2011 College Football Preview: Part 3 - ACC

Greetings all... back again with Part 3 on the ACC...

STANDINGS

Coastal

1. Virginia Tech (11-2) - The Hokies schedule is cupcake-ish... they get both Miami and UNC at home AND avoid Florida State until the ACC title game... it's a real possibility they could run the table just because of it... with the loss of Tyrod Taylor on offense, they'll need a throwback VT defensive and special teams effort, and they have the makings of that talent-wise...
   
2. Miami (9-3) - Big time defensive talent leads the way here... but the offense has questions, most notably at QB... they thought they were bringing in Tate Forcier, but there were issues (lots of them) there, and now they're left with a QB battle... but they'll make their bones on D and win some games
   
3. North Carolina (8-4) - What a mess... Butch Davis didn't leave the cupboard bare talent-wise though... Bryn Renner takes over for TJ Yates, and he's a big-time talent, but they'll need to lean on the defense... most have them a little better than this, but I can't do it with all the coaching turnover...
   
4. Georgia Tech (7-5) - They'll run the ball... we know that... but the defense MUST be better for them to even win 7 games while losing Nesbitt and company on offense... Washington is likely to get the nod at QB at the start, and he's at least played before, but Roddy Jones will likely become the star of the offense in 2011...
   
5. Virginia (5-7) - Bleh...
   
6. Duke (4-8) - Double bleh...
   

Atlantic

1. Florida State (11-2) - Best talent in the conference... it all really comes down to how you feel about EJ Manuel.. some places have him as the preseason 1st team ACC QB... some places have him behind 6 conference USA quarterbacks... there's a divide here... I think he'll be solid, and thus, I have them winning 11 games, and losing just once in conference... they have NFL talent on D led by Brandon Jenkins, and an electrifying return game with Greg Reid...
   
2. Clemson (8-4) - Gone is Kyle Parker, so this is a generous projection, but they've just recruited too scarily in recent years for the drop-off to be too great... Andre Ellington is a nice piece at RB...
   
3. Boston College (7-5) - Love Montel Harris at RB... and they always have big bruisers on the O-line, but they'll need better QB play... watch out for NFL linebacker Luke Kuechly as well...
   
4. NC State (5-7) - Bye-bye Russell Wilson... huge loss...
   
5. Maryland (5-7) - Really like Danny O'Brien at QB... not much else
   
6. Wake Forest (3-9) - There was a preseason "top 30 players in the ACC" list that I saw... Wake didn't have a single one... that's a problem
   

AWARDS

• Offensive POY - Montel Harris, RB Boston College
• Defensive POY - Brandon Jenkins, DE FSU
• Coach of the Year - Jimbo Fisher, FSU

CHAMPS

• Florida State over Va Tech for the right to probably get overwhelmed in a BCS bowl...
  

Enjoy...

2011 College Football Preview: Part 2 - Big East

Greetings all... here we go with Part 2, this time covering the meager Big East...

STANDINGS

1. South Florida (9-3) - This is a bit of an upset compared to what I've seen in other places, but I'm taking the Bulls... I really like what I've seen from QB BJ Daniels, and they had a top 20 defense nationally last year of which most of it returns... but the big key? They get West Virginia at home to end the season...
2. West Virginia (9-3) - It's going to be a new look unit in Morgantown... Bill Stewart is gone and Dana Holgorson is in to install a different offense for WVU... Geno Smith is a player at QB but any time you have a system overhaul it takes time, and I can never fully support Jeff Casteel and the 3-3-5 defense after seeing it die a slow death in Ann Arbor...
3. Louisville (7-5) - Charlie Strong has that program rebuilding again, but this time it's on the defensive side... they return a lot of depth and the talent influx in recruiting should help...
4. Cincinnati (7-5) - Best offensive backfield in the conference in Zach Collaros and Isaiah Peed... and that's enough to compete, but it's a woeful defense...
5. Pitt (7-5) - The spread offense comes to Pitt from Tulsa in the form of new HC Todd Graham.. they have a lot of talent, but it's very young... and with the new system too? Year or 2 away...
6. Syracuse (6-6) - Ryan Nassib took over for Greg Paulus and was immediately better... so that's a bright spot... the once proud program had become a laughing stock, but it's getting better...
7. Rutgers (5-7) - The defense should be one of the better units in the league, but the offense is going back to the pro-style sets they used to run and abandoning the spread... and the talent void is there...
8. UConn (4-8) - Smoke and mirrors lately in Storrs.... that ends this year...

