas 3-1 in the overall series. 2017 was the first meeting in this series since a 1978 Sun Bowl, which ended in a 42-0 Texas win. That was also the last time that Texas has beaten Maryland. Texas won both ends of a home and home in 1959 and 1960.
Texas has never allowed a point when they have beaten the Terrapins. Texas' wins have come by 26-0, 34-0, and 42-0. Texas averages 35.75 points per game all-time vs. Maryland, while Maryland averages 12.75 points per game against Texas, despite putting up 51 on the Longhorns in 2017.
Texas wins against Maryland have a margin of victory averaging 37.33 points per win. Maryland won their lone victory by 10 last season.
Texas, like Ohio State, is 2 wins away from their 900th program win of all-time. Texas is 109-19-3 all-time in season openers. This will be just the 3rd time in 18 years that Texas opens away from Austin. Texas has only opened away from home 17 times in the last 50 years, and are just 9-8 in those road trips. This will be the first of 11 Power 5 opponents for Texas in 2018.
Maryland has won their last 8 season openers, and 12 of the last 13. Maryland has scored at least 50 points in the last 4 season openers, and have won those 12 season openers by an average of 21 points per game. Maryland, however, is just 1-7 when opening against ranked opponents, and Texas is ranked an average of 23rd nationally.
Maryland returns 97% of their total rushing output of last season.
Texas has never allowed a point when they have beaten the Terrapins. Texas' wins have come by 26-0, 34-0, and 42-0. Texas averages 35.75 points per game all-time vs. Maryland, while Maryland averages 12.75 points per game against Texas, despite putting up 51 on the Longhorns in 2017.
Texas wins against Maryland have a margin of victory averaging 37.33 points per win. Maryland won their lone victory by 10 last season.
Texas, like Ohio State, is 2 wins away from their 900th program win of all-time. Texas is 109-19-3 all-time in season openers. This will be just the 3rd time in 18 years that Texas opens away from Austin. Texas has only opened away from home 17 times in the last 50 years, and are just 9-8 in those road trips. This will be the first of 11 Power 5 opponents for Texas in 2018.
Maryland has won their last 8 season openers, and 12 of the last 13. Maryland has scored at least 50 points in the last 4 season openers, and have won those 12 season openers by an average of 21 points per game. Maryland, however, is just 1-7 when opening against ranked opponents, and Texas is ranked an average of 23rd nationally.
Maryland returns 97% of their total rushing output of last season.
FAU vs. Oklahoma Match History
Saturday will mark the first ever meeting between FAU and Oklahoma. FAU has never beaten a Power 5 opponent.
Oklahoma is 94-23-6 all-time in season openers, and are 76-15-4 all-time in home openers. The last time Oklahoma lost a home opener was in 2005, a 17-10 loss to TCU.
Oklahoma has a seven game win streak when ranked as the #7 team in the nation, their current ranking. They are 23-2 all-time when ranked 7th nationally. They have not lost as the 7th ranked team since 2007.
FAU is on a 10 game winning streak, the 2nd best win streak in the nation currently.
Oklahoma has cored 30 points or more in 23 of their last 24 games, and are 22-2 when doing so during that streak.
Oklahoma is 94-23-6 all-time in season openers, and are 76-15-4 all-time in home openers. The last time Oklahoma lost a home opener was in 2005, a 17-10 loss to TCU.
Oklahoma has a seven game win streak when ranked as the #7 team in the nation, their current ranking. They are 23-2 all-time when ranked 7th nationally. They have not lost as the 7th ranked team since 2007.
FAU is on a 10 game winning streak, the 2nd best win streak in the nation currently.
Oklahoma has cored 30 points or more in 23 of their last 24 games, and are 22-2 when doing so during that streak.
Oregon State vs. Ohio State Match History
Oregon State and Ohio State will meet for just the 3rd time ever this Saturday afternoon in Columbus. Ohio State holds a 2-0 lead in the series, and has never played in Corvallis, with both meeting occurring in Columbus. This is the first meeting of the programs since 1984, a 22-14 Buckeyes win. The first meeting occurred in 1974, a 51-10 Ohio State win.
Ohio State averages 36.5 points per game against Oregon State, while the Beavers average just 12 points per game against the Buckeyes. The average margin of victory has been 24.5 points per game over 2 games for Ohio State. They are 36 point favorites this weekend.
Ohio State will be coached by Ryan Day as this is the first of 3 games that Urban Meyer will have been suspended.
Ohio State is 2 games shy of their 900th program victory. They would become the second program in college football with 900 wins.
Ohio State has won every season opener since 2000, and has won 37 of the last 39 season openers. The Buckeyes average 49.6 points per game in season openers since 2012, and has scored 34 points or more in each of those games. Ohio State has won 31 consecutive season openers in Columbus.
Oregon State coach Jonathon Smith is in his first season as head coach with the Beavers. He finished 3-1 against Big 10 teams as OC at Washington.
This is the 16th time that Oregon State will open against a top 25 team.
Ohio State averages 36.5 points per game against Oregon State, while the Beavers average just 12 points per game against the Buckeyes. The average margin of victory has been 24.5 points per game over 2 games for Ohio State. They are 36 point favorites this weekend.
Ohio State will be coached by Ryan Day as this is the first of 3 games that Urban Meyer will have been suspended.
Ohio State is 2 games shy of their 900th program victory. They would become the second program in college football with 900 wins.
Ohio State has won every season opener since 2000, and has won 37 of the last 39 season openers. The Buckeyes average 49.6 points per game in season openers since 2012, and has scored 34 points or more in each of those games. Ohio State has won 31 consecutive season openers in Columbus.
Oregon State coach Jonathon Smith is in his first season as head coach with the Beavers. He finished 3-1 against Big 10 teams as OC at Washington.
This is the 16th time that Oregon State will open against a top 25 team.
Colorado vs. Colorado State Match History
Friday night marks the 90th meeting between Colorado and Colorado State, a tilt that will take place once again in Denver. Colorado leads the all-time series 65-22-2, with the Buffs winning the last 3 games in the series, including a 17-3 win in 2017.
The two sides did not meet between 1958 and 1982, did not meet in 1984, and had two other hiatus periods, but have played now every season since 1995. During the current run (1995-2017), Colorado has won 15 times, with CSU winning 9 times. CSU last won a game in the series in 2014, a 31-17 win for the Rams.
Colorado has won 11 of the 17 meetings between the schools at Mile High Stadium in Denver.
In 2020, the schools will go back to a home and home format, and will be playing these games in Boulder and Fort Collins.
Colorado is 3-3-1 in games played in August all-time. The series is tied at 2 in games played in August.
Colorado is just 19-21-1 all-time playing in NFL venues.
Colorado State is coming off a 43-34 loss to Hawaii in zero week, a game in which the Rams were favored to win by double digits. They were down 37-7 before starting a rally that fell well short.
This will be just the 2nd time in CSU history that the Rams will have played twice in August, the first time coming in 2002, when CSU defeated Virginia and Colorado. The Rams are 8-3 all-time in the month of August.
The two sides did not meet between 1958 and 1982, did not meet in 1984, and had two other hiatus periods, but have played now every season since 1995. During the current run (1995-2017), Colorado has won 15 times, with CSU winning 9 times. CSU last won a game in the series in 2014, a 31-17 win for the Rams.
Colorado has won 11 of the 17 meetings between the schools at Mile High Stadium in Denver.
In 2020, the schools will go back to a home and home format, and will be playing these games in Boulder and Fort Collins.
Colorado is 3-3-1 in games played in August all-time. The series is tied at 2 in games played in August.
Colorado is just 19-21-1 all-time playing in NFL venues.
Colorado State is coming off a 43-34 loss to Hawaii in zero week, a game in which the Rams were favored to win by double digits. They were down 37-7 before starting a rally that fell well short.
This will be just the 2nd time in CSU history that the Rams will have played twice in August, the first time coming in 2002, when CSU defeated Virginia and Colorado. The Rams are 8-3 all-time in the month of August.
Stanford vs. San Diego State Match History
Stanford leads the all-time series 3-2, but SDSU is coming off of their second win in the series in 2017, a 20-17 chippy contest in San Diego.
Rashaad Penny is gone for San Diego State at RB, but Juwan Washington should be the next in a line of great backs at SDSU, and is fully capable of having a huge game against the Cardinal.
Bryce Love is the player to watch for Stanford Friday night, as he begins what should be a Heisman campaign for the 2018 season as a senior.
Last season was the first meeting in this series since 1988, which capped off a 3 year run in the series that saw Stanford take 3 straight from the Aztecs under then head coach Jack Elway. San Diego State won the series opener in 1985, a 41-22 Aztec win.
Both football teams will try to establish run games early, and this will likely turn into a defensive dog fight. Stanford was burning after the loss to the Aztecs last season, and revenge is on the mind. Still, SDSU is highly capable of pulling the upset once again with a sound rushing attack and a defense that is severely underrated nationally.
Rashaad Penny is gone for San Diego State at RB, but Juwan Washington should be the next in a line of great backs at SDSU, and is fully capable of having a huge game against the Cardinal.
Bryce Love is the player to watch for Stanford Friday night, as he begins what should be a Heisman campaign for the 2018 season as a senior.
