Life as a Cowboys Fan

September 27, 2010 1 Comment

Life is good as a Cowboys fan (at least for the time being). Can’t say the same for Longhorn fans (but that’s another story). I refuse to write about my Horns until they prove to me that they can beat an unranked Pac-10 team in Austin (too specific).

But besides the horns, it’s a good week to be a Dallas sports fan. Shortly after the Longhorns collapse, the Texas Rangers clinched the AL West for the first time in 11 years. Congrats Rangers. Lets try to make it out of the first round this time. Wait, what, the Rangers will probably play the Yankees first round. You are telling me we get rewarded by playing the defending World Series Champions. Come on, hopefully it isn’t what it was back in 1999, a Yankees sweep in three games. I guess we will see if Cliff Lee can reprise his role as Yankee killer from last postseason.

On to the Cowboys. Being a loyal Cowboys fan, you never saw me lose confidence in this unbelievably talented team. The expectations for this team were so through the roof, that they nearly convinced me they would play in Dallas come February. There is part of me that would love to see this, but there is work to be done (and that’s an understatement). Sure, the Cowboys beat the Texans pretty handily with their back against the wall. I couldn’t imagine any other option taking place. Think about it, how would Jerry Jones take being the embarrassment of the National Football League for the first five weeks of the season (Note: Cowboys have a bye next Sunday). Chances are Jerry would throw out Wade Philips faster than rotten milk.  If the Cowboys lost that game, the circus would begin (not to say it hasn’t already but chaos would certainly ensue).

As for the game itself, the result is exactly what I expected. Like any other team with high expectations, you are never fully satisfied until they finally make the postseason. The Texans are a great team and all, but since their Colts beat down, they haven’t shown that same physical mentality. They have an incredible offense, but when you allow 430 pass yards in the first two games, and nearly 400 yards to the Cowboys the other day, that offense better be 2001 Rams good to keep them afloat.

Being a Cowboys fan is much like being a Yankees fan. You either love them or you hate them. There is no in between/room on the bandwagon. Lose a game, and you are on every single ESPN show imaginable, plus people throwing you under more buses than Lebron James. This is the perfect time for the Cowboys to have their bye week. Take a breather, watch that Texans game over again, and realize you are the Dallas Cowboys. You are America’s team. As PTI host Tony Kornheiser pointed out, “Dallas is the most important team in the NFL.” When the Cowboys struggle, the NFL struggles. You don’t become the most valuable franchise in professional sports ($1.85 billion) by not being successful. The mystique of the Super Bowl being held in Dallas will shortly disappear if Dallas falls out of the playoff race. The Cowboys could not afford to lose to teams like Washington or Chicago. To list some of the teams remaining on the incredibly rigid Cowboys schedule include @Minnesota, @Indianapolis, @Green Bay, and home to the Saints. Not to mention two games against Cowboy’s Kryptonite New York Giants and two more vs. the Philadelphia Eagles (with Vick back to dominance). Speaking of Vick, what a wonderful comeback story. Being a huge fan of athletic greatness, it is nice to see Vick getting a second chance to prove himself with as much talent as he possesses.

As I said in my NFL Preview (here), I had the Eagles falling short of a playoff birth. Well, I change my mind. If Vick stays healthy all season, I would kick the Giants out and replace them with the Eagles. Vick does that much. He’s like a Lebron James… can carry a team on his back to the playoffs but nothing more. His supporting cast (DeSean Jackson and Jeremy Maclin) is much greater than he had in Atlanta, and he brought that team to the 2004 NFC title game. Is it so weird to imagine Vick being an elite QB again? I mean he’s only 30 years old (210 yrs old in dog years), and he probably did nothing but work out for those 18 months of incarceration. I don’t feel bad for Kevin Kolb either; look what happened to the last QB who backed up Vick… he got dismantled by Demarcus Ware and the Dallas Cowboys last weekend. Yes, that’s right. Many of you might not have known, but Matt Schaub backed up Vick for three seasons in Atlanta. As a Cowboys fan, I wish the Eagles the worst of luck, but can’t help but marvel at the things Vick can do.

