Outback Bowl Pick: Gamecocks Just a Little Better

The 2013 Outback Bowl should be a great match-up between the South Carolina Gamecocks and the Michigan Wolverines.  Both teams have a lot of similarities, but one is just a little better.

Michigan had a tough season at times.  The Wolverines did have to face both teams who are playing in the National Championship, plus an undefeated Ohio State team.

For the Wolverines, it was supposed to be a dual threat attack with the running ability of QB Denard Robinson and RB Fitzgerald Toussaint.

Toussaint suffered a gruesome ankle injury late in the year, while Robinson developed a nerve injury in his throwing arm, that has relegated him to an all-purpose player, lining up at both quarterback and running back at times.  Devin Gardner is the quarterback for Michigan.

Michigan also has a top-20 defense in terms of points against, ranking 16th in the country.

Meanwhile, for the Gamecocks, this was supposed to be the season that everything was put together, making a run for an SEC Championship.

After being on top of the world with a statement win against then 5th-ranked Georgia, South Carolina lost a tough one on the road against LSU, before having their fate sealed with an embarrassing loss against Florida.

However, for a team that does not have a long history of winning football, a 10-win season still is not too shabby.

The Gamecocks’ offense has had moments of greatness, followed by moments of inconsistent play.  A late season injury to RB Marcus Lattimore also hurt the offense.

This was supposed to be the year that the quarterback position would be stable for South Carolina.  Injuries to starter Connor Shaw opened the door for Dylan Thompson to see some action.  Thompson helped to lead the Gamecocks to two wins, including rival Clemson the last week of the season.

Shaw is the runner with passing ability.  Thompson is the passer, with running ability.

The key to the Gamecocks’ offense is going to be the running game.  South Carolina has to be able to run the ball against Michigan, to take the pressure off the quarterbacks, to give them an opportunity to win.  Senior RB Kenny Miles has a knack for coming up big in significant games.

Defensively, the Gamecocks must force the Wolverines to pass.  Michigan offers a lot of options running the ball, with the versatility of Robinson.  It will be important for the Gamecocks’ front-7, which includes All-American DE Jadeveon Clowney, not to over-pursue the run, and get pressure on the quarterback with the pass.

Despite some good plays, the Gamecocks’ defensive backs are not good enough one-on-one in coverage, without getting pressure on the quarterback to force bad throws.  South Carolina’s defense thrives on that pressure.

At the end of the day, while these two teams match-up well, the Gamecocks are just a little more battle tested, especially this year.

In 2012, the Big Ten Conference’s competition just did not seem up-to-par, as seen when a 7-5 Wisconsin team, only in the championship game because of penalties to Ohio State and Penn State, demolished the conference’s best team, Nebraska.

The SEC was as strong as ever in 2012, with two teams ranked in the top-3 to end the season.  While the strength of this conference is still in the Western Division, there are about 10-12 teams in this conference that could compete with anyone in the country.

Like last year’s Capital One Bowl, it is close for three quarters, but the power of the SEC pulls away late.

Gamecocks 34, Wolverines 24

Bowl Predictions FINAL Edition (After 12/1)

Here they are, the final edition of the Bowl Predictions.  Tomorrow the final BCS standings will be released, and the bowl picks will be revealed.

Information is certainly going to be pouring in throughout tomorrow on leaked bowl picks, and I will try to keep the table and subsequent changes updated leading up to the selection show.

The complete list, and times of games, is listed here.

UPDATE #1 1:10 p.m.:  Pittsburgh is in to a bowl game.  Appears they are going to be allowed to play in a game, even with one of their 6 wins coming against different division.

UPDATE #2 1:50 p.m.:  Looks like ACC, Big Ten, and SEC bowls are close to being set, at least the bigger games, based on reports.  Remember, it is still VERY UNOFFICIAL.  On the NIU in the BCS front, I just don’t think it will happen

UPDATE #3 2:20 p.m.:  Rutgers has accepted bid to Russell Athletic Bowl (source) and Nebraska returns to the Capital One Bowl (source).

UPDATE #4 3:10 p.m.:  Cincinnati officially going to Belk Bowl and Michigan to the Outback Bowl.

UPDATE #5 3:40 p.m.:  The rest of the Big Ten bowl games appears to be set.

