Adrian Peterson TD Run vs. Cleveland Browns

Just in case you haven't seen this spectacular run from the best RB in the NFL.

Adrian Peterson is pretty much my hero

Before the season, I said he would be the Rookie of the Year.
After the Bears game, I said he was the most explosive RB in the NFL.
That might have been selling him short.

I have watched the Vikings my entire life. There have been only two players that I get excited just when I think about what they can do on a football field... the first was Randy Moss, and now there is Adrian Peterson.

The numbers are obviously, but just a part of what makes him so special and so fun and exciting to watch. But let's start with the numbers, because then tend to be more tangible.

- He now holds the NFL single-game rushing record with 296 yards rushing in one game. He did this in his 8th NFL game.
- Everyone knew that he would be running the ball all day, and he still was able to rack up 253 yards in the 2nd half.
- Halfway through his rookie season he has 1,036 yards rushing. My simple math skills tell me that this would have him on pace for 2,072 yards for the season. The rookie record is 1,808 yards. The overall single season record is 2,105 yards.
- Peterson is the first rookie ever to have 2 200-yard rushing games in his rookie season.

More intangibly speaking, he is breathtaking to watch. The cuts, the speed, the power, the vision. It's all there.

He has the power to run the ball inside. There were concerns about his so-called upright running style in college... well, those concerns seem to be gone. He does not shy away from contact, he lowers his shoulder and goes through the defender. He is one of the strongest running backs in the League.

Then there is the speed. On one play on Sunday Shawne Merriman looked like he had him on contain to the outside, and Peterson just simply beat him to the corner. On many other plays he just outran the defense. On Sunday he had TD runs of 64 and 46 yards. He has been a big play machine. This is said about a lot of guys and it's not always necessarily true, but Peterson is truly a threat to take it all the way anytime that he touches the ball.

Best RB in the NFL? I think it might be tough to argue with that right now.

Adrian Peterson is the most explosive RB in the NFL

He may not be the best RB in the NFL yet, because he is not a great pass catcher or blocker... but I think that Adrian Peterson is already the most explosive RB in the NFL with the ball in his hands.

He single-handedly won it for the Vikings today (with a little help from Ryan Longwell). 20 carries for 224 yards and 3 TD. He also set up the game-winning FG with a long kick return. For the game, he had nearly 360 total yards on 25 touches (20 carries, 1 reception, 4 kick returns). Wow.

Through 5 games he now has 607 yards rushing, 4 TD, and 6.3 YPC. He's also got 10 receptions for 175 yards and a receiving TD. For good measure he also has 248 yards return yards. So by my calculations, through 5 career games, Adrian Peterson has 1030 total yards.

This is why I thought Adrian Peterson would be the Rookie of the Year.

NFL Week 1 Thoughts

Time to give my thoughts on what was a very, very solid mostly opening day action in the NFL.

Vikings 24, Falcons 3
You already know how I feel about this... this is how the Vikings are going to have to win football games this year. They played great defense (with a very good pass rush - 6 sacks - which was the achillies heel of the defense last year), and were able to run the football with success. Obviously I hope Chester Taylor isn't hurt, because the Vikings are going to need him, but Adrian Peterson made my Rookie of the Year pick look good, at least for one day.

Broncos 15, Bills 14
Obviously this isn't quite what I expected from Denver, given that I picked them to win the AFC West, but they did just barely get the job done. Statistically, Denver dominated the game. Cutler had over 3 times as many passing yards as Losman, and Denver had more than 50 yards rushing edge on Buffalo. However, Buffalo had the Special Teams edge... with a Roscoe Parrish TD, which kept the game in their favor until time expired. Which is all that matters.

Steelers 34, Browns 7
I expected the Steelers to dominate this game, though maybe not quite this much. Also as expected, the Browns QB woes will keep them from doing anything this year. Charlie Frye was abysmal (and replaced early in the game), and Derek Anderson wasn't much better, completing less than 50% of his passes. Brady Quinn, hope you're ready.

Packers 16, Eagles 13
Philly special teams, you have got to be kidding me. Two muffed punts... one that led directly to a Packer TD and the other that led to the game-winning FG (Mason Crosby is pretty good, by the way). Everyone knew the Packers defense was good, but they shut McNabb down, as he completed just 15 of 33 passes... whether that was because of the Packer defense or because McNabb just struggled, I didn't really see enough of the game to comment... anyone that watched a lot of it want to help me out here?

Panthers 27, Rams 13
This is definitely not what I expected. Marc Bulger had troubles, barely completing 50% of his passes, and Steven Jackson could not get it going either, fumbling twice. Meanwhile, after so many years of the Panthers being picked to have a chance to go to the Super Bowl, could they be flying under the radar? If they play defense and run the ball like they did today, then they are a very real threat to New Orleans in the South.