If the Cowboys play like they are supposed to, they can hold their own in the NFC. They are only one game behind the Eagles, but they have to maintain this level of play for AT LEAST EIGHT OR NINE more games this season. With how the NFC is shaping out, more teams are looking better than I anticipated. As I mentioned in my Preview (here), the Chargers and Vikings will miss the playoffs and the Chiefs will win their division. Just look past the part where I said the 49ers will make the playoffs, and things look pretty good. So come week 6,when the matchup between overhyped 1-2 teams (Cowboys vs. Vikings) takes place, the loser is all but out of the NFC playoff race. We know one thing; the Cowboys will run the ball. Lets just hope they don’t pull a UT and run the ball for no success  (OK, I am finished bashing the awful play of my Horns). I look forward to next season (as it is has become championship or bust down in Austin, Texas.)

Growing up a Cowboys fan, I have been accustomed to expect greatness every year. Unfortunately, there was the 12-year time period post-Aikman of no playoff wins. Last season’s playoff victory over division rival Philadelphia has only left me wanting (and expecting) more. These next couple of games vs. Minnesota, Tennessee, and New York will make or break the Cowboys season. Win two, and you are only a .500 team, but win all and the division crown is back in sight. Looking forward to what the future has in store for America’s team so I will end on this note,

HOW BOUT THEM COWBOYS

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And the Heisman goes to…

September 17, 2010 1 Comment

Your 2005 Heisman

Nobody. The 2005 Heisman Trophy will be vacated thanks to Reggie Bush. But is it a big deal? Is winning the Heisman as big as it was years ago? By the sound of these rhetorical questions, can you tell which way I’m leaning?

Due to unforeseen events, Reggie Bush was muscled out of his Heisman trophy. The million-dollar question is what will happen to the 2005 Heisman? The Heisman trust recently released a statement that they will vacate the award. As much as I would love them to award it to runner-up Vince Young, things just don’t work out that way. Let’s not cry over spilled milk!

I, for one, have no problem if Reggie Bush kept the Heisman trophy. So he accepted money from a few agents, who cares? There have been much worse things by Heisman winners (see OJ Simpson). Unless Reggie Bush did something to affect his play on the field, then I don’t see what all the fuss is about. Its not like he was on steroids, or had rockets in his shoes. Bush won the award fair and square, by playing the best on the field. The voting wasn’t like this year where the top three candidates are separated by a mere 169 votes. And Ingram barely beat out Gerhart by a grand total of 28 votes. In fact, Reggie beat runner-up Vince Young by a whopping 933 votes. Unfortunately, the Heisman is awarded before all the bowl games or else things would be a lot different (see 2006 Rose Bowl). Any Heisman candidate is most likely in a bowl, if not the BCS Championship. So why no change? If you truly are the best player in college football, you will most likely play well in your bowl game. Sadly, I don’t see the Heisman Trust changing their rules, but it would be worth a look.

But nowadays, is winning the Heisman a big deal? It may be great at the time, but it surely doesn’t guarantee success at the next level. Dating back 12 years, former Heisman winners have only made three Pro Bowl appearances (Williams, Palmer 2x). Lets look at the decades past winners and see where they are now:

2000: Chris Weinke

2001: Eric Crouch

2002: Carson Palmer

2003: Jason White

2004:Matt Leinart

2005: Reggie Bush (technically nobody)

2006: Troy Smith

2007: Tim Tebow

2008: Sam Bradford

2009: Mark Ingram

Out of that list, only two (Carson Palmer and Sam Bradford) are starters in the NFL. Four are backups at their position or third-strings (Tebow, Leinart, Bush, Smith). Even Ingram is almost a backup to sophomore sensation Trenton Richardson. Then you have the final three (Weinke, Crouch, and White). Weinke was 2-18 as a starting quarterback, while holding the record for most consecutive losses for a quarterback (14). Eric Crouch was cut from the Rams roster, became 4th string QB for the Toronto Argonauts (a CFL team), and now he is salesman for playground equipment in Omaha, Nebraska. Wait, it gets worse. Jason White sure has fallen far since his 2003 Heisman and loss to LSU in the BCS Championship. White, who went undrafted, was only awarded one free agent tryout… for the Kansas City Chiefs. The Chiefs didn’t waste any time, cutting him within the first week. White then went on to form his company, which owns an OU memorabilia store and a shoe store. I forget to mention he also worked for a securities firm in Oklahoma City. But hey, he still has a statue on the Oklahoma campus.

