View From Bennett Avenue

Now that I am finished complaining about something SI did I can turn my angry gaze toward ESPN. Of the many stupid things that network does on a daily basis, one of the biggest is the discussion of the NFL draft during the college football season. Today, draft experts Bozo 1 and Bozo 2 had to debate the draft potential of the top college QBs. They both are enamored with Stanford quarterback Andrew Luck and predict that he would be the first QB taken in next year's draft and would, therefore, be in the hunt for the no. 1 pick overall.

This type of debate annoys me on many different levels. First of all, it is SEPTEMBER. The f'ing draft is seven months away. These guys are wrong most of the time in the spring build-up to the draft. Who cares about what they have to say now?

Secondly, Luck is only a sophomore on the field, junior in the classroom. Constantly talking about underclassmen as the top pick usually forces the issue with these kids. That probably will not happen in this case as the family is incredibly, almost annoying, smart and therefore are probably fully aware of Luck's potential. His father Oliver also combined academics and athletics at West Virginia, graduating magna cum laude after starting for three years as the team's quarterback. He then played four years as a Houston Oiler and is now the athletic director at his alma mater. So, the family does not need the two bozos influence, but they do affect others. Either way, let the kid continue to develop as he has only started 16 games and has yet to perform under the pressure he will be in this Saturday against Oregon.

The final reason this stuff drives me crazy, and I have complained about it before, is that like the Bednarik reference in Sports Illustrated, discussions like this make college football a secondary sport to the NFL game. The time they devoted to Luck's draft status should have been devoted to the upcoming game. From what I saw of Luck against Notre Dame, he is very good but is not a finished product yet. Let's enjoy his college play against the no. 4-ranked Ducks in a hostile environment. If he continues to play well and comes out for the draft early, we can then devote the months and months available leading up to the draft to discuss his pro potential. Until then, let's enjoy his contributions to the glorious game of college football now as they happen.

View From Bennett Avenue

I am here to scold Sports Illustrated. And no not for the usual issues. But in reading last week's issue I came across an article by Kelli Anderson on Stanford FB-LB Owen Marecic, who is certainly worthy of a profile. Marecic was the starting fullback for most of his first three seasons at Stanford and his crushing blocks helped make a Heisman contender out of Toby Gerhart. Now he is both the team's starting fullback and a starting inside linebacker in the Cardinal's new 3-4 defense. That's right--he is a two-way player and nobody loves a two-way-playing throwback like Sports Illustrated (see Gordie Lockbaum).
But Ms. Anderson stumbles when gushing over Marecic's ability to play two positions known for toughness--as opposed to two-way players like Champ Bailey and Chris Gamble who were speed guys--as she uses Jim Thorpe, Bronko Nagurski and "more recently" Chuck Bednarik, "the so-called Last 60-Minute Man." She clarifies Bednarik a bit by mentioning that he played at Penn in 1940s. While I will not chide Anderson for her use of players like Thorpe and Nagurski who were the focal point of their team's effort on both sides of the ball each Saturday (receiving shots while on offense), my main complaint is with her use of Bednarik. Bednarik's 60-minute tag comes from his 1960 season with the Eagles when he led a veteran team to the championship. So do not reference a pro player when making an analogy for a collegiate star, especially when there were thousands of players playing on both sides of the ball in the 15-year period after Bednarik left the Quakers. Dick Butkus, for example, played center and linebacker for Illinois in splendid fashion after Bednarik retired from football.
Am I sensitive to the reference to the NFL when discussing college football? Yes I am. There is a notion that the NFL so completely dominates the college game, a notion that is not true and that does not need to be alluded to in an article about a college player. Anderson is even stretching the perceived domination to an era when the college game outdrew the pro game. Why not reference Lockbaum, who was a runner and safety, in the Thorpe mold (but not talent), of such skill for Holy Cross in the 1980s that Anderson's own magazine trumped up his Heisman candidacy?

Bruins Rebirth

I have never been considered a big fan of Rick Neuheisel the coach. The guy who walked on at UCLA and then became their starting QB I liked, but the coach who has brought on NCAA scrutiny at his two previous stops, Colorado and Washington, and then got his dream job without warranting it (something that has become the trend in Los Angeles) is not someone I care for. So when Neuheisel, who only won 11 games in his first two years in Westwood, apologized to the crowd after the Bruins got hammered 35-0 at home to Stanford in week two, I rolled my eyes. Once again the Bruins were going to be an afterthought in both the Pac 10 race and in the national picture.