UPDATE #6 4:50 p.m.:  The BCS has busted, as reports are that Florida State and Northern Illinois will play in the Orange Bowl.  That changes everything.

UPDATE #7 5:40 p.m.:  It appears that SEC teams will be next to start announcing where they are going.  Georgia to Capital One, Mississippi State to Gator, and South Carolina to Outback.

UPDATE #8 6:10 p.m.:  No more specific updates, the bowl announcements should be coming quick now, as with the BCS figured out, it’s just about slotting teams at this point.  Will continue to update as information is released.

BOWL:	TEAMS:
Gildan New Mexico Bowl	Nevada	Arizona
Famous Idaho Potato Bowl	Utah State	Toledo
San Diego County Credit Union Poinsettia Bowl	BYU	San Diego State
Beef ‘O’ Brady’s St. Petersburg Bowl	Central Florida	Ball State
R&L Carriers New Orleans Bowl	Louisiana-Lafayette	East Carolina
MAACO Las Vegas Bowl	Boise State	Washington
Sheraton Hawaii Bowl	Southern Methodist	Fresno State
Little Caesars Pizza Bowl	Central Michigan	Western Kentucky
Military Bowl presented by Northrop Grumman	Bowling Green	San Jose State
Belk Bowl	Duke	Cincinnati
Bridgepoint Education Holiday Bowl	UCLA	Baylor
AdvoCare V100 Independence Bowl	Ohio	Louisiana-Monroe
Russell Athletic Bowl	Virginia Tech	Rutgers
Meineke Car Care of Texas Bowl	Texas Tech	Minnesota
Bell Helicopter Armed Forces Bowl	Air Force	Rice
New Era Pinstripe Bowl	Syracuse	West Virginia
Kraft Fight Hunger Bowl	Navy	Arizona State
Valero Alamo Bowl	Oregon State	Texas
Buffalo Wild Wings Bowl	TCU	Michigan State
Franklin American Mortgage Music City Bowl	Vanderbilt	North Carolina State
Hyundai Sun Bowl	Georgia Tech	Southern California
AutoZone Liberty Bowl	Tulsa	Iowa State
Chick-fil-A Bowl	Clemson	LSU
TaxSlayer.com Gator Bowl	Northwestern	Mississippi State
Heart of Dallas Bowl	Oklahoma State	Purdue
Outback Bowl	Michigan	South Carolina
Capital One Bowl	Georgia	Nebraska
Rose Bowl Game presented by Visio	Wisconsin	Stanford
Discover Orange Bowl	Florida State	Northern Illinois
Allstate Sugar Bowl	Florida	Louisville
Tostitos Fiesta Bowl	Kansas State	Oregon
AT&T Cotton Bowl	Texas A&M	Oklahoma
BBVA Compass Bowl	Mississippi	Pittsburgh
GoDaddy.com Bowl	Kent State	Arkansas State
Discover BCS National Championship	Notre Dame	Alabama
Italics indicate team has already accepted bid.

Week 13 College Football Picks

It is rivalry week across college football, which makes it even tougher to pick in some of these games.  Some teams have everything to lose this week, while others are merely playing for pride and bragging rights.

Several teams also need wins to become bowl eligible, while others are just jockeying to get a little higher in their conference.

Last Week:  24-5 (.828)

Overall:  269-65 (.805)

TCU vs. #16 Texas

#7 LSU vs. Arkansas

#14 Nebraska vs. Iowa

Ohio vs. #23 Kent State

Arizona State vs. #24 Arizona

#25 Washington vs. Washington State

#1 Notre Dame vs. USC  (No Matt Barkley means no chance for the Trojans.)

Auburn vs. #2 Alabama (Not exactly the Iron Bowl of a couple years ago.)

Georgia Tech vs. #3 Georgia

#4 Florida vs. #10 Florida State

#5 Oregon vs. #15 Oregon State  (This probably would be closer if Oregon beat Stanford last week, but the Ducks likely want revenge.)

#8 Stanford vs. #17 UCLA  (This could be the first of back-to-back weeks of this match-up.)

Missouri vs. #9 Texas A&M

#12 South Carolina vs. #11 Clemson (Gamecocks’ defense won’t be able to hold Clemson the entire game.)