Last season was the first meeting in this series since 1988, which capped off a 3 year run in the series that saw Stanford take 3 straight from the Aztecs under then head coach Jack Elway. San Diego State won the series opener in 1985, a 41-22 Aztec win.
Both football teams will try to establish run games early, and this will likely turn into a defensive dog fight. Stanford was burning after the loss to the Aztecs last season, and revenge is on the mind. Still, SDSU is highly capable of pulling the upset once again with a sound rushing attack and a defense that is severely underrated nationally.
Wisconsin vs. Western Kentucky Match History
There is not a lot of information in this series, as the teams met only one time, a Wisconsin 24-6 win in 2001, when Barry Alvarez and Jack Harbaugh were still coaching these respective programs.
Wisconsin is a legitimate Big 10 title contender, and has a real shot of making the college football playoff if they can win out in 2018. Western Kentucky is not nearly in as fortunate a position, as the needle is trending down on the WKU program under Mike Sanford, who scrapped the highly successful spread offense for a more traditional approach, and that has slowed down production at WKU immensely.
Wisconsin likely rolls at home Friday night, as this should not be much of a battle.
Wisconsin is a legitimate Big 10 title contender, and has a real shot of making the college football playoff if they can win out in 2018. Western Kentucky is not nearly in as fortunate a position, as the needle is trending down on the WKU program under Mike Sanford, who scrapped the highly successful spread offense for a more traditional approach, and that has slowed down production at WKU immensely.
Wisconsin likely rolls at home Friday night, as this should not be much of a battle.
Army vs. Duke Match History
Army and Duke meet for the 26th time on Friday night, with Duke leading the series 13-11-1.
This is the 4th straight year that Army and Duke will face off, with Duke winning 2 of the 3 meetings in the current run. Army won last season, 21-16 in West Point, with Duke winning 3 of the prior 4 meetings. The series dates back to 1944, when Army won 27-7. The Black Knights won the first 6 games in this series from 1944 through 1959. The lone tie in the series occurred in 1979.
Duke is averaging just 24.33 points per game in the current 3 game series, while Army is averaging just 10 points per game against Duke over the same time frame.
Duke is 9-3 over the last 12 meetings against Army.
Army is coming off of their first 10 win season since 1995, while Duke won just 5 games a year ago.
This is the 4th straight year that Army and Duke will face off, with Duke winning 2 of the 3 meetings in the current run. Army won last season, 21-16 in West Point, with Duke winning 3 of the prior 4 meetings. The series dates back to 1944, when Army won 27-7. The Black Knights won the first 6 games in this series from 1944 through 1959. The lone tie in the series occurred in 1979.
Duke is averaging just 24.33 points per game in the current 3 game series, while Army is averaging just 10 points per game against Duke over the same time frame.
Duke is 9-3 over the last 12 meetings against Army.
Army is coming off of their first 10 win season since 1995, while Duke won just 5 games a year ago.
Utah State vs. Michigan State Match History
This will be the first ever meeting between Utah State and Michigan State on Friday night.
For the Aggies, this will be their 7th road opener in the last 10 seasons, and will be the 61st road opener in school history. It will be the second straight Big 10 road opener for the Aggies, as they lost to Wisconsin in Madison last season after possessing a 10-0 lead at one point.
Utah State returns 18 total starters this season, but Michigan State returns 19 starters of their own. USU returns 26 players who have starting experience overall. USU finished 6th in the nation with 29 forced fumbles last season, and finished second nationally with 16 fumble recoveries.
Michigan State is 10-1 in season openers under Mark Dantonio, and have won 19 straight home openers, and they are 100-21 all-time in season openers.
The Spartans are trying for their 6th double digit win total season in 8 years.
For the Aggies, this will be their 7th road opener in the last 10 seasons, and will be the 61st road opener in school history. It will be the second straight Big 10 road opener for the Aggies, as they lost to Wisconsin in Madison last season after possessing a 10-0 lead at one point.
Utah State returns 18 total starters this season, but Michigan State returns 19 starters of their own. USU returns 26 players who have starting experience overall. USU finished 6th in the nation with 29 forced fumbles last season, and finished second nationally with 16 fumble recoveries.
Michigan State is 10-1 in season openers under Mark Dantonio, and have won 19 straight home openers, and they are 100-21 all-time in season openers.
The Spartans are trying for their 6th double digit win total season in 8 years.
Syracuse vs. Western Michigan Match History
This will be the first ever meeting between Syracuse and Western Michigan on Friday night. This will be the first game of a home and home, with WMU heading to Syracuse in 2019.
Syracuse has won 4 straight season openers dating to 2014, and they are 82-42-4 in season openers all-time. The current win streak has included all home games for the Orange, and all 4 wins came against FCS opponents.
Syracuse's last season opening defeat came away from the Carrier Dome, a 2013 loss to Penn State on a neutral field. Syracuse has not played a true road opener since 2010, a win over Akron. Syracuse is 6-4 in their last 10 season openers, but have won 6 of their last 8.
This is the 7th time since 2000 that Syracuse will have played in the month of August, and the Orange have performed poorly in that stretch, going just 1-5.
Syracuse has won their last 4 season openers against MAC opponents, and are 4-2 in season openers against the MAC all-time, with losses to Bowling Green in 1973 and 1976.
Syracuse is 11-21 all-time in true road openers, and 12-24 in total road openers.
Western Michigan has opened against a Power 5 school every season since 2005, and this is the second time in 4 years the Broncos will have hosted a P5 team in their opener. They last hosted Michigan State in 2015.
Despite a rough start, WMU won 4 of their final 6 games last season to finish 6-6.
The Broncos are just 1-6 all-time against ACC schools, beating Virginia in their lone win against the conference in 2006.
Jon Wassink returns at QB after a knee injury ended a promising season early in 2017. Tim Lester will be calling his own plays this season.
Syracuse has won 4 straight season openers dating to 2014, and they are 82-42-4 in season openers all-time. The current win streak has included all home games for the Orange, and all 4 wins came against FCS opponents.
Syracuse's last season opening defeat came away from the Carrier Dome, a 2013 loss to Penn State on a neutral field. Syracuse has not played a true road opener since 2010, a win over Akron. Syracuse is 6-4 in their last 10 season openers, but have won 6 of their last 8.
This is the 7th time since 2000 that Syracuse will have played in the month of August, and the Orange have performed poorly in that stretch, going just 1-5.
Syracuse has won their last 4 season openers against MAC opponents, and are 4-2 in season openers against the MAC all-time, with losses to Bowling Green in 1973 and 1976.
Syracuse is 11-21 all-time in true road openers, and 12-24 in total road openers.
Western Michigan has opened against a Power 5 school every season since 2005, and this is the second time in 4 years the Broncos will have hosted a P5 team in their opener. They last hosted Michigan State in 2015.
Despite a rough start, WMU won 4 of their final 6 games last season to finish 6-6.
The Broncos are just 1-6 all-time against ACC schools, beating Virginia in their lone win against the conference in 2006.
Jon Wassink returns at QB after a knee injury ended a promising season early in 2017. Tim Lester will be calling his own plays this season.
Friday, August 17, 2018
Atlanta Falcons Roster Projections
Here are my projections for what the final 53 man roster will look like for the Falcons once camp breaks in the coming weeks:
QB: Matt Ryan, Matt Schaub, Kurt Benkert
RB: Devonta Freeman, Tevin Coleman, Ito Smith, Luke McNitt
WR: Julio Jones, Calvin Ridley, Mohamed Sanu, Justin Hardy, Marvin Hall, Russell Gage, Terrence Magee
TE: Austin Hooper, Logan Paulson, Eric Saubert, Alex Gray
OT: Jake Matthews, Ryan Schraeder, Austin Pasztor
OG: Andy Levitre, Brandon Fusco, Ben Garland, Wes Schweitzer
C: Alex Mack, Sean Harlow
PK: Matt Bryant
LS: Josh Harris
DE: Brooks Reed, Vic Beasley, Takkarist McKinley, Derrick Shelby
DT: Grady Jarrett, Jack Crawford, Garrison Smith, Deadrin Senat
LB: Duke Riley, Deion Jones, De'Vondre Campbell, Foyesade Oluokun, Emmanuel Ellerbe
CB: Robert Alford, Desmond Trufant, Brian Poole, Blidi Wreh-Wilson, Isaiah Oliver, Leon McFadden, Justin Bethel
S: Ricardo Allen, Keanu Neal, Damontae Kazee, Kemal Ishmael
P: Matt Bosher
This projection sits at 54 men on a 53 man roster. Injuries could clear this issue up, but there is really no room for anyone outside of this group to compete for a spot, and as of now, one would have to go. I would say that Alex Gray would probably be the man to go, based on his value solely being as a backup at Punt Returner. That is a luxury item to have, and there is no room for luxury items left, based on this projection.