So who really wants the Heisman? Vince Young tweeted the other day “Just heard about Reggie’s Heisman. Reggie will continue to the be the 2005 Award recipient and I will be continued to be honored to have been in the 2005 Heisman campaign with such a talented athlete.” Is Vince saying this just to be classy, or does he truly not want to be a part of the Heisman curse. Mack Brown commented on how he would love to see Vince accept the award, emphasizing how it is a team award for the University of Texas.

If we went by this formula, then USC’s vacated 2004 Championship would be awarded to runner-up Oklahoma. The same Oklahoma that got obliterated by USC 55-19 in the 2004 BCS Championship game (48-10 after three quarters). Come on, there had to have been better teams that year.

Bush went onto say how forfeiting the trophy was not an admission of his guilt. In fact, he probably just wanted to rid himself of the Heisman NFL curse. They should change the award to “Best Individual Athlete who’s Success is Eventually Doomed.” Or, in other words, the B.I.A.S.E.D award.

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A Super-Sized NFL Preview

September 9, 2010 5 Comments

The NFL season is only a few HOURS away. We had a nice appetizer of college football last weekend, now it is time for the main course. It is unreal how much bigger football has become in America year by year. I don’t know if it’s the decline of the other major sports, or if fantasy football really is that big a deal (see here). So before things get started, I wanted to share my preseason thoughts and Stick’s Picks for division winners. Before you make your predictions, hear me out first. (Warning: long article but worth the read)

AFC North- Lets starts off with one of the strongest divisions in football. There has been a lot of movement between each team in the off-season so don’t expect the Bengals to repeat their 6-0 division record. I still believe the Steelers have the best talent in this division, but you have to account for the first four games of the year during Roethlisberger’s suspension. If Pittsburgh can manage two wins during these games, they can stay afloat until Big Ben returns. Not to mention, the return of one of the best safeties in the game (Polamalu) can’t hurt either. As for the most-intriguing storyline, the T-Ocho show. Not many teams have players with their own reality show, let alone two.The Bengals did fine last year without TO so why do they take on the extra headache. They even went as far as to forfeit millions of dollars to Antonio Bryant to leave room for their deep receiving corps. However, I love the concept of Jordan Shipley in the slot. Shipley possesses everything of a Wes Welker and more (taller, faster), so things might be looking up for Cincinnati. My only concern with the Bengals is Carson Palmer. Can he be the Heisman winner of old, or will all this new talent force him to make more mistakes? Another contender, the Baltimore Ravens, have been the hot pick for a Super Bowl contender. First of all, whenever there is a hot pick for the Super Bowl, that team hardly ever makes it. The Ravens have a solid offense with the acquisition of Boldin and Houshmandzadeh, in addition to the development of Ray Rice and Joe Flacco. But I am concerned with their defense. Yes, I am worried about the Raven’s defense. How quickly things have changed when a team can goes from one of the best defenses of all time to a shaky defense. Other than Ed Reed and an aging Ray Lewis, this defense has lost its step. I’ll finish up with a quick look at the Cleveland Browns. If the Browns manage to get more than four wins this season that is an accomplishment in my book. Signing Jake Delhomme after one of the worst quarterback performances and drafting Colt McCoy in the third round tells me this team is not ready for prime time. Sorry Cleveland, but may the curse of Lebron James be forever haunted in Cleveland sports.