#21 Oklahoma State vs. #13 Oklahoma

#18 Rutgers vs. Pittsburgh

#19 Michigan vs. Ohio State (Ohio State finishes off the season undefeated by winning the best rivalry in football.)

Connecticut vs. #20 Louisville

Virginia vs. Virginia Tech

Miami (FL) vs. Duke

Boston College vs. North Carolina State

Maryland vs. North Carolina

Vanderbilt vs. Wake Forest

Kentucky vs. Tennessee

Mississippi State vs. Ole Miss

Rapid Fire Picks for November 5th

College Football:

Last Week: 16-8
Overall: 180-51

Top 25, based on BCS Standings:
#2 Alabama over #1 LSU
#3 Oklahoma State over #14 Kansas State
#4 Stanford over Oregon State
#5 Boise State over UNLV
#6 Oklahoma over Texas A&M
#9 South Carolina over #7 Arkansas…I’m sticking with the pick from the beginning of the year, SC 49-17
#8 Oregon over Washington…could be a trap game for the Ducks
#10 Nebraska over Northwestern
#13 Houston over UAB
#15 Michigan over Iowa
#17 Michigan State over Minnesota
#18 Georgia over New Mexico State
#19 Arizona State over UCLA
#20 Wisconsin over Purdue
#21 Texas over Texas Tech
#24 West Virginia over Louisville
#25 Southern Miss over East Carolina

SEC:
Florida over Vanderbilt…close
Ole Miss over Kentucky…first to score might win this game
Tennessee over Middle Tennessee State
Mississippi State over Tennessee-Martin

ACC:
Virginia over Maryland
North Carolina over North Carolina State
Miami (FL) over Duke
Notre Dame over Wake Forest

Other Games:
SMU over Tulane
Troy over Navy
Air Force over Army

NFL

Last Week: 8-5
Overall: 77-38

Bills over Jets
Cowboys over Seahawks
Falcons over Colts
Chiefs over Dolphins
Saints over Buccaneers
49ers over Redskins
Texans over Browns
Raiders over Broncos
Patriots over Giants
Rams over Cardinals
Packers over Chargers
Steelers over Ravens
Bears over Eagles

Rapid Fire Picks for October 29th

There was an issue with the site that these are normally posted on, so they will be here today.

NFL:

Last Week: 7-6
Overall: 69-33

Titans over Colts
Saints over Rams
Dolphins over Giants
Panthers over Vikings
Ravens over Cardinals
Texans over Jaguars
Bills over Redskins
Lions over Broncos
Patriots over Steelers
49ers over Browns
Seahawks over Bengals
Cowboys over Eagles
Chiefs over Chargers

College Football (Rankings based on BCS Standings):

Last Week: 18-7
Overall: 164-43

#3 Oklahoma State over Baylor
#5 Clemson over Georgia Tech
#6 Stanford over USC
#7 Oregon over Washington State
#9 Oklahoma over #8 Kansas State
#10 Arkansas over Vanderbilt
#14 Nebraska over #11 Michigan State
#12 Virginia Tech over Duke
#13 South Carolina over Tennessee…SC 23-16
#15 Wisconsin over Ohio State
#16 Texas A&M over Missouri
#18 Michigan over Purdue
#19 Penn State over Illinois
#20 Texas Tech over Iowa State
#21 Arizona State over Colorado
Florida over #22 Georgia
#23 Auburn over Ole Miss
#24 Texas over Kansas
#25 West Virginia over Rutgers

ACC:

Florida State over North Carolina State
Maryland over Boston College
Wake Forest over North Carolina

SEC:

Kentucky over Mississippi State

Other Games:

Notre Dame over Navy

Fundraiser:
Remember that WUSC’s fall fundraiser runs through November 3rd. To donate, click on “Support” at the top of the page or call the station at (803) 576-WUSC or online at wusc.sc.edu

Show Correction:
During the show, I kept saying that Texas hasn’t lost back-to-back games since August. That was the Texas Rangers, not the Texas Longhorns football team.

Have a Happy Halloween!!

Pearl Fired By Tennessee; Hamilton SHOULD be Next (UPDATED)

The University of Tennessee’s worst kept secret was revealed Monday afternoon, firing Men’s Basketball coach Bruce Pearl.