QB: Matt Ryan, Matt Schaub, Kurt Benkert
RB: Devonta Freeman, Tevin Coleman, Ito Smith, Luke McNitt
WR: Julio Jones, Calvin Ridley, Mohamed Sanu, Justin Hardy, Marvin Hall, Russell Gage, Terrence Magee
TE: Austin Hooper, Logan Paulson, Eric Saubert, Alex Gray
OT: Jake Matthews, Ryan Schraeder, Austin Pasztor
OG: Andy Levitre, Brandon Fusco, Ben Garland, Wes Schweitzer
C: Alex Mack, Sean Harlow
PK: Matt Bryant
LS: Josh Harris
DE: Brooks Reed, Vic Beasley, Takkarist McKinley, Derrick Shelby
DT: Grady Jarrett, Jack Crawford, Garrison Smith, Deadrin Senat
LB: Duke Riley, Deion Jones, De'Vondre Campbell, Foyesade Oluokun, Emmanuel Ellerbe
CB: Robert Alford, Desmond Trufant, Brian Poole, Blidi Wreh-Wilson, Isaiah Oliver, Leon McFadden, Justin Bethel
S: Ricardo Allen, Keanu Neal, Damontae Kazee, Kemal Ishmael
P: Matt Bosher
This projection sits at 54 men on a 53 man roster. Injuries could clear this issue up, but there is really no room for anyone outside of this group to compete for a spot, and as of now, one would have to go. I would say that Alex Gray would probably be the man to go, based on his value solely being as a backup at Punt Returner. That is a luxury item to have, and there is no room for luxury items left, based on this projection.
Minnesota Vikings Roster Projection
Here is our 53 man roster projection for the Vikings for the 2018 season as we sit in the middle of week 2 of the NFL Pre-Season schedule:
QB: Kirk Cousins, Trevor Simien
RB: Dalvin Cook, Latavius Murray, CJ Ham
WR: Adam Thielen, Stefon Diggs, Kendall Wright, Laquan Treadwell, Korey Robinson
TE: Kyle Rudolph, David Morgan, Tyler Conklin
OT: Riley Reiff, Mike Remmers, Rashod Hill, Aviante Collins
OG: Josh Andrews, Tom Compton, Danny Isidora
C: Pat Elflein, Nick Easton
PK: Daniel Carlson
LS: Ryan McDermott
DE: Danielle Hunter, Everson Griffin, Brian Robison, Stephen Weatherly, Ade Aruna, Jaylin Holmes
DT: Sheldon Richardson, Linval Joseph, Jaleel Johnson
LB: Anthony Barr, Eric Kendricks, Ben Gedeon, Eric Wilson, Kentrell Brothers, Antwione Williams
CB: Trae Waynes, Xavier Rhodes, Mike Hughes, Mackenzie Alexander, Terence Newman, Marcus Sherels
S: Andrew Sendejo, Harrison Smith, Jayron Kearse, Anthony Harris,
P: Ryan Quigley
The above projection leaves 3 roster spots to play for as we wrap up camp. Here are players that I feel will be competing for those spots in the coming weeks:
RB/FB Roc Thomas
WR Jeff Badet
WR Chad Beebe
WR Jake Weineke
TE Blake Bell
C Cornelius Edison
DT David Parry
Of the 3 spots we project to be available, I would focus on Thomas, and the trio of receivers first. Depth is not great at RB, and Thomas fills that need. Edison has some experience on the line, and that could save him in the end. Bell could fit, but the Vikings don't need 4 TEs and one that serves at LS as well. Parry could fill some depth need in the middle on defense, but Robison provides inside outside help already, and with young talent coming in with Aruna and Holmes, he could be expendable.
QB: Kirk Cousins, Trevor Simien
RB: Dalvin Cook, Latavius Murray, CJ Ham
WR: Adam Thielen, Stefon Diggs, Kendall Wright, Laquan Treadwell, Korey Robinson
TE: Kyle Rudolph, David Morgan, Tyler Conklin
OT: Riley Reiff, Mike Remmers, Rashod Hill, Aviante Collins
OG: Josh Andrews, Tom Compton, Danny Isidora
C: Pat Elflein, Nick Easton
PK: Daniel Carlson
LS: Ryan McDermott
DE: Danielle Hunter, Everson Griffin, Brian Robison, Stephen Weatherly, Ade Aruna, Jaylin Holmes
DT: Sheldon Richardson, Linval Joseph, Jaleel Johnson
LB: Anthony Barr, Eric Kendricks, Ben Gedeon, Eric Wilson, Kentrell Brothers, Antwione Williams
CB: Trae Waynes, Xavier Rhodes, Mike Hughes, Mackenzie Alexander, Terence Newman, Marcus Sherels
S: Andrew Sendejo, Harrison Smith, Jayron Kearse, Anthony Harris,
P: Ryan Quigley
The above projection leaves 3 roster spots to play for as we wrap up camp. Here are players that I feel will be competing for those spots in the coming weeks:
RB/FB Roc Thomas
WR Jeff Badet
WR Chad Beebe
WR Jake Weineke
TE Blake Bell
C Cornelius Edison
DT David Parry
Of the 3 spots we project to be available, I would focus on Thomas, and the trio of receivers first. Depth is not great at RB, and Thomas fills that need. Edison has some experience on the line, and that could save him in the end. Bell could fit, but the Vikings don't need 4 TEs and one that serves at LS as well. Parry could fill some depth need in the middle on defense, but Robison provides inside outside help already, and with young talent coming in with Aruna and Holmes, he could be expendable.
Thursday, August 16, 2018
Coaches on the Hot Seat: 2018 Pre-Season Edition
With college football just over one week away, it's time to deliver the assessment on which college football coaches find themselves on the hot seat entering the 2018 season. Some should have been fired last season, some are under current scrutiny, and others are in a show me state of mind to save their jobs. Here is the list as we enter the 2018 season:
Scottie Montgomery, East Carolina
I still do not entirely understand why Ruffin McNeil was fired, and Montgomery was chosen as his successor. Montgomery has not done anything to show that he was the right choice for the job, and really had never done enough for me to understand why he was hired as an FBS head coach so early into his career. I would say, at this point, that there is little chance he is retained, and even less a chance that we see him as a head coach in major college football again after this showing.
Phillip Montgomery, Tulsa
Times at Tulsa have either been really good under Montgomery, or abysmally bad. A 2-10 finish last season may be followed up by exactly that once again. The only saving grace here is that Montgomery, just weeks ago, took a pay cut, along with his boss, to balance the athletic department budget, and there probably will not be enough money to get rid of him if they wanted to do so. It would seem that Tulsa's economic issues are a theme among non power five universities and colleges these days, and will be a theme recurring on this list.
Steve Addazio, Boston College
Sure, he finally turned the corner and got the Eagles flying into a bowl game on the back of freshman RB AJ Dillon, who is back this season. That said, I am not alone among folks in the media who can see a real possibility that Addazio and the Eagles step backwards again in 2018, and if that happens, grumbling that had been ongoing before the end of last season returns anew.
Paul Johnson, Georgia Tech
I understand that expectations are just lower at places like Georgia Tech, but I would have let Johnson go long ago myself. His up one year, and down the next routine has gotten difficult to swallow, and it is hard to see how a coach with such an inconsistent showing has stayed on for as long as he has in one of the 3 most competitive leagues in the nation.
Larry Fedora, North Carolina
I have never been shy of vocalizing how little a fan of Fedora I am. I don't care for his crazy rhetoric with the press. His track record of program building, frankly, is trash, and I think people are catching on. He also has 13 players on his current team facing suspension for off-field shenanigans this season, so his program oversight is worse than trash. He doesn't last much longer, and this should be his last go as a head coach.
Pat Narduzzi, Pittsburgh
Pitt is in the ACC is a bad fit in both football and basketball. They really overshot their own level of self importance by joining the league in the first place, and now Narduzzi likely struggles because Pitt is a bottom floor player in a skyscraper league. He is saddled with an apathetic fan base that was never overly supportive before the league change, and the recruiting pool, which should be rich, is siphoned off by Penn State and the Big 10 before they get to take their first visit. That said, Pitt just needs to get to bowling regularly, because if you can't get to a bowl in an everybody gets a bowl bid era, where does that leave you?
Dino Babers, Syracuse
Much like Narduzzi at Pitt, Syracuse is so far behind the 8 ball in the ACC, that they will never see the light of day. Babers was highly successful at Bowling Green and Eastern Illinois, but he had half a shot at those locales. He does not have that at Syracuse, and his record suffers because an apathy around the program, and a lack of decent recruiting pools. He does not survive this.
David Beaty, Kansas
I am not sure how much more we need to see of this guy to tell us what I told you the day he was hired. He is way in over his head, and there is no getting out. The new AD has likely figured this out, and has put his expectations public. It's win, or go home. He is going home.
Kliff Kingsbury, Texas Tech
The GQ coach thing was funny early on, but it only stays funny if he wins, and he is simply not winning. With an 8th place expectation and a conference record of way under .500 during his tenure, Kingsbury is likely out the door after this season. Mike Leach won in Lubbock, so could another coach, like Neal Brown or Seth Littrell...just saying...
Dana Holgorsen, West Virginia
He is, once again, in a position with talent to compete for a Big 12 title. I predict that, once again, he falls well short of those expectations. He has had more than enough time to turn the corner in the Big 12 and has not done so to date. It's win now, or else.