AWARDS

• Offensive POY - Isaiah Peed, RB Cincy
• Defensive POY - Bruce Irvin, DE West Virginia
• Coach of the Year - Skip Holtz, South Florida

Basically? A battle to see who can lose a BCS game...

2011 College Football Preview: Part 1 - Pac 12

Greetings all... college football is a different beast than the NFL so we won't go as in-depth as far as team-by-team, but I'll be hitting all 6 power conferences as well as an all-encompassing small conference preview... let's start it off with the newly revamped Pac 12...

STANDINGS

North

1. Oregon (10-2) - The Ducks claim the top spot on the strength of their returning backfield... Darron Thomas and LaMichael James are back to form one of the better QB/RB combos in the country... the team speed is absurd, and that's still the case.... the big question? Replacing 5 starters in the front 7, but I still like them to only drop 1 conference game and take the North going away...
2. Stanford (9-3) - The Andrew Luck roadshow... we all know about how good this guy is and he's back for another crack at it in college... they've lost some significant talent on defense, but with Luck and the power run game, I like them.. They're also set-up with All-conference level guys at each of the 3 levels on defense, and that could be a nice unit...
3. Oregon State (7-5) - Always, always, always underrated... James Rodgers is returning from injury to lead the offense, and they return their QB in Ryan Katz... Mike Riley always has them ready, and when in doubt? I take him over Jeff Tedford... which means...
4. Cal (6-6) - Cal lands here... probably more talented than OSU? Sure... but remember, Cal does this... they lose Kevin Riley at QB and although he was much-maligned, they don't have a proven option behind him... looks like it'll be Zach Maynard.... the running game seems to always work in Berkeley with the likes of Lynch, Arrington, and Best having come through recently, but they lose another 1,000 yard back in Shane Vereen and have to replace him...
5. Washington (5-7) - No Jake Locker... but Sarkisian has recruited pretty well... they won't take too big a step back...
6. Washington State (2-10) - Putrid...

South

1. USC (10-2) - People always forget them because they are banned from postseason... but they still have USC talent... Matt Barkley is the best QB you never hear from (see reason above) and he's got an elite WR in Robert Woods... loaded roster...
2. Arizona State (9-3) - Brock Osweiler takes the helm at QB from Threet (the Michigan transfer had to retire due to health concerns), but Noel Mazzone's offense works... and it'll continue to do so... the issue is always on D for the Sun Devils, but they return the conference freshman of the year on D, and 9 starters... good signs...
3. Utah (7-5) - they get the nod over UCLA because Norm Chow changed sides....
4. UCLA (6-6) - See above...
5. Arizona (6-6) - I'm surprised to list them this low with their "big 3" on offense returning led by Nick Foles... but they lose the entire O-line and the defense was decimated as well...
6. Colorado (4-9) - They've scrapped the Dan Hawkins spread attack... but the personnel won't match in year 1 (trust me, I'm a Michigan fan)... good luck to the Buffs...

AWARDS

• Offensive POY - Andrew Luck, QB Stanford
• Defensive POY - Cliff Harris, CB Oregon
• Coach of the Year - Mike Riley, Oregon State

CHAMPS

• Oregon over Arizona State in the Title Game

Enjoy... and stay tuned for Part 2

Stay Tuned for Previews...