Pearl’s dismissal was sealed by the Volunteers’ 75-45 loss to the Michigan Wolverines in the second round of the NCAA Tournament.  This also stems from alleged recruiting violations, which resulted in an 8-game suspension during SEC play for Pearl.

This is just another chapter in the problems at Tennessee since Lane Kiffin was named the program’s football coach two years ago.  Kiffin immediately committed recruiting violations, which got the NCAA looking into the program.

What the NCAA found was a whole can of worms within the Tennessee athletics programs.  The focus was suddenly shifted to the men’s basketball program.

Pearl is very enthusiastic about basketball, his players, and the Tennessee Volunteers.  Name me another coach that would stand in the student section painted up for a women’s basketball game.

Pearl was the best thing to happen to the Tennessee athletics program in years.  If there is anyone that should be fired is Athletics Director Mike Hamilton.

In the last 3 years, one of the proudest athletic’s departments in the country, has quickly become the laughing-stock of the SEC and the country.

Hamilton’s ability as an athletic’s director came under scrutiny, especially sticking behind Kiffin and Pearl, often denying any allegations of wrong-doing of either program.

During that time, the NCAA was investigating the program, Hamilton continued to deny, and stood behind his coaches.

Yes, Pearl lied.  Yes, Pearl had an embarrassing loss in his final game as coach.  Fans in Tennessee still love Pearl, but ultimately, Pearl is not the only one responsible.

Hamilton has let the Tennessee program fall to shambles under his watch.  Pearl knows what he did wrong, and why he is no longer employed.  He will find a job again, but my suggestion for him would be to go under the radar for a year or so (do television).

However, Hamilton should also be fired.  Too much has happened for one to believe that he is capable of continuing to run the University of Tennessee.

UPDATE:  Late Monday evening, following the announcement firing Pearl, Hamilton and school Chancellor Jimmy Cheek announced that there was another potential violation by Pearl and his staff earlier this month.

If this is true, which all reports indicate, the argument for not firing Pearl fall-apart.  However, the argument to fire Hamilton strengthens.  Hamilton continuously fails to keep a close watch to the troubled basketball program.

Section 26 Sports Final Mock Draft

So here it is folks.  This is the final NFL mock draft of the year.  This mock draft is full of interesting draft picks that you may not see anywhere else.

And keep in mind I don’t do trades in my mocks.  They get way too complicated and are impossible to predict.   I could easily see some teams, especially Detroit trading down, and some others, especially Oakland or Cleveland trading up at some point.