Lovie Smith, Illinois
This was destined to never work, and it hasn't, and won't. Smith has, at times, according to sources close to him, been uncomfortable in the college game, and has never gotten his bearing with how to run a college program. Illinois has Big 10 money, which is huge, but it would seem as if they are hesitant to invest said money back into the program right now. Smith leaves, and that money flows again. Mark my words.
DJ Durkin, Maryland
As I type this, it saddens me that his name makes this list because a player died under his watch because of abuses executed by members of his staff, most likely coming from his own demands. JOrdan McNair died because of absolute failures by Durkin. Blame anyone else you want, but he goes down with the ship on this, and likely never serves as a head coach again, as he should not.
Urban Meyer, Ohio State
Another clueless asshole of a human being. When you protect an abuser, you should lose your job and suffer the consequences. Meyer has been dirty his entire career, and now it's time to pay the price.
Brad Lambert, Charlotte
Lambert should be applauded for the thankless job of getting a program out of infancy and off the ground. Lambert has done that in a solid way. That said, it appears time that he steps aside and let's another guide this program to the next phase, because it has become obvious that he probably isn't the guy to do that.
Kalani Sitake, BYU
I know that his blood is blue through and through, but maybe it is time that BYU ditches this outdated refusal to hire anyone from outside the LDS tree, and hires themselves a football coach who knows what he is doing on the field. Sitake is a BYU guy, but he is not a qualified head coach. He was in over his head from day one.
Brian Kelly, Notre Dame
Kelly's name is permanent in this report, because he is simply a guy who always seems to have one foot out the door by his own design, or by the design of an administration that he always seems on the other side of. Notre Dame could win 8 or 9 games this season, and it may not be enough.
Terry Bowden, Akron
The Zips finally went bowling last season, but got blown out of the building by FAU. Bowden may be able to afford a slip this season, and that is likely to happen, but if he slides, and hits rock bottom with this team, it may not be enough to save him. He has hardly been the savior that people envisioned when he was hired.
Mike Neu, Ball State
The former Cardinal QB returned home with some fanfare, but the Cardinals really tanked last season, and have yet to show any indication that they are close to to turning a corner under Neu. He may be completely over matched here, and this program has had success in the recent past under other coaches. It can be done, but can it be done under his guidance? The answer, thus far, is no.
Mike Jinks, Bowling Green
In what could be a high turnover year in the MAC, Jinks should absolutely be headed out. I said, from day of his hire, that he was the wrong guy for this job, and had the lowest qualifications for it of anyone that was hired in his class. The record shows that I was right, and it won't get better soon. It's time to rectify this mistake.
Chuck Martin, Miami (Ohio)
Martin is now a full year removed from the last bowl game that he took this team to. If he goes another year without returning to a bowl, and continues to point the ship in the wrong direction pertaining to win totals, as he did last season, he is likely on his way out, and could be yet another MAC casualty.
Troy Calhoun, Air Force
This job does not get a lot of attention, but the program seems stagnant under Calhoun these days, and there is really no indication that it's getting any better soon. I think that any more lost time really affects the future of the program in negative ways, as stagnation kills. It may be getting on time for a change here.
Bob Davie, New Mexico
There is only one reason why he is still coach. Money, and UNM has none of it. The very state of the program is in flux financially, and again, we see a recurring theme in programs in the Group of Five and below. Financlial times are tough for these schools, and New Mexico cannot even fire a guy they suspended for an investigation into player abuses.
Tony Sanchez, UNLV
Sanchez brought a lot of donations with him when he was hired, and the program desperately needed that cash infusion, and they have invested that money well. The problem here is that we have seen almost zero translation of that investment into the on field product, and the very real fact is that Sanchez has to win, and win now. There is no more time to spend.
Matt Wells, Utah State
Wells can remove himself off the chopping block by getting the Aggies back to another bowl this season. It will really not take much. If the Aggies start back into the slide that preceded last season's New Mexico Bowl loss, he is right back on the block, and his seat starts getting white hot.
Gus Malzahn, Auburn
We are talking about a program that fired Gene Chizek not long after winning a national title, so stop with your shocked responses. Malzahn was very much on the same hot seat entering last season. The late season flop (lost to Georgia in SEC title game, UCF in Peach Bowl), has left some bitter folks free to roam about The Plains, and let me tell you, anything short of expectations this season, and we won't be shocked to see some movement here.
Mark Stoops, Kentucky
Stoops will gladly tell you about his tenuous job status in Lexington. He's not shy about it. He knows that he has to keep the Wildcats in bowl games, or else he will be headed out the door, and he won't wait for the word. I appreciate him for that.
Ed Orgeron, LSU
Come on people, we all know that the brass really did not want to hire him. They got strung along so long by the Tom Herman situation, that they were left with few other choices that made any sense. Let it be no shock that Orgeron has not improved the program as head man, and that he now has had to fire Matt Canada, and his QB core is ruffled and half of them want to leave. That is not a great way to enter a season. Ask Kevin Sumlin.
Derek Mason, Vanderbilt
Let's look at the situation from a pragmatic point of view. James Franklin was here. He won enough to make Vandy respectable and got them to bowls. That is all anyone expects. Mason has not followed him up well. It's a bowl game or bust this season for Mason.
Everett Withers, Texas State
I expected more from him. This is the guy that built the foundation for the current state of James Madison football before bolting for this wasteland job. His experience at Ohio State was enough to convince me that he would be what the Bobcats needed to make them relevant, but the program has never truly been relevant, even when they were an FCS program in the Southland conference, known then as Southwest Texas State. Withers bit off more than he could chew, and that will sink his career here.
Scottie Montgomery, East Carolina
I still do not entirely understand why Ruffin McNeil was fired, and Montgomery was chosen as his successor. Montgomery has not done anything to show that he was the right choice for the job, and really had never done enough for me to understand why he was hired as an FBS head coach so early into his career. I would say, at this point, that there is little chance he is retained, and even less a chance that we see him as a head coach in major college football again after this showing.
Phillip Montgomery, Tulsa
Times at Tulsa have either been really good under Montgomery, or abysmally bad. A 2-10 finish last season may be followed up by exactly that once again. The only saving grace here is that Montgomery, just weeks ago, took a pay cut, along with his boss, to balance the athletic department budget, and there probably will not be enough money to get rid of him if they wanted to do so. It would seem that Tulsa's economic issues are a theme among non power five universities and colleges these days, and will be a theme recurring on this list.
Steve Addazio, Boston College
Sure, he finally turned the corner and got the Eagles flying into a bowl game on the back of freshman RB AJ Dillon, who is back this season. That said, I am not alone among folks in the media who can see a real possibility that Addazio and the Eagles step backwards again in 2018, and if that happens, grumbling that had been ongoing before the end of last season returns anew.
Paul Johnson, Georgia Tech
I understand that expectations are just lower at places like Georgia Tech, but I would have let Johnson go long ago myself. His up one year, and down the next routine has gotten difficult to swallow, and it is hard to see how a coach with such an inconsistent showing has stayed on for as long as he has in one of the 3 most competitive leagues in the nation.
Larry Fedora, North Carolina
I have never been shy of vocalizing how little a fan of Fedora I am. I don't care for his crazy rhetoric with the press. His track record of program building, frankly, is trash, and I think people are catching on. He also has 13 players on his current team facing suspension for off-field shenanigans this season, so his program oversight is worse than trash. He doesn't last much longer, and this should be his last go as a head coach.
Pat Narduzzi, Pittsburgh
Pitt is in the ACC is a bad fit in both football and basketball. They really overshot their own level of self importance by joining the league in the first place, and now Narduzzi likely struggles because Pitt is a bottom floor player in a skyscraper league. He is saddled with an apathetic fan base that was never overly supportive before the league change, and the recruiting pool, which should be rich, is siphoned off by Penn State and the Big 10 before they get to take their first visit. That said, Pitt just needs to get to bowling regularly, because if you can't get to a bowl in an everybody gets a bowl bid era, where does that leave you?
Dino Babers, Syracuse
Much like Narduzzi at Pitt, Syracuse is so far behind the 8 ball in the ACC, that they will never see the light of day. Babers was highly successful at Bowling Green and Eastern Illinois, but he had half a shot at those locales. He does not have that at Syracuse, and his record suffers because an apathy around the program, and a lack of decent recruiting pools. He does not survive this.
David Beaty, Kansas
I am not sure how much more we need to see of this guy to tell us what I told you the day he was hired. He is way in over his head, and there is no getting out. The new AD has likely figured this out, and has put his expectations public. It's win, or go home. He is going home.
Kliff Kingsbury, Texas Tech
The GQ coach thing was funny early on, but it only stays funny if he wins, and he is simply not winning. With an 8th place expectation and a conference record of way under .500 during his tenure, Kingsbury is likely out the door after this season. Mike Leach won in Lubbock, so could another coach, like Neal Brown or Seth Littrell...just saying...
Dana Holgorsen, West Virginia
He is, once again, in a position with talent to compete for a Big 12 title. I predict that, once again, he falls well short of those expectations. He has had more than enough time to turn the corner in the Big 12 and has not done so to date. It's win now, or else.
Lovie Smith, Illinois
This was destined to never work, and it hasn't, and won't. Smith has, at times, according to sources close to him, been uncomfortable in the college game, and has never gotten his bearing with how to run a college program. Illinois has Big 10 money, which is huge, but it would seem as if they are hesitant to invest said money back into the program right now. Smith leaves, and that money flows again. Mark my words.