Stick’s Pick: Cincinnati Bengals

AFC East- From a strong division to maybe even a stronger one. Beginning with the Buffalo Bills. The Bills will be awful, end of discussion. On to the Patriots, my sleeper team. The Patriots are like a Nintendo 64. Awesome until better things like the Playstation II and Xbox arrived. But, technology has advanced so rapidly, that you may have more fun playing Nintendo 64. That in a nutshell is the 2010 New England Patriots. They used to be great until more teams started improving, but then you realize the Patriots are still a great team! Last I checked Tom Brady is still a three-time Super Bowl champion. Other than Moss and Brady, only three other players are over 30 years old.  The Patriots are once again a young team. Not since 2001 did the Patriots have a team with such young talent (and Adam Viniateri sure knows what happened that season). The Miami Dolphins are also in the process of having an improved team this season. Bill Parcells and Tony Sparano (no, not Tony Soprano) have worked their magic to transform this Dolphin team from a one-win team to a ten-win playoff caliber team in the course of three seasons. When you have a good defense, two Pro-Bowl caliber running backs, and a Quarterback with a strong arm, things tend to work out in the end. Plus, the wildcat offense is still a force to be reckoned with. This leads me to the self-proclaimed AFC East powerhouse, the New York Jets. Having watched every episode of Hard Knocks, the Jets are my sentimental favorite to win the division. I don’t know if it’s Rex Ryan’s glowing personality, the emergence of Mark Sanchez or, the resurgence of LT, but I like the Jets for double digit wins this season. Oh yes, and I forgot to mention the Jets league-best defense. Even before the Darrelle Revis signing, the Jets were still a top defense in the NFL. So adding the NFL’s best defensive back can’t hurt. Like I said about the Texas Longhorns (here), with a deep running game and an elite defense, it’s going to be tough to beat this team.

Stick’s Pick: New York Jets
Wild Card: New England Patriots

AFC West- The second-worst division in football (congratulations NFC West for being the worst). I was shocked to see Vegas predicting the Chargers to win eleven games or more this season. I personally have jumped headfirst off the Chargers bandwagon. The Chargers still have Gates and Rivers but it’s tough losing your best running back, defensive back, and receiver all in one off-season. Another thing I’d like to point out, Ryan Matthews is one of the most overrated rookies I have seen in recent memory. Do people not realize this is one of the worst offensive lines in professional football? On to another over-rated team, the Denver Broncos. Any team that has more than one quarterback has no quarterback. When I honestly believe Tim Tebow will be the starting quarterback by the end of the season, that isn’t a good sign. The Oakland Raiders will continue being the Oakland Raiders. A major quarterback improvement might get them to seven wins but nothing more. My dark horse for this division is the Kansas City Chiefs. Charlie Weis at offensive coordinator, Romeo Crennel at defensive coordinator, and Matt Cassell at quarterback. I see they are still trying to capture that Patriots magic a few seasons back. My only concern with this team is the head coach Todd Haley. His resume (or lack thereof) doesn’t quite fit in with his other coaches. I predict eight or nine wins from this division.

Stick’s Pick: Kansas City Chiefs

AFC South- The official division of the Indianapolis Colts. As long as Peyton Manning is under center, the Colts are the easiest lock in professional football. So, let’s look at the three other teams possibly fighting for a wildcard spot. Jacksonville reached its peak a few years ago, and nowadays, all they are good for is Maurice Jones-Drew’s fantasy numbers. The Texans have been on the cusp of a playoff birth for who knows how long. Both Schaub and Andre had career seasons last year, and that still left them sitting at home. If I led the Texans, Kubiak would be on the hot seat. When every analyst has been picking the Texans as their sleeper playoff pick, it goes to show you that lack of talent isn’t the issue… possibly the lack of coaching? And to Texans players: let’s focus on making the playoffs before you say your goal is to get to the Super Bowl. On to the Titans. The Titans are one of those teams with the same odds of losing ten games as they do winning ten. I have them winning ten. Despite what you may say, Chris Johnson and the Titans O-line are as good as you think. Vince Young showed last season that he doesn’t need to be the man. It’s a tough adjustment to make going from first fiddle all your life to second fiddle (just ask Lebron James).

Stick’s Pick: Indianapolis Colts
Wild Card: Tennessee Titans

NFC West: Starting from the weakest division to the strongest. The NFC West is by far the weakest division in football. When a team has a legit shot to win the division at 7-9 that speaks for itself. So with that in mind, I’ll go quickly. The St Louis Rams have a rookie quarterback, the Cardinals lost Kurt Warner (huge loss), and the Seahawks have no talent (quick, name four good players on the Seahawks). That leaves San Francisco. Mike Singletary has transformed a once dying franchise back into the spotlight. Last year, the 49ers defense allowed the fourth fewest points in the league. Their offense is still a work in progress, but all the tools are in place. I am expecting a lot from running back Frank Gore this season, or else (he is on most of my fantasy teams). Only question mark is quarterback Alex Smith. If he is even half as good as his top pick status, San Francisco will easily run away with this division. With six games against their divisional foes and four games against the AFC west, the 49ers have one of the EASIEST schedules in the league.