Round One
1. St Louis – Sam Bradford QB Oklahoma – They obviously need a franchise QB and Bradford is tops in the draft class.
2. Detroit – Ndamukong Suh DT Nebraska – I could easily see a trade down here. Detroit has holes to fill as positions with depth in the draft (RB, OT, DT). However, because I don’t do trades, they take Suh.
3. Tampa Bay – Gerald McCoy DT Oklahoma – Defensive line help is the biggest need for Tampa and they get an elite DT.
4. Washington – Russell Okung OT Oklahoma St – Chris Samuels retired and Washington got their QB in McNabb. Step 2 is the franchise LT, Okung.
5. Kansas City – Trent Williams OT Oklahoma – Kansas City could go in quite a few directions here, but if they’re smart they’ll go with the offensive line. Branden Albert faded quickly last season and they need someone to fill in and protect Cassel.
6. Seattle – Bryan Bulaga OT Iowa – With Seattle’s two first round picks, they will try to bolster the trenches. It seems sure one of the top two DE’s should drop to them later so they take Bulaga here.
7. Cleveland – Eric Berry FS Tennessee – It is amazing Berry fell this far and Cleveland should be thrilled. They fill a need with one of the top players in the draft. Berry will also help in the return game which would assist Cribbs moving to WR permanently.
8. Oakland – Bruce Campbell OT Maryland – This is a HUGE reach. Campbell is not a top player, but he’s very athletic for a tackle and, well, this is Al Davis after all.
9. Buffalo – Anthony Davis OT Rutgers – Buffalo has one of the worst offensive lines in the league so they desperately need to address it. With a line that bad, it doesn’t matter who is at QB. Anthony Davis is a bull when run blocking and Buffalo will have to rely on their run game, as they have no pass game. This seems a natural pick.
10. Jacksonville – Derrick Morgan DE Georgia Tech – Morgan is the best pass rushing DE in the draft and he will go to the worst pass rushing team in the NFL, Jacksonville. Jacksonville did sign Aaron Kampman, but that won’t be enough. This will give youth and fire to the weak defensive line.
11. Denver (from Chicago) – Dez Bryant WR Oklahoma St – As expected, Brandon Marshall is gone. We also found out that Tony Scheffler is going to Detroit. Eddie Royal is a good WR, but not a number one option. They need an elite receiver and Bryant is the best in the class.
12. Miami – Dan Williams DT Tennessee – Miami has a few needs but nose tackle is a glaring one. However, if they do trade Ronnie Brown, CJ Spiller could jump up to this pick for Miami.
13. San Francisco – Joe Haden CB Florida – Haden does not fill their strongest needs, offensive line and quarterback, but he’s the best player available and the 49ers have two first round picks. He’s worth the pick here as a top notch player.
14. Seattle (from Denver) – Jason Pierre-Paul DE S Florida – As stated before, Seattle has to start from the inside out with the trenches. It’s time for the defensive line and Jason Pierre-Paul is the pick. He can play a 4-3 DE or a 3-4 rush LB. Here he’ll play at DE and rush the passer, which is his specialty.
15. NY Giants – Rolando McClain ILB Alabama – Antonio Pierce was a staple on the Giants defense, but his neck injuries led to his release. The Giants need to retool and the best place to start is at MLB. However, if they trade Osi Umenyiora they could draft a DE here, possible Carlos Dunlap.
16. Tennessee – Kyle Wilson CB Boise St – The could go defensive line, but I really think they need to go with a CB here. Wilson is a physical back and fits well with Tennessee’s philosophy.
17. San Francisco (from Carolina) – Jimmy Clausen QB Notre Dame – Some say Clausen would never fall this far, but I really don’t like his future. He has an attitude issue and a slow deliver at times. However, the 49ers need a QB and Clausen has potential.
18. Pittsburgh – Devin McCourty CB Rutgers – The current CB’s on the Steelers’ roster are weak and can’t get it done. McCourty is an underrated CB that will fit well with the Steelers’ defense.
19. Atlanta – Carlos Dunlap DE Florida – Jamaal Anderson is a bust, we all know that now. It’s time to get a young pass rusher to play opposite John Abraham. Dunlap is a big pass rusher with the size and speed to start immediately. He does however have motivation problems at times.
20. Houston – Earl Thomas FS Texas – Houston will need to fill a big need at both safety positions as well as replace CB Dunta Robinson. Here they will go with Thomas who will fall further than his talent level represents. The bottom line is that this is a steal for Houston.
21. Cincinnati – Taylor Mays SS USC – Simply put, Cincinnati needs safety help and they love the USC products. Mays will fit in very well.
22. New England – Sergio Kindle OLB Texas – The Patriots need to fill a pass rushing void and Kindle would work well as a top-level 3-4 pass rusher.
23. Green Bay – CJ Spiller RB Clemson – This is the surprise pick of the draft. Green Bay doesn’t have too strong of a need at RB and Spiller may not fall this far. However, I see him dropping for various reasons, including his horribly low Wonderlic score. Green Bay will fill two secondary needs, backup RB and return specialist.
24. Philadelphia – Kareem Jackson CB Alabama – With Sheldon Brown gone, the Eagles will need a CB opposite Asante Samuel. Jackson is a great talent and will fit very well with the fast, athletic ideals of the Eagles defense.
25. Baltimore – Jermaine Gresham TE Oklahoma – Todd Heap has been invisible for Baltimore lately. They need another pass catcher for Flacco. They picked up Boldin and re-signed Derrick Mason. Here they will get their much needed TE.
26. Arizona – Brandon Graham DE Michigan – Graham is an underrated pass rusher. He will be one of the better 3-4 rush LB’s in this year’s draft. Arizona needs a pass rush. The signing of Joey Porter helps, but he’s already in trouble. They need youth at the position.
27. Dallas – Mike Iupati OG Idaho – Flozell Adams is gone from the offensive line and Dallas was relatively weak at guard last season. Iupati is the next Steve Hutchinson. Dallas gets a great one here.
28. San Diego – Ryan Mathews RB Fresno St – Mathews is the most complete and NFL-ready RB in this draft. San Diego needs to replace Tomlinson and Mathews is the best guy to get it done.
29. NY Jets – Jerry Hughes OLB TCU – Pass rush is a strong need for the Jets, along with FS. Here they get another one of those top-level 3-4 OLB’s. Hughes will come in ready to get some sacks. Even if they do sign Jason Taylor, Hughes is still the pick here.
30. Minnesota – Patrick Robinson CB Florida St – Injuries at CB hurt the Vikings late last year. Here they get Robinson, a great cover CB who can come in ready to start on a powerful Vikings defense.
31. Indianapolis – Brian Price DT UCLA – The Colts need to get depth and competition on their lines and Brian Price is a good start. He’ll compete from day one.
32. New Orleans – Sean Witherspoon LB Missouri – Witherspoon would have gone sooner if the Steelers had not signed Larry Foote or the Eagles had not traded for Ernie Sims. However, here we are. The Saints get a much needed defensive play-maker with the swagger to fit right in with New Orleans.