Greetings all... Just wanted to let the constituency know that there WILL be NCAA and NFL previews coming in this space... and PS, 23 days until Michigan Football... I know you're all waiting with anticipation... 8-Part NCAA Preview, 9-Part NFL Preview coming before kick-off... stay tuned

The Heyward Conundrum

Greetings all... I've been quiet too long...

Fire. Fredi. Gonzalez.

That's been a unifying cry among bloggers/experts and educated baseball people who follow the Braves closely in recent days. To begin, I'm against firing anyone during their first season, especially when there's been no off-field transgression, etc. to hang your hat on, so obviously, I'm not in favor of canning Gonzalez, but his managerial behavior certainly leaves a lot to be desired. For instance:

• Scott Proctor is still pitching - Now, I know his presence on the roster isn't necessarily Fredi-focused (paging Frank Wren), but there is NO scenario in which Proctor should be utilized in a high-leverage situation unless there are no other pitchers left available. Done.
  
• His batting lineup prowess - Alex Gonzalez hits in the 2 hole. Alex Gonzalez hits in the 5 hole. Alex Gonzalez hits in in the 6 hole. He lets Jordan Schafer and his plummeting OBA lead-off (thankfully no longer an issue, thanks Frank!).
  
• His bullpen management - Touched upon briefly above with Proctor, but when you have 3 guys in your bullpen in the top 10 in the majors in appearances? That's an issue. Kimbrel, Venters, and EOF have been tremendous this season by any measure, but Fredi has taken the Joe Torre approach to bullpen management (see Proctor, Scott from NYY) in blowing out his good arms in needless situations. For example, Craig Kimbrel shouldn't pitch with a 3-run lead. Ever. And, because Fredi is "old-school", he pitches to the save rule. That's just one example of many.

But, now, to the point of this post (ellipsis-free by the way), and that is the presence of Jose Constanza in the lineup over Jason Heyward. I won't throw a bunch of stats at you today, because, generally, they are underwhelming for readers, but I'll say this. Jason Heyward is much, much better at baseball than Jose Constanza.

• Better defender? Check. (by leaps and bounds)
• More power? Check.
• Better OBA? Check.

I can go on for days here, but Fredi Gonzalez is going to "play the hot hand". Here's an underrated factor in this discussion. The perceived value of Constanza's blazing speed (he does have this, can't be disputed) suggests that he's a good defensive outfielder. That would be disputed by a) watching him play defense, or b) a recent scouting report by a Major league scout that asserts that Constanza is the WORST OUTFIELD DEFENDER HE'D EVER SEEN. Not a misprint, folks. Just because you're fast, doesn't mean you are good at playing outfield defense.

Anyway, the most hilarious move of the season for me was made on Sunday in the midst of the game against the Mets when Fredi Gonzalez double-switched and removed Heyward from the lineup (he was 4 for 4 in reaching base, and had homered in the game) WITH THE LEAD despite being, ya know, Jason Heyward, and left Constanza's butcher glove in the game to play right field.

I've lost the will, Fredi. I won't call for your firing like so many others have and will continue to do. But please, I beg you, please play Jason Heyward over Jose Constanza. Throw me a bone.

The Atlanta Hawks are Sold....

Greetings all... had to get something together about the Hawks' sale...

According to multiple reports, the controlling interests of the Hawks and Philips Arena are being sold by the Atlanta Spirit Group to California businessman Alex Meruelo... first thought I had? California!?!? and then I scrolled down the report and saw "staying in Atlanta"... okay... so what does this mean?

• The Atlanta Spirit Group is out of our lives... ever since they acquired the Hawks/Thrashers/Philips it's been one thing after another with these guys... the split over the Joe Johnson signing... cash flow issues... empty promises... failure to put a competitive hockey product on the ice, etc... so there's that...
• Just because there's a new owner doesn't mean the problems are solved... I'd LOVE to know Mr. Meruelo's net worth... that info isn't available right now, but he needs to be filthy rich... the chief issue with the ASG was lack of funds... they repeatedly pled "broke" in not spending in free agency, etc. and while they did put some money into the Hawks in recent years, they utterly refused to exceed the tax for any reason, and that was an obvious issue with how the roster was constructed (also their fault)...
• The Rick Sund/Larry Drew combo could be in trouble... well... at least Larry Drew could be... the ASG hired Sund and pay him reasonably compared to other NBA GM's... fine... but they also have hamstrung him from the beginning with restraints such as paying the NBA's low in terms of Head coach salary, HIRING the head coach without GM input because he was cheap, and again, refusing to spend excess money...