But then something clicked with the new offense brought in over the summer in an attempt to improve the team's poor rush attack. Despite having passing game wiz Norm Chow as offensive coordinator and being in position to recruit from the great stable of California high school quarterbacks, the Bruins decided to take a look at what Nevada does with their founding version of the "Pistol" attack. Nevada coach Chris Ault--who is already a college football hall of famer--developed the formation in 2004. Ault took the spread attack and added a power run game dimension. His offense in 2009 became the first in college football history to produce three 1,000y rushers in QB Colin Kaepernick and RBs Luke Lippincott and Vai Taua. Alabama is now using the offense at times with success while James Madison used the Pistol to upset Virginia Tech on the same day that Neuheisel was apologizing. For the Bruins it took a few weeks to master the attack and get their offensive line healthy enough to block quality defenses. Beginning with game three they bounced Houston from the top 25 with a 31-13 win and then last week shocked Texas with 34-12 beating, wearing down the Longhorns defense in the second half. The win was the first over a ranked opponent on the road since 2001. Soph RB Johnathan Franklin has been the breakout star of the Bruins ground game in rushing for 409y. He led the Bruins last year with just 560y total. Meanwhile QB Kevin Prince averages just 71y passing per game as UCLA resembles the old days of coaches Pepper Rodgers and Dick Vermeil, when their offense featured backs like Kermit Johnson, Wendell Tyler, Theotis Brown and Freeman McNeil.

Lost in the praise for the Pistol offense has been the play of a young and aggressive defense. Coach Chuck Bullough's stop unit held Houston to 360y, more than 200y less than their average, and then gave no quarter to the Longhorns. The Bruins allowed short passes, but hammered the receivers upon completion. And, of course, Texas could not run the ball but UCLA cannot get credit for that--the Longhorns can't run the ball against anyone. Not one of the top seven tacklers for UCLA are seniors, while the offense is also loaded with underclassmen. There should be no reason for anyone to apologize for the rest of the year and in 2011.

What we saw Saturday

A theme for the weekend began Friday night with the SMU-TCU battle through late last night when Oregon outlasted Arizona State. And that theme is, while there are some good teams in college football this season there are no great teams. Now do not misunderstand me. I love a competitive season and hate that three to four teams have a stranglehold on the BCS title game. But many of the usual suspects--like Florida, Oklahoma, Texas and USC--have multiple flaws and the teams bunched at the top of the polls--that would be Alabama, Ohio State, Boise State and TCU--all have a weak spot or two.

What should also be intriguing are the conference races. In the Big Ten, Ohio State has looked very good this year but still has road games at Wisconsin and at Iowa. In the SEC, Alabama needed to rally to pass their first test yesterday in Arkansas. Up next? Florida on Saturday. Meanwhile Auburn won another barn burner yesterday, nipping a game South Carolina (and for the first time in my life I actually felt bad for Steve Spurrier). With their favorable schedule--they play both Arkansas and LSU at home--the Tigers just need to keep on chugging to become a top ten team. The SEC East may be decided on November 13 when the Gamecocks travel to Gainesville. Nebraska has now become the team to beat in the Big 12 with the winner of the Texas-Oklahoma game next weekend needing to make some improvements before being up to the task of handling the Cornhuskers defense. Miami may be the class of the ACC but that does not mean that they will win it. Oregon and Stanford have played the best of the Pac 10 squads with Arizona and USC also looking capable. UCLA is suddenly surging thanks to beatings administered to two old Southwest Conference teams Houston and Texas. TCU, and to a lesser extent, Utah have dominated the news out of the MWC but look out for both Air Force and my San Diego State Aztecs. Conference USA and the Big East are both wide open while Nevada is doing its best to become a challenger to Boise State in the WAC.

Got it? Enjoy.

Bob’s picks

Bob's Picks for Sept. 25, 2010: This week, Point Spreads are based on Danny Sheridan's Friday spreads in USA TODAY.

Bow-wow: interesting and somewhat overhyped SEC dogs.

Perhaps it is wishful thinking. Plenty of people have hyped three SEC underdogs as possible winners this week. Hmmm.

Alabama (-7) at ARKANSAS (3:30 p.m. ET): A lot of people are fired up about Razorbacks QB Ryan Mallett being able to hit some big passes against no. 1 Alabama's defense. What makes me wonder is why the same people envision Arkansas' defense stopping the Tide attackers. Pick: Alabama -7

Kentucky at FLORIDA (-14) (7 p.m. ET): Florida's offense seems to be going through some growing pains with a significant switch from running QB Tim Tebow to passing QB John Brantley. Still, Kentucky hasn't got the horses. Kentucky has a chance to beat a 2-TD spread but has little chance of winning.