Round Two
1. St Louis – Everson Griffen DE USC – The Rams need more pass rush help and if they don’t trade for Osi Umenyiora, Griffen is a great pick here.
2. Detroit – Jahvid Best RB California – If the Lions trade for a RB, expect Penn St LB Novorro Bowman to be the pick here. However, they need more stability at RB and Best is a big play threat and elite return man.
3. Tampa Bay – Arrelious Benn WR Illinois – With Antonio Bryant in Cincinnati, Josh Freeman needs something resembling an offensive weapon. Benn is a good start.
4. Kansas City – Terrence Cody DT Alabama – Scott Pioli wants his “Vince Wilfork” and that’s what Cody is. He eats space at NT which is what the Chiefs need.
5. Philadelphia (From Washington) – Maurkice Poucey OL Florida – Interior offensive line is a need for Philadelphia. Pouncey falls a little far and the Eagles get a steal here.
6. Cleveland – Colt McCoy QB Texas – This is a little bit of a reach, but McCoy will fit with Cleveland well and could adapt into a very efficient QB.
7. Oakland – Linval Joseph DT E Carolina – This is another reach, but Joseph has the measurables to be an elite NT in the NFL in time. Joseph is 6’4″ 328 pounds, had 39 reps on the bench press and ran his 40-yard dash in less than 5.00.
8. San Diego – Cam Thomas DT N Carolina – Another NT off the board. Jamal Williams is in Denver so the Chargers need to replace him very quickly.
9. Buffalo – Ricky Sapp OLB Clemson – Buffalo still needs a lot and a pass rushing OLB in their new 3-4 defense is much needed.
10. Tampa Bay (From Chicago) – Donovan Warren CB Michigan – Aside from Aqib Talib, there is no Buccaneer CB with a future.
11. Denver (from Miami) – Jared Odrick DT Penn St – Odrick will be a great 3-4 DE and will fit in nicely next to newly acquired NT Jamal Williams.
12. New England (From Jacksonville) – Lamar Houston DT Texas – The same assessment from Odrick goes for Houston. The Patriots need to get younger up front and Houston will fit in nicely.
13. Denver – Vladmir Ducasse OG UMass – Denver is filling many needs in this draft and interior offensive line is just another one. Ducasse is underrated because he comes form UMass.
14. NY Giants – Geno Atkins DT Georgia – With Fred Robbins gone to the Rams, the Giants need a new DT quickly. Atkins will come in ready to make an impact. However, he is one of those players that could also easily slip to the third round. Luckily for him, DT is a league-wide need this year.
15. Carolina – Mardy Gilyard WR Cincinnati – Steve Smith wanted more speed at WR. Gilyard provides that, as well as return skills.
16. New England (From Tennessee) – Jonathan Dwyer RB Georgia Tech – It is time for Moroney to go away and Dwyer would be ready to play right away for the Patriots.
17. San Francisco – Charles Brown OT USC – The 49ers got their QB and an elite CB prospect. Here they get a big, smart tackle with great footwork.
18. Houston – Ben Tate RB Auburn – Houston needs RB depth and Tate is very underrated. He has a fair blend of speed and power. He will fit nicely with the Texans.
19. Kansas City (From Atlanta) – Kao Misi OLB Utah – Kansas City has their linemen and now need a good pass rusher. Misi is an underrated prospect that will fit in as a 3-4 OLB.
20. Pittsburgh – Demaryius Thomas WR Georgia Tech – Thomas doesn’t run the best routes, but he’s got the physical tools most WR’s dream about. With Holmes traded to the Jets and Hines Ward and Antwaan Randle El aging, the Steelers need a young possession receiver.
21. New England – Damien Williams WR USC – The WR corps in New England is aging. Luckily the Patriots have four picks in the first two rounds and can afford to use one on a WR. Williams has soft hands and runs smooth routes, exactly what you need in the Patriots’ offense.
22. Cincinnati – Aaron Hernandez TE Florida – The Bengals have gotten their WR’s and now need a pass-catching TE. Hernandez isn’t much for blocking but he’s an elite receiving threat at TE.
23. Philadelphia – Nate Allen FS S Florida – The Eagles need to upgrade at the safety position, Allen is a great talent.
24. Green Bay – Chris Cook DB Virginia – Cook can play both CB and FS, both of which are aging positions for the Packers.
25. Baltimore – Golden Tate WR Notre Dame – Baltimore is making an offensive overhaul early in the draft. Tate will be an amazing slot receiver inside of Boldin and Mason and his speed will match perfectly with Flacco’s strong arm.
26. Arizona – Kyle Galloway OT Iowa – Arizona needs depth and competition at LT and Galloway could come in ready to compete.
27. Dallas – Jordan Shipley WR Texas – This isn’t an obvious need for Dallas, but Shipley is a Texas man and a great return man. Patrick Crayton needs to stop returning punts. Shipley will be the new and improved Patrick Crayton.
28. Seattle – Dexter McCluster RB Mississippi – While not a typical NFL RB, McCluster does provide a firm change of pace for Seattle’s offense as well as versatility to play in the slot, in the Wildcat and in the return game.
29. NY Jets – Morgan Burnett FS Georgia Tech – Burnett simply fills the void left by Rhodes who left for Arizona. Keep in mind, Burnett is a high-risk/high-reward type player. Potentially a bust.
30. Minnesota – Chad Jones FS LSU – Chad Jones is a smart athlete, and solidifies the defensive secondary for Minnesota along with first round pick Patrick Robinson.
31. Indianapolis – Rodger Staffold OT Indiana – Staffold is a highly underrated OT in the draft. He’s not quite first round talent, but very close on some people’s boards. The Colts continue to help their lines.
32. New Orleans – Alex Carrington DE Arkansas St – The Saints partially addressed DE in the offseason, but Carrington will provide depth for a team that needs defensive line help.