Patriots 38, Jets 14
It's always tough for me to watch Randy Moss play in another uniform, especially today, when it was just about vintage Randy Moss. Brady had lots of time in the pocket, and he made the most of it, completing 79% of his passes for nearly 300 yards and 3 TDs. I already can't wait for the AFC Playoffs.

Redskins 16, Dolphins 13 OT
Remember all that preseason talk about how Ronnie Brown hadn't won the job yet, and everyone just scoffed at it as just motivational tactics by Cam Cameron? Well, Brown didn't exactly light it up, with 11 carries for 32 yards (not that Jesse Chatman was any better). A great performance by the defense at home, and Miami doesn't have enough to get the win. It could be a long season in Miami. Their 2nd and 3rd leading receivers on the day were their starting RB and backup RB.

Titans 13, Jaguars 10
So much for that vaunted Jaguars running game. Maurice Jones-Drew had 7 carries for 32 yards, and Fred Taylor had 6 carries for 16 yards. Are you kidding me? 13 carries combined for those 2 guys? Garrard was statistically solid, but the offense has to run through the 2 good RBs. Otherwise we could be seeing this result a lot for the Jags.

Texans 20, Chiefs 3
It's really going to be a long season in Kansas City. The offense is just simply atrocious. A bad QB (whoever they throw out there), bad WRs, a slowing down Tony Gonzalez, and a mediocre O-Line. Larry Johnson isn't going to get much help. On the other side, I'm really excited to see what Andre Johnson will do this year now that there are other talented guys around him. 142 yards and TD for him in the opener.

Lions 36, Raiders 21
I thought the Raiders defense was good? Kitna had 2 INTs, but he also completed 75% of his passes for 289 yards and 3 TDs. And yeah, Calvin Johnson is pretty good. For the Raiders, they at least have to be encouraged by the resurgent LaMont Jordan. 159 total yards and a score for him.

Chargers 14, Bears 3
New year, same Rex Grossman. He was inconsistent, threw 1 INT (not entirely his fault) and had one play where the ball just slipped out of his hands. Vintage Rex Grossman right there. Also, I know the Chargers eventually wound up with 14 points, but that Bears defense is really, really good. No one holds LDT to 25 yards on 17 carries. That's ridiculous.

Seahawks 20, Bucs 6
Nothing real surprising here, as the Seahawks are just clearly the better team. The Bucs took a 6-0 lead after the 1st, but it was Seattle after that. Now a whole lot to say about it.

Cowboys 45, Giants 35
More than anything, the one thing that I took away from this game was... that both secondaries suck. Eli Manning and Tony Romo are good, but they shouldn't be throwing for a combined nearly 660 yards and 8 TDs. On a positive note, we did get a "Hefty Lefty" sighting, and that's always exciting. For my fantasy team's sake, I hope Brandon Jacobs' injury isn't serious.

So far in my picks against the spread this week I am 8-5-1... a nice start in my quest to finish above .500.

What stuck out most to you?

SKOL VIKINGS

I'll have more complete NFL thoughts later, but for now, let me bask in the 24-3 defensive domination of Atlanta.


19 carries, 103 yards
1 reception, 60 yards, 1 TD

1-0.

NFL Week: Playoff and Season Predictions

After giving my complete NFC Predictions and AFC Predictions, it's time for my playoff and awards predictions. Because such is the natural order of things.


AFC PLAYOFFS
(3) Denver over (6) Baltimore
(5) San Diego over (4) Pittsburgh

(1) New England over (5) San Diego
(3) Denver over (2) Indianapolis

(1) New England over (3) Denver


NFC PLAYOFFS
(3) Philadelphia over (6) Minnesota
(4) St. Louis over (5) Seattle

(1) New Orleans over (4) St. Louis
(3) Philadelphia over (2) Chicago

(1) New Orleans over (3) Philadelphia


SUPER BOWL
New England over New Orleans

Looking things over, I think that, like last year, there are probably at least 3-4 teams in the AFC better (or at least on par) with the best team in the NFC. I think New Orleans is probably the best team in the NFC right now, but I think New England, Indianapolis, Denver, and San Diego are probably more complete teams than them.

MVP: Tom Brady - Finally has some offensive weapons which will help with his numbers. The fact that he'll be playing on the preseason Super Bowl favorite helps too.

Rookie of the Year: Adrian Peterson - Already been over this!

Coach of the Year: Mike Tomlin - I think he'll do very well as a head coach, making Pittsburgh a surprise team in the AFC.