So there's all of that... I'm terribly excited... but I wanted to put the caveat in play that the issues may not be solved... here's hoping the "new guy" has some serious, serious money...

8/2: Braves Update, NFL Roundup, etc.

Greetings all... as you can tell, I've been absent in this space after spending 9 days in Texas, and being generally busy... my apologies... when I left? We were in the dog days of baseball and no storylines... upon return? Full-on NFL free agency, the MLB trade deadline passing, and stories galore... nice timing...

• The Braves trade for Michael Bourn... I'm aware that this is old news, but I haven't weighed in... I love the move... for all of the Schafer love I've seen, he's a far-below-average hitter, a simply average defensive CF, and should NEVER be a MLB leadoff hitter at this stage... so what does Frank Wren do? He acquires a guy with 40 steals already this year (the Braves team has approximately the same total... yes, the team), who has a career .337 OBP (with .340+ the last 3 years) who is an elite defender in CF... no-brainer... and to do it without dealing any of the "elite" pitching prospects? That's like stealing... bullet dodged by not acquiring Hunter Pence, who, IMO, never made sense in the first place because he doesn't play center... love it... that being said, the Braves now trail the Phils by 7 in the NL East and lead the WC by only 2.5 over Arizona... it's time to win some games... and the regression from Jurrjens that any sane person knew was on the horizon is upon us...
  
• Randy Moss retires... I'll believe this more when he's not on a roster in Week 6... but if Randy really is done, it's been a wild ride... I'll never forget how electrifying he was as a rookie during the Vikings 15-1 season in 1998... and he is the proud owner of the greatest WR season ever in his maiden voyage with the Pats (not a small feat when you consider that the greatest football player ever IMO in Jerry Rice played WR)... but for some reason? I think he plays this year... somewhere...
• The NBA lockout continues... with no end in sight... and you're hearing things like "quiet" and "alarmingly quiet" with regard to the talks on both sides... great work fellas!....
  
• The US men's soccer team has a new coach... Juergen Klinsmann takes over for the much-maligned Bob Bradley... I have no idea strategically because, well, it's soccer... but it seems like this could be an upgrade, yes?...

Quick NFL Round-up...

• While we're here... let's update the Falcons as well... the big splash of free agency was the signing of Ray Edwards... the 26-year-old DE had 8.5 sacks last year and gives them a legit end opposite Abraham while making Biermann a #3 DE which is what he is... that's a nice front 4 with those 2, Babineaux, and Jerry, and the defense will shape up nicely if Brent Grimes is brought back... as far as offense is concerned, 4/5 of the O-Line returns (Harvey Dahl signed elsewhere), and Michael Jenkins was let go... I'm okay with that, but it's kind of funny after he signed that big extension... see ya Mike...
• The Eagles are loaded... you've heard the stories by now, but with Nnamdi signed, and the acquisition of Rodgers-Cromartie to go with Asante Samuel, that literally could be the best trio of CBs in the history of the league... that's insane... anyway, it's still going to come down to Vick's health and performance, but that's an insane roster right now...
• The Jets bring back Holmes and Cromartie, sign Burress, and do generally "Jets" things... speaking of loaded secondaries... the Revis/Cromartie/Wilson trio isn't bad either, but the Burress signing makes me scratch my head a bit... $3 million for a guy who's 34 and hasn't played in 2 years?... Could've signed Moss for less than that...
  

Anyway... we're back in town, and they'll be content in this space again... stay tuned