There are some interesting picks, I know. I’m sure it won’t turn out just like this, but these would be interesting picks. I could see all of these happening, even though they may not.

And some other prospects that could fit into the second round in some way:
Corey Wooton DE Northwestern – He has the talent to go in the first round, but the lack of 4-3 DE needs drops his chances.
Brandon Spikes LB Florida – Spikes was originally seen as first round talent but ended up slow and out of shape.  He should fall to the late third round.
Brandon LaFell WR LSU – Depending on the type of WR a team is looking for, LaFell could go in the middle of the second round.
Navorro Bowman LB Penn St – I originally had Bowman to the Saints in the first round, but with Witherspoon falling to them, and the lack of a desire for 4-3 OLB’s dropped Bowman very far.
Daryl Washington LB TCU – Washington can play any LB position in a 4-3 or an inside LB in the 3-4 defense.  He’s very versatile on defense, but barely misses the cut.
Eric Norwood LB South Carolina – Norwood is no longer looked at strictly as a 3-4 OLB.  He has dropped weight and added mobility to increase his ability to play OLB in a 4-3.
Mike Johnson OG Alabama – Very few guards get taken in the first two rounds it seems and Johnson drops some because of that.

2010 NFL Draft Breakdown

With the 2010 NFL Draft less than a month away, we at Section 26 Sports can officially say we have a position-by-position breakdown of each position.

We have talked about in on air many times, and so to prove that we actually have the ‘big board,’ check out the picture below.

It may be fairly low-key compared to all those television draft experts, but it serves the exact same purpose.