One final note of housecleaning... I am bringing back my picks against the spread this year (those will all come tomorrow), but since I want to make a pick on the Thursday game, I'll do it here. I am taking Indianapolis -6 in this ballgame. It should be extremely entertaining, but I see the Colts winning by about 10 on their home turf.

NFL Week: Why the Vikings will be better than people think

All of this week I will be focusing on the NFL and giving my previews and picks, since the season starts Thursday (with what should be a fantastic game).

But first, let me talk about my favorite team, the Minnesota Vikings, and why I think they will be a lot better than anyone expects. As in, competing for a Wildcard spot good.

First, the defense. It should be really good, and that starts everything. Last year it was historically good against the run, and mediocre against the pass for a couple of reasons. One, they had no pass rush. The D-Line simply did not get pressure on the QB. This year, Ray Edwards will be starting right away, and he has the potential for double-digit sacks. He's explosive, fast, and quick off the edge. Also contributing on the Line is Brian Robison and Erasmus James, both of which were not here last year (Robison is a rookie, James was hurt). Leslie Frazier also really likes to blitz, which will add pressure because the LBs are pretty quick.

Another problem was Fred Smoot, who is now departed. He was really bad last year. Cedric Griffin will be starting, and rookie Marcus McCauley is looking really good as a nickelback. I think they will be better at getting to the passer, which could turn this in a top 5-10 defense in the NFL.

Offensively, there are concerns, but there is talent.

Things all start with the running game, which is good. The O-Line should be improved with a year to gel... the McKinnie-Hutchinson-Birk part of the Line could be the best LT-LG-C combo in the League, at least on paper. From the RB standpoint, there is a lot of talent. Chester Taylor had over 1200 yards last year (as well as being dependable receiver), and he won't even be the most talented RB in Minnesota. That would be Adrian Peterson, my pick for the Rookie of the Year.

That just means that QB Tarvaris Jackson needs to keep defenses honest, and I really think he can do that. He's very unproven, which is why the Vikings are being rated so low (and it's hard to argue with people who say he is raw), but he has improved immensely. It was only preseason, but he was making good, quick reads. He has a strong arm, and has the mobility to make plays with his feet. There will definitely be ups-and-downs (in no small part because the WR corps is inexperienced and unproven), but I love his talent.

With the defense and running game, Tarvaris Jackson needs only to be average to make this a competitive football team. I really think he can do that. I think the Vikings will be a very tough team to play, and will be in the hunt for the Wilcard.

Am I delusional? Do I have a reason to be so optimistic? I'd love to hear your thoughts on the Vikings' chances this season.

The Adrian Peterson Run

You already know why I think Adrian Peterson will be the NFL Rookie of the Year... but if you need more convincing, or if you just want to see the reason why Vikings' fans are so very excited about this guy, watch this video (if you haven't already):



W-O-W! Watching that gives me goosebumps.

NFL Prediction: Adrian Peterson will be the Rookie of the Year

I don't know how this matches up to some other bold predictions I've made, and it may just be blatant homerism, but I'm putting in my prediction right now that Adrian Peterson will be the NFL Rookie of the Year as long as he stays healthy.

I know, he is in a running back by committee system along with Chester Taylor. But just watch this play and tell me who you think will be getting more carries in this offense. Chester Taylor does a lot of things well, but Adrian Peterson is just an amazing runner. He's fast, he's quick, he's powerful... he's got more talent than most running backs in the NFL have. It's only preseason, but Peterson had carries for 70 yards against the Jets, and looked VERY impressive doing it.

But still, both guys will get carries. I understand that. But I do think that as the Vikings get closer to the goal line, Peterson will start to get more carries and more TDs. He's just got a nose for the endzone, and he has the power to get in there. He scored 41 touchdowns in college. Also, as the year goes on, I think Peterson will start to get more and more carries, as his talent will just be too difficult to keep off the field.

There is also some concern about his health, as he was bothered by some injuries in college. Obviously this is a concern, but I think the fact that he won't have to play every down right away will help. While the presence of Chester Taylor will hurt him a little in terms of overall numbers, it will help him stay fresh.

So what do you think? Can Adrian Peterson be the Rookie of the Year, or is this just wishful thinking on my part?

Football is back!

Normally, I must admit that I don't really care about the preseason. A lot of it is basically glorified scrimmages, and that's not all that exciting.

However, this year, for some reason, I was feeling differently. I was really pumped up to finally see the Vikings in action again, and even watched some other preseason action as well, which I normally do not do.