Stick’s Pick: San Francisco 49ers

NFC North- This division might see a lot of movement versus last year. After some research, it’s looking like the Bears, Lions, and even Vikings might all have similar records this season. This may not surprise some, but it will most definitely surprise the Viking’s bandwagon. I’m sorry Vikings fans but I can’t support a team that sells their soul each season for a washed up quarterback. Are Joe Webb and Tavaris Jackson that bad? Don’t answer that. This team is aging and aging quickly. Other than Adrian Peterson, there isn’t one healthy offensive star on this team. And let’s not forget, Peterson hasn’t always had a clean bill of health either. The Vikings hit their peak last year, and now it’s a long way down. I’m sorry Brett, but you should have hung it up while you had the chance. In contrast, I am putting a lot of stock in the Lions, because they are on the rise. The NFL is a sport that prevents one team from being down for too long. Unlike college football, there are few talent disparities between each team, and the NFL Draft means everything. So with years of patience and some smart roster moves, things will work out in the future. It isn’t hard to argue the Lion’s offense will eventually be great. Stafford throwing to Calvin “Megatron” Johnson” and a healthy Brandon Pettigrew lead to good things. Not to mention, speedy Jahvid Best is a nice addition too. The Lions Achilles heel has been their defense. Just like anything else, improvement takes time. And adding Ndamukong “Donkey Kong” Suh can’t hurt. Suh brings to the Lions what every successful NFL team needs… toughness (check this out if you aren’t sure Suh). As for the Bears, adding offensive coordinator Mike Martz, former Rams coach and offensive mastermind, will hopefully wake up Jay Cutler and make Chicago relevant again. But who knows? The Bears are just like the Titans, the talent is there, but you just never know what’s going to happen. The Green Bay Packers are the hottest team on the planet. I know preseason doesn’t mean anything, but when you are dropping 60 points in a game I don’t care if it’s a team scrimmage. I am “all-in” with the Packers offense this season. Their defense might not have played up to par in the playoffs last season, but their offense makes up for it. Ask the New Orleans Saints! Their offense was so great, that their defense was constantly playing with the lead (and believe me, that changes everything). Don’t forget the Packers had one of the best point differentials last season with 10.2 (only trailing the Saints at 10.6). For those who don’t understand this, the average playoff team differential is five, so needless to say 10 is darn good. I like Aaron Rodgers for a possible MVP candidate this season, as well as the Packers to lock down home field in the NFC. And we all know what Lambeau Field is like come January.

Stick’s Pick: Green Bay Packers

NFC South- This division is always a toss-up. I don’t care if one team did win the Super Bowl last year, the NFC South is missing one thing: consistency. An interesting statistic for you: the last place team in this division has won their division the following year six of the past eight seasons. Sadly, I don’t see this crazy statistic carrying over to this season. Sorry, Tampa Bay. If Tampa Bay wins four or more games this year, I will be shocked. I am not a Carolina fan either. Both Matt Moore and Jimmy Claussen have great upside, but this isn’t their year. Give Claussen a few seasons and he will have Carolina back on top. Then there are the Atlanta Falcons. I believe this is the year the Falcons finally put it together and make a playoff run. If Turner can stay healthy, and their defense is up for the task, I have them winning this division. In the past eight seasons, never has a team in this division held the crown two years in a row. So I award this year’s division crown to the Atlanta Falcons. Last but not least, the Super Bowl Champion New Orleans Saints. There is no arguing with the Saints’ 31.9 points per game last season. Their defense made huge strides from the previous season, and was one of the primary reasons they took home the Lombardi trophy (the other being Drew Brees). Just like the Packers, the Saints need to keep their offense at a high level to take much needed pressure off their defense. It would be unpatriotic to have the Saints sitting home after their championship last season.