NFL Prospect Post-Combine Rankings: Defense

The defensive rankings had a few more changes than the offensive, but still not many.  The most notable changes are at cornerback.

Joe Haden of Florida hurt himself in the combine with a 40-yard dash time of 4.57 seconds.  However, I ultimately went back to his game footage and still think highly of me.  A 40-yard dash time at the Combine does not determine a player’s future, and while this was unfortunate for him, his day as a whole was not bad enough to hurt him too badly.

With all of that being said, Joe Haden did drop to #2 on the cornerback rankings because of Rutgers’ Devin McCourty.  McCourty ran a 4.34 second 40-yard dash and posted a respectable 16 reps on the bench press.

The other defensive winners of the NFL Combine include former TCU linebacker Daryl Washington, former South Carolina linebacker Eric Norwood and Florida State’s Dakoda Walker.  Washington and Norwood impressed in position drills, making them seem smooth and effortless.  Walker showed his unmatched athletic ability with a 4.50 second 40-yard dash, a 40 inch vertical jump and a broad jump of over eleven feet.

Note, the asterisk (*) denotes and defensive end or outside linebacker that would fit best as a rush linebacker in a 3-4.

Defensive End

1. Derrick Morgan, Georgia Tech
2. Jason Pierre-Paul, South Florida
3. Carlos Dunlap, Florida
4. Brandon Graham*, Michigan
5. Everson Griffen, USC

Defensive Tackle

1. Ndamukong Suh, Nebraska
2. Gerald McCoy, Oklahoma
3. Brian Price, UCLA
4. Dan Williams, Tennessee
5. Jared Odrick, Penn State

Inside Linebacker

1. Rolando McClain, Alabama
2. Daryl Washington, TCU
3. Brandon Spikes, Florida
4. Jamar Chaney, Mississippi State
5. Micah Johnson, Kentucky

Outside Linebacker

1. Sergio Kindle*, Texas
2. Jerry Hughes*, TCU
3. Novorro Bowman, Penn State
4. Eric Norwood, South Carolina
5. Dakoda Walker, Florida State

Cornerback

1. Devin McCourty, Rutgers
2. Joe Haden, Florida
3. Kyle Wilson, Boise State
4. Kareem Jackson, Alabama
5. Brandon Ghee, Wake Forest

Safety

1. Eric Berry, Tennessee
2. Earl Thomas, Texas
3. Taylor Mays, USC
4. Nate Allen, South Florida
5. Myron Rolle, Florida State

Eric Norwood was originally not in my top five at outside linebacker, but his performance in the Combine proved he can thrive in both 3-4 and 4-3 defensive schemes.

Taylor Mays, while having a “freakish” Combine, still has trouble in coverage, as shown in the Senior Bowl.  Fellow safety Myron Rolle however showed that he is still prepared for the NFL after his trip to Oxford.

Even though some players fizzled out while others shined through, no ranking is final until each player has his pro day.  And no matter the showings this week or in pro days, we are sure to see an interesting NFL Draft.

James’ NCAA Conference Realignment Theory, Big Ten Revision

The biggest issue I had with my realignment was the strength of the Big Ten Eastern Division related to the comparative weakness of the Big Ten Western Division.

Therefore I have revised the Big Ten’s division to a North/South setup.  This helps balance out the two divisions and even maintains more of the historical rivalry games in the Big Ten that the East/West setup removed.  They are as follows:

The Big Ten North Division hosts Michigan, Michigan State, Minnesota, Northwestern, Penn State and Wisconsin.

The Big Ten South Division will have Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Iowa State, Ohio State and Purdue.

The inter-divisional rivalries must now be revised.  In this new setup, more rivalries are maintained.  Michigan will play Ohio State in The Big Game, Michigan State will play Indiana for the Old Brass Spittoon, Minnesota will play Iowa for the Floyd of Rosedale, and Illinois will play Northwestern for the Land of Lincoln Trophy.  Penn State has then been paired with Purdue and Wisconsin with Iowa State.

This revision also reopens the door for other rivalries including the battle for the Little Brown Jug between Michigan and Minnesota, Michigan State and Penn State’s fight for the Land Grant Trophy, and Illinois and Ohio State play their game to decides who gets to house “Illibuck.”

The image posted will provide a visual explanation of the revision.