DJ Durkin, Maryland
As I type this, it saddens me that his name makes this list because a player died under his watch because of abuses executed by members of his staff, most likely coming from his own demands. JOrdan McNair died because of absolute failures by Durkin. Blame anyone else you want, but he goes down with the ship on this, and likely never serves as a head coach again, as he should not.
Urban Meyer, Ohio State
Another clueless asshole of a human being. When you protect an abuser, you should lose your job and suffer the consequences. Meyer has been dirty his entire career, and now it's time to pay the price.
Brad Lambert, Charlotte
Lambert should be applauded for the thankless job of getting a program out of infancy and off the ground. Lambert has done that in a solid way. That said, it appears time that he steps aside and let's another guide this program to the next phase, because it has become obvious that he probably isn't the guy to do that.
Kalani Sitake, BYU
I know that his blood is blue through and through, but maybe it is time that BYU ditches this outdated refusal to hire anyone from outside the LDS tree, and hires themselves a football coach who knows what he is doing on the field. Sitake is a BYU guy, but he is not a qualified head coach. He was in over his head from day one.
Brian Kelly, Notre Dame
Kelly's name is permanent in this report, because he is simply a guy who always seems to have one foot out the door by his own design, or by the design of an administration that he always seems on the other side of. Notre Dame could win 8 or 9 games this season, and it may not be enough.
Terry Bowden, Akron
The Zips finally went bowling last season, but got blown out of the building by FAU. Bowden may be able to afford a slip this season, and that is likely to happen, but if he slides, and hits rock bottom with this team, it may not be enough to save him. He has hardly been the savior that people envisioned when he was hired.
Mike Neu, Ball State
The former Cardinal QB returned home with some fanfare, but the Cardinals really tanked last season, and have yet to show any indication that they are close to to turning a corner under Neu. He may be completely over matched here, and this program has had success in the recent past under other coaches. It can be done, but can it be done under his guidance? The answer, thus far, is no.
Mike Jinks, Bowling Green
In what could be a high turnover year in the MAC, Jinks should absolutely be headed out. I said, from day of his hire, that he was the wrong guy for this job, and had the lowest qualifications for it of anyone that was hired in his class. The record shows that I was right, and it won't get better soon. It's time to rectify this mistake.
Chuck Martin, Miami (Ohio)
Martin is now a full year removed from the last bowl game that he took this team to. If he goes another year without returning to a bowl, and continues to point the ship in the wrong direction pertaining to win totals, as he did last season, he is likely on his way out, and could be yet another MAC casualty.
Troy Calhoun, Air Force
This job does not get a lot of attention, but the program seems stagnant under Calhoun these days, and there is really no indication that it's getting any better soon. I think that any more lost time really affects the future of the program in negative ways, as stagnation kills. It may be getting on time for a change here.
Bob Davie, New Mexico
There is only one reason why he is still coach. Money, and UNM has none of it. The very state of the program is in flux financially, and again, we see a recurring theme in programs in the Group of Five and below. Financlial times are tough for these schools, and New Mexico cannot even fire a guy they suspended for an investigation into player abuses.
Tony Sanchez, UNLV
Sanchez brought a lot of donations with him when he was hired, and the program desperately needed that cash infusion, and they have invested that money well. The problem here is that we have seen almost zero translation of that investment into the on field product, and the very real fact is that Sanchez has to win, and win now. There is no more time to spend.
Matt Wells, Utah State
Wells can remove himself off the chopping block by getting the Aggies back to another bowl this season. It will really not take much. If the Aggies start back into the slide that preceded last season's New Mexico Bowl loss, he is right back on the block, and his seat starts getting white hot.
Gus Malzahn, Auburn
We are talking about a program that fired Gene Chizek not long after winning a national title, so stop with your shocked responses. Malzahn was very much on the same hot seat entering last season. The late season flop (lost to Georgia in SEC title game, UCF in Peach Bowl), has left some bitter folks free to roam about The Plains, and let me tell you, anything short of expectations this season, and we won't be shocked to see some movement here.
Mark Stoops, Kentucky
Stoops will gladly tell you about his tenuous job status in Lexington. He's not shy about it. He knows that he has to keep the Wildcats in bowl games, or else he will be headed out the door, and he won't wait for the word. I appreciate him for that.
Ed Orgeron, LSU
Come on people, we all know that the brass really did not want to hire him. They got strung along so long by the Tom Herman situation, that they were left with few other choices that made any sense. Let it be no shock that Orgeron has not improved the program as head man, and that he now has had to fire Matt Canada, and his QB core is ruffled and half of them want to leave. That is not a great way to enter a season. Ask Kevin Sumlin.
Derek Mason, Vanderbilt
Let's look at the situation from a pragmatic point of view. James Franklin was here. He won enough to make Vandy respectable and got them to bowls. That is all anyone expects. Mason has not followed him up well. It's a bowl game or bust this season for Mason.
Everett Withers, Texas State
I expected more from him. This is the guy that built the foundation for the current state of James Madison football before bolting for this wasteland job. His experience at Ohio State was enough to convince me that he would be what the Bobcats needed to make them relevant, but the program has never truly been relevant, even when they were an FCS program in the Southland conference, known then as Southwest Texas State. Withers bit off more than he could chew, and that will sink his career here.
Tuesday, August 14, 2018
Top 10 Group of Five Receivers 2018
1. Anthony Johnson, Buffalo
He could potentially be a top 3 receiver in the 2019 NFL Draft. He caught 76 passes for 1356 yards last season and scored 14 times, while averaging 17.84 yards per catch. He is a beast who was smart to return to school for his senior season rather than compete in a crowded 2018 draft market.
2. Diontae Johnson, Toledo
Another gem from the MAC, Johnson was a star for QB Logan Woodside last season. He caught 74 passes for 1248 yards and 13 scores, while averaging over 17 yards per catch. He should be one of the best in the nation once again.
3. Penny Hart, Georgia State
Hart is a beast in his own right, and has not had top flight QBs to play with. He still managed 74 receptions for 1121 yards and 8 scores, while averaging over 15 yards per catch for the Panthers last season. He is a star.
4. Trevon Brown, East Carolina
The Pirates may be playing their worst overall football in decades, but Brown is a star hidden in the muck. He caught 60 passes last season for 1069 yards and averaged 17.82 yards per catch while scoring 7 times.
5. Andy Isabella, U Mass
Isabella has Andrew Ford at QB, and he benefits highly. He caught 65 passes for 1020 yards last fall and caught an outstanding 10 TD passes, all while averaging 15.69 yards per catch. HE should be a national breakout candidate this fall.
6. Ty Lee, Middle Tennessee
With injuries to both QB Brent Stockstill and WR Richie James last season, Lee stepped up big as a sophomore, catching 79 passes on the season. As the lead man in 2018, he should have a massive breakout performance.
7. Justin Hall, Ball State
He caught 79 passes as a freshman, mostly in the short to intermediate range, but still, that catch count is outstanding for such a young player on a bad team. He is just getting started.
8. KeeSean Johnson, Fresno State
Johnson is a big time receiver who got his shot at a breakout performance last season with a finally stabilized QB situation, and he stepped up and did his thing. Fresno State should be a top 25 candidate this season, and Johnson should be a huge part of that.
9. Teddy Veal, Louisiana Tech
Veal caught 74 passes last season, but came up just short of 1000 yards. With another year of stability at QB, look for Veal to have a huge year in 2018.
10. Tyre Brady, Marshall
Caught 64 passes from Chase Litton last season, and scored 8 times, and averaged over 15 yards per catch. Marshall will push FAU for the CUSA East title this fall, and Brady will be at the heart of that effort.
Honorable Mention
Michael Lawrence, North Texas
Kahlil Lewis, Cincinnati
Austin Conway, Wyoming
McLane Mannix, Nevada
Willie Wright, FAU
Marcus Green, UL-Monroe
Justin Hobbs, Tulsa
Andre Wilson, UAB
He could potentially be a top 3 receiver in the 2019 NFL Draft. He caught 76 passes for 1356 yards last season and scored 14 times, while averaging 17.84 yards per catch. He is a beast who was smart to return to school for his senior season rather than compete in a crowded 2018 draft market.
2. Diontae Johnson, Toledo
Another gem from the MAC, Johnson was a star for QB Logan Woodside last season. He caught 74 passes for 1248 yards and 13 scores, while averaging over 17 yards per catch. He should be one of the best in the nation once again.
3. Penny Hart, Georgia State
Hart is a beast in his own right, and has not had top flight QBs to play with. He still managed 74 receptions for 1121 yards and 8 scores, while averaging over 15 yards per catch for the Panthers last season. He is a star.
4. Trevon Brown, East Carolina
The Pirates may be playing their worst overall football in decades, but Brown is a star hidden in the muck. He caught 60 passes last season for 1069 yards and averaged 17.82 yards per catch while scoring 7 times.
5. Andy Isabella, U Mass
Isabella has Andrew Ford at QB, and he benefits highly. He caught 65 passes for 1020 yards last fall and caught an outstanding 10 TD passes, all while averaging 15.69 yards per catch. HE should be a national breakout candidate this fall.