Stick’s Pick: Atlanta Falcons
Wild Card: New Orleans Saints

NFC East-Finally, the NFC East. As some famous person once said, “Always finish strong.” This division is widely known as one of the best in professional football. You have the Redskins, the Eagles, the New York “Football” Giants, and of course America’s Team. Starting off with one of the more intriguing off-season storylines: the Washington Redskins. There is Albert Haynesworth’s inability to run 300 yards for $15 million, the acquisition of Mr. Eagle (Donovan McNabb), and of course acquiring Hall-of-Fame coach Mike Shanahan. Dan Snyder must love himself for the amount of media coverage this team is generating. Are the Redskins relevant again? Maybe so. As stated in my fantasy article (here), I love Clinton Portis to have a productive season this year under offensive guru Shanahan. And when does Donovan McNabb not give NFC East divisional foes’ problems? All I know, is it’s going to be an interesting Sunday night game with the Redskins and Cowboys. The Philadelphia Eagles also feel pretty good about themselves. I mean they traded six-time Pro-Bowler and the best statistical Eagle QB of all time within their division. All of this so they can develop their 2007 second-round draft pick out of the University of Houston. It is obvious this team wants to get younger (releasing Hall of Famer Brian Westbrook too). But the main consequence of getting younger: you can’t win now. This Eagles’ team can’t win now. Look for Kolb to struggle out of the gate, as well as head-case receiver DeSean Jackson. Jackson is surely going to miss McNabb’s ability to throw the deep ball. Then you have the New York “Football” Giants. This team is somehow flying under the national radar. Last I checked, just two seasons ago they knocked off the undefeated New England Patriots in the Super Bowl. So this team is still good. Pencil them in every year for at least eight wins, and the rest is up to Eli. The defense that was once dominant finished third to last in the league allowing 27.3 points per game. I fully expect this defense to turn things around, and finish as a top ten defense in the league. And let’s not forget, the Giants are the Cowboy’s kryptonite. Speaking of the Dallas Cowboys, this is their year. 2700 words later, and I can finally talk about MY Cowboys. I had the pleasure of obtaining a field pass for this year’s Cowboys training camp, and sat in on Jerry’s press conference. You could tell in Jerry’s tone that this stadium was constructed for the sole purpose of having the Cowboys play in it for the Super Bowl. Never has a NFL team played the Super Bowl in their home stadium. Did I mention this is the 50th anniversary of the Dallas Cowboys franchise? Did I mention this is the most talented roster Dallas has put together since the 1996 Super Bowl team? Time is ticking. Almost everyone in this organization (except for Jerry Jones) is on the hot seat. Then you add the second-toughest schedule in the league (Texans with the hardest), and things don’t get easier for Tony Romo. This was the NFL’s 2nd best defense last season (only trailing the Jets). They have the perfect speed-power running back combo, a stacked receiver corps, the league’s best tight end, and a celebrity Quarterback. Plus, no other NFL owner had a role in HBO’s “Entourage”. In football terms, this is the year of the Cowboys. As long as the hole in the roof stays open, God will be able to watch his team shine.

Stick’s Pick: Dallas Cowboys
Wild Card: New York Giants

As they say on Monday Night Football, “ARE YOU READY FOR SOME FOOTBALL?”

Feel free to leave feedback and/or comments.

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A Longhorn’s Perspective

September 3, 2010 1 Comment

College football has begun. I have never been one to get super excited over college football (other than my Longhorns), but this season is a little different. The one flaw that college football possesses is its predictability. If you aren’t ranked in the top 10 in the preseason, your chances are slim in making it to the BCS Championship game. However, this season is unlike any other. Having lost loads of talent to the NFL Draft, the field is more open than ever before. With that in mind, here are a few things to watch for as college football gets underway.

Overrated Teams: I could list a million teams here but only a few come to mind.
First of all, Boise State will not make the BCS Championship game. There have been a group of ignorant reporters and analysts who actually believe this could be a possibility. Realistically, the top teams would have to lose twice for the BCS to give the nod to Boise. Otherwise, it just doesn’t make sense. It’s already unfair letting teams from weaker conferences play in a BCS game, so how would it be letting Boise play? As long as I am watching college football, I highly doubt a Cinderella team would make the BCS Championship game. Butler may have made it in basketball, but this is football. The disparity between each team is that much greater. Would it make sense letting the minor league champion play the major league champion for the title? No! Sadly, one of the biggest games of the season comes this Monday when the Virginia Tech Hokies take on the Boise State Broncos. If Boise State manages to squeeze by with the victory, they are looking at smooth sailing to another undefeated season. I am shocked Chris Pederson is still the head coach at Boise. As long as they play in their little cupcake conference, they can go on a 50 game winning streak and still not play in the BCS Championship game. So if I were Pederson, there must be more lucrative deals with at least a chance of winning a title (He must not have gotten the memo).