South Carolina at AUBURN (-3) (7:45 p.m. ET): The Gamecocks are the most interesting dog. In their South Carolina's favor, Auburn comes off a bruising overtime win over Clemson, ironically Carolina's biggest rival. That could help the Gamecocks, but much of it comes down to how Carolina handles the grief over the suicide of all-time leading receiver Kenny McKinley, who was loved by many of his former teammates. I think they might win, but I lean slightly to Auburn. I'd leave this game alone.

--Bob Boyles

Paul's Picks

Another week, another round of agonizing choices. The biggest hurdle to overcome in selecting winners of college football games is the reality that it is impossible to see enough college football each week to truly know the teams. You can only gain so much knowledge from highlights or the Internet. But, one must plunge into the unknown to become a better person. And with that I present my selections for the week. I am using today's odds from The USA TODAY. My won-loss record to date is 7-8.
Temple at PENN STATE (-14)
Am I picking on the Nittany Lions by picking against them for the second time this month? Not really. This spread is based on a quick look at history in that PSU has beaten Temple 27 straight times since 1952, when Joe Paterno was a young assistant. But the Owls are an improving program and have not been this good since the 1970s when the pesky Owls lost to the mighty Lions by 1-pt in 1975 and '76 and by 3 in '78 (game was Penn State rout in '77). This time it will be by one score only with RB Evan Royster of Penn State narrowly topping Temple's Bernard Pierce in battle of talented backs. Pick: Temple +14.
North Carolina State at GEORGIA TECH (-8.5)
I have been waiting for three years now for coach Tom O'Brien to have his breakthrough season with the Wolfpack after his successful run at Boston College. With a 3-0 start to 2010, this might be the season but a fine showing in Atlanta is needed. QB Russell Wilson will put points on the board against a Tech defense that surrendered 3 TD passes to inexperienced Kansas QB Jordan Webb and then allowed UNC QB Tyler Yates (18-24/209y, TD) to look like an All American last week. Meanwhile the Wolfpack defense has played on a high level in this early season, inspired by return of LB Nate Irving from injury that robbed his 2009. Pick: North Carolina State +8.5
Ucla at TEXAS (-16)
In this age of scheduling a couple of layup games against little-known opponents, you have to give credit to UCLA for booking Kansas State, Houston and Texas for its non-conference slate. Credit, but not your hard-earned money. This is bad, bad match-up for a Bruins squad that is struggling to keep its offensive line healthy. The new Pistol Offense will look more like a pop gun, while the game UCLA defense will eventually be worn down. Pick: Texas -16
New Mexico at UNLV (-10.5)
With buzzards beginning to pick at the carcass that is New Mexico coach Mike Locksley's career as a head coach (he'll be scooped up for his recruiting skills...the latest rumors have Mike Leach landing here), the Lobos will have a tough time even matching last year's win total of 1. The Rebels will not win much more but they have a veteran defense that will shutdown the visitors and a much more relaxed situation with its new coaching staff. Pick: UNLV -10.5

Remember When

The death of Denver Broncos WR Kenny McKinley, South Carolina's all-time receiver with 207 receptions for 2781 yards, has prompted a special Remember When. McKinley's death--he reportedly committed suicide because his latest knee injury jeopardized his pro career and he felt unprepared for a life without the sport--highlights the need to develop a range of interests and skills in young athletes.

Said his college coach Steve Spurrier this week: "He came to the Georgia game (earlier this season). He seemed in good spirits. Great smile likes he always had. I don't understand it if it happened the way they say. It's hard to comprehend. Kenny was certainly one of my all-time favorite players. He was a wonderful guy. It's hard to figure out why this happened. It's a sad day."

Here was one of McKinley's finest days as a Gamecock:

Liberty Bowl (Dec. 29/2006): South Carolina 44 Houston 36

South Carolina (8-5) coach Steve Spurrier, long considered O wizard, enjoyed his D making big plays in 2nd H in Memphis. After trailing 28-27 at H, Gamecocks held Houston (10-4) to 63y in 3rd Q when Carolina took lead for good on K Ryan Succop's 45y FG. QB Blake Mitchell (19-29/323y, INT), who tied Liberty Bowl record with 4 TD passes, connected twice for 43y TDs with WR Kenny McKinley (3/112y, 2 TDs) within 5-min span of 4th Q to launch South Carolina to 44-28 edge. Cougars sr QB Kevin Kolb made his 50th start and threw 26-39/386y, 3 TDs, INT, while RB Jackie Battle ran for 42y and 3 TDs.