6. Ty Lee, Middle Tennessee
With injuries to both QB Brent Stockstill and WR Richie James last season, Lee stepped up big as a sophomore, catching 79 passes on the season. As the lead man in 2018, he should have a massive breakout performance.
7. Justin Hall, Ball State
He caught 79 passes as a freshman, mostly in the short to intermediate range, but still, that catch count is outstanding for such a young player on a bad team. He is just getting started.
8. KeeSean Johnson, Fresno State
Johnson is a big time receiver who got his shot at a breakout performance last season with a finally stabilized QB situation, and he stepped up and did his thing. Fresno State should be a top 25 candidate this season, and Johnson should be a huge part of that.
9. Teddy Veal, Louisiana Tech
Veal caught 74 passes last season, but came up just short of 1000 yards. With another year of stability at QB, look for Veal to have a huge year in 2018.
10. Tyre Brady, Marshall
Caught 64 passes from Chase Litton last season, and scored 8 times, and averaged over 15 yards per catch. Marshall will push FAU for the CUSA East title this fall, and Brady will be at the heart of that effort.
Honorable Mention
Michael Lawrence, North Texas
Kahlil Lewis, Cincinnati
Austin Conway, Wyoming
McLane Mannix, Nevada
Willie Wright, FAU
Marcus Green, UL-Monroe
Justin Hobbs, Tulsa
Andre Wilson, UAB
Top Ten Power Five Receivers 2018
1A. AJ Brown, Ole Miss
He managed 75 catches for 1252 yards and 11 scores last season for a Rebels team in turmoil, while averaging 16.69 yards per catch. He is a consensus top 10 pick for the 2019 NFL Draft next spring, and should break some records along the way.
1B. Deebo Samuel, South Carolina
A major injury cut him down in the first month of last season, but when he was healthy, there was nothing like him as a receiver or a kick return specialist in the country. He was blazing through the season before the injury, and if he is healthy, he tops this list entirely, and soon.
2. N'Keal Harry, Arizona State
He is probably the most underrated receiver in the nation by a long shot as he enters the 2018 season. Herm Edwards had better be thanking his lucky stars that he has Harry and Manny Wilkins at QB this season, because that is all that will keep his head above water.
3. Marquis Brown, Oklahoma
The Sooners are loaded with weapons despite suffering some losses from last season. Lincoln Riley has simply reloaded. Brown will have a massive breakout season in 2018, and the Sooners will be back in the hunt for a national title.
4. Denzel Mims, Baylor
We can all agree that Baylor was awful in the fallout from the Art Briles situation. The new staff has a certified weapon in Mims, who may be the best receiver in the nation that you will hear the least about.
5. Kelvin Harmon, NC State
Harmon will likely be a big time breakout candidate this season as Ryan Finley sells himself hard as a first round prospect for the NFL Draft at QB next spring. He was rock solid in 2017, and should be even better in 2018.
6. Van Jefferson, Florida
He needs to show more on the field, but as far as potential goes, Jefferson could really unleash in Dan Mullen's offense at Florida, if he can find someone to throw the ball to him with any accuracy that is.
7. Stanley Morgan, Jr., Nebraska
Morgan caught 10 TD passes last fall, which is incredible when you realize how bad his QB was in Tanner Lee. Morgan is a pure star, and we all remember his Dad. In Scott Frost's system, Morgan has a real chance to shine in 2018.
8. David Sills IV, West Virgnia
His 18 TD receptions were astounding in 2017. He still finished under the 1000 yard mark, but that was probably attributed to the injury to Will Grier to finish the season. If Grier stays healthy in 2018, Sills breaks the 1000 yard mark, and may go for 20 scores.
9. Greg Dortch, Wake Forest
He caught 9 TD passes as a freshman in 2017, yet very few people even know who he is. He is going to be a major player for a new QB with the Demon Deacons this season as a sophomore, and will probably be the most important piece in their offense.
10. Emanuel Hall, Missouri
With Drew Lock chucking the football at the pace that he will go for, Hall becomes incredibly important. As a junior, he finished 2nd nationally in yards per catch at 24.76. With J'Mon Moore now gone, he will get a lot more than 33 receptions this fall.
Honorable Mention
Byron Pringle, Kansas State
Darius Slayton, Auburn
Tyler Johnson, Minnesota
Marcus Sims, West Virginia
TJ Vasher, Texas Tech
Vic Wharton, California
Kyle Williams, Arizona State
He managed 75 catches for 1252 yards and 11 scores last season for a Rebels team in turmoil, while averaging 16.69 yards per catch. He is a consensus top 10 pick for the 2019 NFL Draft next spring, and should break some records along the way.
1B. Deebo Samuel, South Carolina
A major injury cut him down in the first month of last season, but when he was healthy, there was nothing like him as a receiver or a kick return specialist in the country. He was blazing through the season before the injury, and if he is healthy, he tops this list entirely, and soon.
2. N'Keal Harry, Arizona State
He is probably the most underrated receiver in the nation by a long shot as he enters the 2018 season. Herm Edwards had better be thanking his lucky stars that he has Harry and Manny Wilkins at QB this season, because that is all that will keep his head above water.
3. Marquis Brown, Oklahoma
The Sooners are loaded with weapons despite suffering some losses from last season. Lincoln Riley has simply reloaded. Brown will have a massive breakout season in 2018, and the Sooners will be back in the hunt for a national title.
4. Denzel Mims, Baylor
We can all agree that Baylor was awful in the fallout from the Art Briles situation. The new staff has a certified weapon in Mims, who may be the best receiver in the nation that you will hear the least about.
5. Kelvin Harmon, NC State
Harmon will likely be a big time breakout candidate this season as Ryan Finley sells himself hard as a first round prospect for the NFL Draft at QB next spring. He was rock solid in 2017, and should be even better in 2018.
6. Van Jefferson, Florida
He needs to show more on the field, but as far as potential goes, Jefferson could really unleash in Dan Mullen's offense at Florida, if he can find someone to throw the ball to him with any accuracy that is.
7. Stanley Morgan, Jr., Nebraska
Morgan caught 10 TD passes last fall, which is incredible when you realize how bad his QB was in Tanner Lee. Morgan is a pure star, and we all remember his Dad. In Scott Frost's system, Morgan has a real chance to shine in 2018.
8. David Sills IV, West Virgnia
His 18 TD receptions were astounding in 2017. He still finished under the 1000 yard mark, but that was probably attributed to the injury to Will Grier to finish the season. If Grier stays healthy in 2018, Sills breaks the 1000 yard mark, and may go for 20 scores.
9. Greg Dortch, Wake Forest
He caught 9 TD passes as a freshman in 2017, yet very few people even know who he is. He is going to be a major player for a new QB with the Demon Deacons this season as a sophomore, and will probably be the most important piece in their offense.
10. Emanuel Hall, Missouri
With Drew Lock chucking the football at the pace that he will go for, Hall becomes incredibly important. As a junior, he finished 2nd nationally in yards per catch at 24.76. With J'Mon Moore now gone, he will get a lot more than 33 receptions this fall.
Honorable Mention
Byron Pringle, Kansas State
Darius Slayton, Auburn
Tyler Johnson, Minnesota
Marcus Sims, West Virginia
TJ Vasher, Texas Tech
Vic Wharton, California
Kyle Williams, Arizona State
Monday, August 13, 2018
Ranking the 2018 NFL Starting QBs
1. Tom Brady, New England
AS much as I hate to admit it, Brady at 41 is still better than 90% of the QBs in the league on any given day, and is still at the top of his game. He cannot move the pocket like he used to, and takes too many hits, but until the wheels fall off, he still tops the rankings.
2. Carson Wentz/Nick Foles, Philadelphia
In Doug Pederson's offense, both can win a title, and they both exist on the same roster. Wentz is taking it easy in training camp while letting his knee come back from major injury, while Foles won a Super Bowl. This is a terrific predicament.
3. Matt Ryan, Atlanta
If not for a massive second half breakdown after the 2017 Super Bowl, Ryan would have a Super Bowl ring. He is probably the best QB in the league without one right now. Ryan is a major winner, and is in the prime of his career.
4. Drew Brees, New Orleans
This is not based on anything other than total value to the franchise, as we can only imagine where the Saints would be without him taking snaps. Brees is closer to the end of his career than the beginning, but none of the young guns in the league are good enough to push him, and the league is also full of bad QB play.
5. Ben Roethlisberger, Pittsburgh
He looks like he is ready to fall down just walking on the field sometimes, and one wonders how much more his body can take, but he still gets it done when healthy, and bad QB play across the league ensures that he stays high on the list.
6. Aaron Rodgers, Green Bay
He does not have a ton of talent around him anymore, but when healthy, and we all know he wasn't last season, he is still one of the more dangerous QBs in the game when it comes to finding ways to win games.
7. Phillip Rivers, Los Angeles Chargers
Simply put, if Rivers is not the QB with the Chargers, this franchise is barely better than the Browns right now. As is, they are getting love as a dark horse Super Bowl contender in 2018. That's all because of Rivers being under center.