When I think, “overrated”, another team comes to mind… the Nebraska Cornhuskers. They open the season in the Coaches poll top 10, having lost four games last year. Forget the infamous one-point debacle vs. Texas; they also lost to Iowa State at home last year. They may have a great defense, but there is no way I see them being half as good as they were last year. Last I checked, you can stop the other teams offense, but then you have to score yourself. This brings me to Zac Lee. Arguably, the worst quarterback in the Big 12 is in danger of losing his starting spot to a walk-on (pathetic). I was watching college football live the other day, and noticed they had Nebraska going undefeated into late November. I’m not even sure they can beat Washington in week 3. This Washington team might have struggled to stop their opponents but they had no problem putting points on the board. And, Jake Locker is heads above Zac Lee (and that’s an understatement).

Championship Rematch: Is a BCS Championship rematch that farfetched? Hold on a second while I put on my burnt orange sunglasses. Alabama is the hot pick to return to the title game, only losing a couple starters. I can’t argue with this; I like Alabama just as much as the next person. But there is one thing that worries me… history. In the BCS era, there has never been a team to repeat as BCS champions. No, not even the self-proclaimed best team of all time… the 2005 USC Trojans. USC learned the hard way that it wasn’t easy to repeat (just ask Vince Young). This Alabama team doesn’t have mind-blowing talent like past BCS champions. I will never forget Colt McCoy going down in the Rose Bowl. Nick Saban knew that Texas was too much for Alabama. Why else would he fake punt in the first quarter?

Speaking of Texas, I wanted to take the time to give my quick opinion on this year’s team. Of course, the ignorant sports reporters think no Colt McCoy, no elite team. I strongly disagree with this statement. There might have been one game, at most, where I was impressed with Colt and truly believe he was the difference in the game (the A&M game.) So why can’t Gilbert be just as good? He is much more talented, and is now in a run-first system. Texas’ three-headed monster at running back (Johnson, Newton, and Whittaker) is the first step to their return to the title game. The second step… our defense. I have attended a few Mack Brown press conferences and he keeps reiterating this could be the best defense he has ever had at UT. That’s no joking statement. In the past ten years, there have been 22 Texas defensive players who are now currently playing in the NFL. In this new era of college football, it doesn’t take an elite quarterback to be successful. A good running game, few turnovers, and a good defense can take you as far as you want to go. Look at the New York Jets last season; a rookie QB Mark Sanchez took his team to the AFC Championship game. And you can’t honestly tell me that Greg McElroy was the reason Alabama won the national championship. Texas will most likely be favored in all their games this season so the ball is in Gilbert’s hands. If Gilbert can take care of the ball, and put the game in the hands of the defense, Texas could be heading back to the title game.

Heisman Candidates- This year’s Heisman crop doesn’t immediately have a clear-cut favorite. After the Texas-Texas A&M game last Thanksgiving, the Jerrod Johnson bandwagon is officially rolling (And I don’t blame them either). One question I do propose is: Where was Johnson in the other games? A 36% completion percentage vs. Oklahoma, 46% vs. Kansas State, and a 51% vs. Arkansas don’t scream Heisman contender in my mind. If he can do what he did vs. Texas (26-33 342 yds, 4 TDs) then I’ll buy him as a strong Heisman contender. That is of course if A&M is relevant this year. Reigning Heisman candidate Mark Ingram has a 0% chance of taking home the hardware for a second year in a row. Voters currently will never vote in a Heisman two times. It also doesn’t help that many analysts are saying backup Trenton Richardson is better than Ingram. My personal pick has to be Terrelle Pryor. Pryor is the one of the best players on one of the best teams in the nation. As long as his stats are consistently good, the Heisman is his to lose. I’m missing boatloads of other Heisman contenders, which just go to show you how open the field is this year.

Stay tuned for many more updates throughout the college football season. If it is what I expect, it may be one of the more wacky seasons in awhile.

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