8. Jimmy Garoppolo, San Francisco
I don't want to overvalue him here, but I don't want to underrate him either. What he did once traded to the 49ers was nothing short of special. He now has to do it over a full season. I believe.
9. Jared Goff, Los Angeles Rams
No young QB in the league has come as far as Goff has in such a short time, and against all odds at that. There were stories that he was flaky, and could not learn the offense. Sean McVay changed that perception in one season, and here we are. I expect him to rise on the list this season.
10. Russell Wilson, Seattle
I don't love Wilson, but I don't hate him. I just don't see him as others do, as one of the primary elite QBs in this league. I believe he is a solid game manager, but I don't see him as elite. In a league with better QB play, he would rank lower.
11. Derek Carr, Oakland
He has put up numbers, and has played tough. Can he play tough for a tougher than hell coach in Gruden? Gruden is going to ride him like a cheap toy, and word is that people doubt that Carr can perform under that stress. We shall see, but he has not won anything yet, and so we are still waiting on him to be the best he can be.
12. Dak Prescott, Dallas
I was not willing to get on the Dak train as a rookie, as I wanted to see what he could do as a sophomore in the league. This 3rd year will tell a story as to how good he can be. Still, if the Cowboys did not have him, they would have been abysmal last season.
13. Alex Smith, Washington
I think that Andy Reid was a fool for letting Smith go after Patrick Mahomes spent just one year on the bench. Of course, I have never been on the Andy Reid train, so there is that. Smith elevates Washington, but with no run game to speak of, he may have a tougher go in DC than in KC.
14. Matthew Stafford, Detroit
He can put up numbers. He can't win clutch football games. I am not as high on him as many are for that reason alone. In all his time in the league, he still lacks the credentials of an elite QB for me.
15. Kirk Cousins, Minnesota
Cousins, like Stafford, puts up solid numbers, but he does not win big football games. I probably would have kept Keenum under contract and rode that train.
16. Case Keenum, Denver
If Keenum can prove that he can do what he did in Minnesota when nobody was expecting him, He will rise quickly on the list. I just want to see back to back consistent years from him. Is that being too tough?
17. Cam Newton, Carolina
A lot of folks love Newton for his video game style of play, but in all, he hasn't done a damned thing to have earned that love. Last season was a wreck for him, and that 22/16 TD:INT ratio is garbage.
18. Ryan Tannehill, Miami
Tanehill is back after a wasted season being injured last season, but he has a fire in camp that few have seen from him before. He looks like he wants to win, and he looks like he wants to be a leader. All of that is great. Now let's see it when it matters.
19. Joe Flacco, Baltimore
Flacco has been a winner, but that seems to have been a while ago. Still, he is better than anyone else on the Ravens roster, and that includes the reclamation project that is RG3, or the rookie who looked largely lost at times in pre-season action in Lamar Jackson.
20. Andrew Luck, Indianapolis
I am not ready to toss him into the garbage heap just yet, but that shoulder has to hold for the Colts to have any shot at winning games this season. If he cannot stay healthy, or if he cannot shake the rust, he is on the way to being done for me.
21. Blake Bortles, Jacksonville
If Bortles can prove that last season was no fluke, and he can build on that, he rises swiftly on this list. Most people don't believe in him even now. I would not say that I do not believe, I just need to see more of what we saw last season.
22. Marcus Mariota, Tennessee
I don't like the injury history, and his pop gun arm sometimes sputters out. He needs to play a full 16 this season, and those numbers have to show promise. I was never a huge fan of his as a prospect, and he has to prove me wrong this fall.
23. Eli Manning, New York Giants
He is almost done, of that there is no doubt. Davis Webb is probably not going to be the guy, and Kyle Lauletta will need some work and development. In the meantime, sticking with Manning was probably the best idea, and the Giants worked to get bodies around him to improve in the meantime. I would not pin my hopes on him, but he is better than some other options.
24. DeShaun Watson, Houston
I am not entirely sold on a dual threat QB winning and succeeding in the NFL. The knee injury he took lessens my interest in Watson. If he loses mobility because of the injury, he becomes less as an overall prospect for me. I won't buy in until he stays healthy and wins.
25. Tyrod Taylor/Baker Mayfield, Cleveland
Despite Mayfield showing some promise in one pre-season game, Taylor is likely still the starter while Mayfield develops. Taylor is another game manager. If you don't ask too much of him, you may not be let down.
26. Andy Dalton, Cincinnati
I think we know by now that Dalton is never going to be a star in this league. The Bengals have to start thinking realistically about moving forward, and obviously, they did not believe that AJ McCarran would be the guy either, as they let him go.
27. Mitch Trubisky, Chicago
He gets a slight bump as the Bears have provided him with some weapons this off-season. He now has to prove what I don't believe, that he was worthy of the trade up to the number one pick in 2017 to land him.
28. Ryan Fitzpatrick/Jameis Winston, Tampa Bay
I would be comfortable if I were Tampa in benching Winston and starting Fitzpatrick all season. At least Fitzpatrick doesn't grope women (allegedly) or steal crab legs. Winston is a head case who will never be a true winner or leader in this game.
29. Patrick Mahomes, Kansas City
He gets an edge because he is the only guy left not competing for his job right now. It's his to handle, or lose. I am not on board with the decision to hand him the keys at this point, but I don't work for the Chiefs. This could end badly.
30. Sam Darnold, Josh McCown, Teddy Bridgewater, NY Jets
Darnold looked good in one pre-season game, but that is all we have of him so far. McCown and Bridgewater are both steady gap fillers, but one of them is likely to be dealt soon. In all, this group could elevate, because they have some promise as a unit.
31. Sam Bradford, Josh Rosen, Mike Glennon, Arizona
Bradford is an injury risk every season, Glennon has largely failed to live up to his over-hyped status, and Rosen looked bad at times, and barely avoided being picked off twice in his pre-season debut, one of which could have gone for a pick 6.
32. Nathan Peterman, AJ McCarran, Josh Allen, Buffalo
Peterman is an implosion waiting to happen most days, McCarran wasn't good enough to beat out Andy Dalton, and everyone goes gaga over Allen's big arm, but they fail to see enough of the bad habits and terrible traits. This is a unit destined for a train wreck this fall.
AS much as I hate to admit it, Brady at 41 is still better than 90% of the QBs in the league on any given day, and is still at the top of his game. He cannot move the pocket like he used to, and takes too many hits, but until the wheels fall off, he still tops the rankings.
2. Carson Wentz/Nick Foles, Philadelphia
In Doug Pederson's offense, both can win a title, and they both exist on the same roster. Wentz is taking it easy in training camp while letting his knee come back from major injury, while Foles won a Super Bowl. This is a terrific predicament.
3. Matt Ryan, Atlanta
If not for a massive second half breakdown after the 2017 Super Bowl, Ryan would have a Super Bowl ring. He is probably the best QB in the league without one right now. Ryan is a major winner, and is in the prime of his career.
4. Drew Brees, New Orleans
This is not based on anything other than total value to the franchise, as we can only imagine where the Saints would be without him taking snaps. Brees is closer to the end of his career than the beginning, but none of the young guns in the league are good enough to push him, and the league is also full of bad QB play.
5. Ben Roethlisberger, Pittsburgh
He looks like he is ready to fall down just walking on the field sometimes, and one wonders how much more his body can take, but he still gets it done when healthy, and bad QB play across the league ensures that he stays high on the list.
6. Aaron Rodgers, Green Bay
He does not have a ton of talent around him anymore, but when healthy, and we all know he wasn't last season, he is still one of the more dangerous QBs in the game when it comes to finding ways to win games.
7. Phillip Rivers, Los Angeles Chargers
Simply put, if Rivers is not the QB with the Chargers, this franchise is barely better than the Browns right now. As is, they are getting love as a dark horse Super Bowl contender in 2018. That's all because of Rivers being under center.
8. Jimmy Garoppolo, San Francisco
I don't want to overvalue him here, but I don't want to underrate him either. What he did once traded to the 49ers was nothing short of special. He now has to do it over a full season. I believe.
9. Jared Goff, Los Angeles Rams
No young QB in the league has come as far as Goff has in such a short time, and against all odds at that. There were stories that he was flaky, and could not learn the offense. Sean McVay changed that perception in one season, and here we are. I expect him to rise on the list this season.
10. Russell Wilson, Seattle
I don't love Wilson, but I don't hate him. I just don't see him as others do, as one of the primary elite QBs in this league. I believe he is a solid game manager, but I don't see him as elite. In a league with better QB play, he would rank lower.
11. Derek Carr, Oakland
He has put up numbers, and has played tough. Can he play tough for a tougher than hell coach in Gruden? Gruden is going to ride him like a cheap toy, and word is that people doubt that Carr can perform under that stress. We shall see, but he has not won anything yet, and so we are still waiting on him to be the best he can be.
12. Dak Prescott, Dallas
I was not willing to get on the Dak train as a rookie, as I wanted to see what he could do as a sophomore in the league. This 3rd year will tell a story as to how good he can be. Still, if the Cowboys did not have him, they would have been abysmal last season.
13. Alex Smith, Washington
I think that Andy Reid was a fool for letting Smith go after Patrick Mahomes spent just one year on the bench. Of course, I have never been on the Andy Reid train, so there is that. Smith elevates Washington, but with no run game to speak of, he may have a tougher go in DC than in KC.
14. Matthew Stafford, Detroit
He can put up numbers. He can't win clutch football games. I am not as high on him as many are for that reason alone. In all his time in the league, he still lacks the credentials of an elite QB for me.
15. Kirk Cousins, Minnesota
Cousins, like Stafford, puts up solid numbers, but he does not win big football games. I probably would have kept Keenum under contract and rode that train.
16. Case Keenum, Denver
If Keenum can prove that he can do what he did in Minnesota when nobody was expecting him, He will rise quickly on the list. I just want to see back to back consistent years from him. Is that being too tough?
17. Cam Newton, Carolina
A lot of folks love Newton for his video game style of play, but in all, he hasn't done a damned thing to have earned that love. Last season was a wreck for him, and that 22/16 TD:INT ratio is garbage.
18. Ryan Tannehill, Miami
Tanehill is back after a wasted season being injured last season, but he has a fire in camp that few have seen from him before. He looks like he wants to win, and he looks like he wants to be a leader. All of that is great. Now let's see it when it matters.
19. Joe Flacco, Baltimore
Flacco has been a winner, but that seems to have been a while ago. Still, he is better than anyone else on the Ravens roster, and that includes the reclamation project that is RG3, or the rookie who looked largely lost at times in pre-season action in Lamar Jackson.
20. Andrew Luck, Indianapolis
I am not ready to toss him into the garbage heap just yet, but that shoulder has to hold for the Colts to have any shot at winning games this season. If he cannot stay healthy, or if he cannot shake the rust, he is on the way to being done for me.
21. Blake Bortles, Jacksonville
If Bortles can prove that last season was no fluke, and he can build on that, he rises swiftly on this list. Most people don't believe in him even now. I would not say that I do not believe, I just need to see more of what we saw last season.
22. Marcus Mariota, Tennessee
I don't like the injury history, and his pop gun arm sometimes sputters out. He needs to play a full 16 this season, and those numbers have to show promise. I was never a huge fan of his as a prospect, and he has to prove me wrong this fall.
23. Eli Manning, New York Giants
He is almost done, of that there is no doubt. Davis Webb is probably not going to be the guy, and Kyle Lauletta will need some work and development. In the meantime, sticking with Manning was probably the best idea, and the Giants worked to get bodies around him to improve in the meantime. I would not pin my hopes on him, but he is better than some other options.
24. DeShaun Watson, Houston
I am not entirely sold on a dual threat QB winning and succeeding in the NFL. The knee injury he took lessens my interest in Watson. If he loses mobility because of the injury, he becomes less as an overall prospect for me. I won't buy in until he stays healthy and wins.
25. Tyrod Taylor/Baker Mayfield, Cleveland
Despite Mayfield showing some promise in one pre-season game, Taylor is likely still the starter while Mayfield develops. Taylor is another game manager. If you don't ask too much of him, you may not be let down.
26. Andy Dalton, Cincinnati
I think we know by now that Dalton is never going to be a star in this league. The Bengals have to start thinking realistically about moving forward, and obviously, they did not believe that AJ McCarran would be the guy either, as they let him go.
27. Mitch Trubisky, Chicago
He gets a slight bump as the Bears have provided him with some weapons this off-season. He now has to prove what I don't believe, that he was worthy of the trade up to the number one pick in 2017 to land him.
28. Ryan Fitzpatrick/Jameis Winston, Tampa Bay
I would be comfortable if I were Tampa in benching Winston and starting Fitzpatrick all season. At least Fitzpatrick doesn't grope women (allegedly) or steal crab legs. Winston is a head case who will never be a true winner or leader in this game.
29. Patrick Mahomes, Kansas City
He gets an edge because he is the only guy left not competing for his job right now. It's his to handle, or lose. I am not on board with the decision to hand him the keys at this point, but I don't work for the Chiefs. This could end badly.
30. Sam Darnold, Josh McCown, Teddy Bridgewater, NY Jets
Darnold looked good in one pre-season game, but that is all we have of him so far. McCown and Bridgewater are both steady gap fillers, but one of them is likely to be dealt soon. In all, this group could elevate, because they have some promise as a unit.
31. Sam Bradford, Josh Rosen, Mike Glennon, Arizona
Bradford is an injury risk every season, Glennon has largely failed to live up to his over-hyped status, and Rosen looked bad at times, and barely avoided being picked off twice in his pre-season debut, one of which could have gone for a pick 6.
32. Nathan Peterman, AJ McCarran, Josh Allen, Buffalo
Peterman is an implosion waiting to happen most days, McCarran wasn't good enough to beat out Andy Dalton, and everyone goes gaga over Allen's big arm, but they fail to see enough of the bad habits and terrible traits. This is a unit destined for a train wreck this fall.
Top Ten Group of Five Running Backs 2018
1. Devin Singletary, Florida Atlantic
He was our RB of the year last season after rushing for 32 TDs on 1920 yards rushing. He averaged 6.38 yards per carry, and should get some early exposure against Oklahoma this season. He should be one of the best G5 players in the nation, and is a top 5 back overall.
2. Lexington Thomas, UNLV
He is underrated, and you have not heard his name in most circles because of where he plays. If he were in the PAC-12, you'd know his name for certain. He rushed for 17 scores on a bad Rebels football team last season.
3. Darnell Woolfolk, Army
He does not pile up the yards in the triple option, but if he gets close to the end zone, he is going to find a way in. He scored 14 times last season in a resurgent year for the Black Knights.
4. Spencer Brown, UAB
Brown and the Blazers came out of nowhere in 2017 to win 8 games after not having played football as a program for a while. Brown rushed for 1329 yards and 10 scores, and is one of the better players in the nation that you don't hear much about.
5. Malcolm Perry, Navy
Perry takes the pressure off the QB position at Navy, and scored 11 times last fall. He really needs some numbers this fall to snap Navy out of a really bad last half of last season, as Navy needs a hot start, and strong finish in 2018.
6. Darrell Henderson, Memphis
He rushed for 9 scores last season, but with Riley Ferguson gone at QB, he may be even more important to the Tigers offense in 2018. Look for his numbers to increase across the board, and he already ran for 1154 yards last season.
7. Alexander Mattison, Boise State
Mattison may be the most important back at Boise State since Jay Ajayi. He rushed for 12 TDs last season, and piled up 1086 yards. More is expected and projected for him in 2018, as the offense is more balanced than it has been in a while.
8. Xavier Jones, SMU
Sonny Dykes would be silly to reduce the workload of Jones to up that of Ben Hicks at QB, as Jones rushed for 1075 yards and 9 scores last fall. He is a weapon that can do even more.
9. Jalin Moore, Appalachian State
Moore is simply one of the best backs in Group of 5 football, and has been for a while now. This is a rich group of backs, and some say this number is too low, but it's not. This group is just that good.
10. Jonathon Ward, Central Michigan
He rushed for over 1000 yards and 10 scores as a sophomore, and he may be tasked with more work this fall. He could be a first team All-MAC selection when all is said and done.
He was our RB of the year last season after rushing for 32 TDs on 1920 yards rushing. He averaged 6.38 yards per carry, and should get some early exposure against Oklahoma this season. He should be one of the best G5 players in the nation, and is a top 5 back overall.
2. Lexington Thomas, UNLV
He is underrated, and you have not heard his name in most circles because of where he plays. If he were in the PAC-12, you'd know his name for certain. He rushed for 17 scores on a bad Rebels football team last season.
3. Darnell Woolfolk, Army
He does not pile up the yards in the triple option, but if he gets close to the end zone, he is going to find a way in. He scored 14 times last season in a resurgent year for the Black Knights.
4. Spencer Brown, UAB
Brown and the Blazers came out of nowhere in 2017 to win 8 games after not having played football as a program for a while. Brown rushed for 1329 yards and 10 scores, and is one of the better players in the nation that you don't hear much about.
5. Malcolm Perry, Navy
Perry takes the pressure off the QB position at Navy, and scored 11 times last fall. He really needs some numbers this fall to snap Navy out of a really bad last half of last season, as Navy needs a hot start, and strong finish in 2018.
6. Darrell Henderson, Memphis
He rushed for 9 scores last season, but with Riley Ferguson gone at QB, he may be even more important to the Tigers offense in 2018. Look for his numbers to increase across the board, and he already ran for 1154 yards last season.
7. Alexander Mattison, Boise State
Mattison may be the most important back at Boise State since Jay Ajayi. He rushed for 12 TDs last season, and piled up 1086 yards. More is expected and projected for him in 2018, as the offense is more balanced than it has been in a while.
8. Xavier Jones, SMU
Sonny Dykes would be silly to reduce the workload of Jones to up that of Ben Hicks at QB, as Jones rushed for 1075 yards and 9 scores last fall. He is a weapon that can do even more.
9. Jalin Moore, Appalachian State
Moore is simply one of the best backs in Group of 5 football, and has been for a while now. This is a rich group of backs, and some say this number is too low, but it's not. This group is just that good.
10. Jonathon Ward, Central Michigan
He rushed for over 1000 yards and 10 scores as a sophomore, and he may be tasked with more work this fall. He could be a first team All-MAC selection when all is said and done.
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