I think part of this was about finally seeing Tarvaris Jackson playing again. (warning: Vikings talk ahead). Jackson looked poised, accurate, and they moved the ball with the first-team offense. They didn't put a lot of points on the board, but that doesn't really worry me too much since it was the first preseason game.

Also, I was excited to get my first look at Adrian Peterson in a Vikings uniform. He looked a little tentative early, but seemed to get more and more comfortable. Really, he looked like he was about one broken tackle away from taking it the distance on every play. That is one strong dude.

How about you? Are you watching any of the preseason games?

NFL Draft Final Thoughts

All (or at least some) of my thoughts:

- Like everyone else, the pick of Ted Ginn by the Dolphins at #9 was a bit perplexing. Brady Quinn's a pretty darn good QB prospect, and that's one thing they needed. Instead, they passed on him to get a great punt returner and slightly above average WR. I really do like Ginn, and the fact that they got John Beck in round 2 softens the suckiness of the pick some, but unless Cam Cameron knows something we don't, this was just perplexing.

- That first round was looooooooong. Do they really need 15 minutes between each pick? Really? Even reducing it to 12 minutes would help.

- Keyshawn Johnson on Adrian Peterson: "His character is extremely well." I have found out that I really dislike Keyshawn no matter what he's doing.

- Speaking of Peterson, got to take a look at the Vikings draft. I really, really liked it, just like Ragnarok, and the Norseman.. Adrian Peterson is a great pick in round 1... they went BPA instead of just drafting for need, and I couldn't be happier. In subsequent rounds they filled needs with guys with tremendous upside, such as with Sidney Rice and Marcus McCauley. I love it.

- The Lions might suck again, but with Mike Martz calling plays for an offense featuring Roy Williams, Calvin Johnson, and Mike Furrey at WR, they should be fun to watch.

- There was some thought that the Saints shouldn't have taken Meachem because they have other needs, but I liked the pick. I've said before I think Meachem is the 3rd best WR in the draft, so I think nabbing him at 30 makes the Saints offense just that much more potent.

- For the record, my QB rankings: JaMarcus Russell, Brady Quinn, John Beck, Trent Edwards, Drew Stanton.

What did you think about the Draft? What stuck out to you?

NFL Draft Predictions

I already know I'm going to be too lazy to do a mock draft, so I figured I should just give some of my predictions and thoughts... I might have some more as we get closer to the Draft, but here's my thoughts for now:

As of now, my WR rankings:
1. Calvin Johnson - Nothing needs to be said.
2. Ted Ginn - He seems to be dropping, but he's just explosive with the ball. Whether he's getting a handoff, making a catch, or returning a kick, he is always a threat to score. There are better pure receivers in this draft, but not too many guys that are better playmakers.
3. Robert Meachem - I actually had him ranked high before it was cool to do so. Size, strength, speed... he's a physical specimen.
4. Dwayne Bowe - Another big guy... after CJ, he is the best WR here and going up and getting the ball in traffic.
5. Dwayne Jarrett - Another guy that is dropping like a rock, but I think teams are getting a little carried away. He's compared to Mike Williams because he's from USC and is a little slow, but he's a hard worker, and he knows how to get open and catch the football. I think he'll be just fine as a possession receiver.

- Joe Thomas going fishing instead of going to the Draft... that is awesome.

In a perfect world, here's the rankings of guys I would most want on the Vikings:
1. Calvin Johnson
2. Joe Thomas
3. Adrian Peterson
4. Gaines Adams
5. Laron Landry

- I think whoever takes Michael Bush in round 3 or 4 is going to wind up really happy.

- I know about the Lions and their history with WR... but I'd take Calvin Johnson if he's there at #2. He's the best player in the draft. You can't let past mistakes take you away from doing what is best for the team now.

- I am older than Amobi Okoye.

- I see Drew Stanton going in round 2 or 3 in most mocks, but I just don't see him being successful in the NFL. He's got some talent, and he was playing without much of a supporting cast at MSU, but he was just a little inconsistent for me. I just don't see him ever being a good NFL starter.

What are some of your thoughts?

Early NFL Draft Entrants

For the complete list of NFL Early Entrants, you can look here, but for fun, I'll just take a look at the biggest names that I know a little something about, separated by position.

Quarterback
JaMarcus Russell, LSU - regular readers will know that I'm a fan of JaMarcus Russell... he's my #1 QB prospect heading into the draft. He's got a huge arm, was pretty accurate this year, and physically is the most gifted QB in the draft. Definitely made the right move coming out now for the Draft.

Colt Brennan, Hawaii - Brennan put up super numbers this year... 58 TD, lots of yards, etc. but now we'll see if NFL teams think he's just a system QB or a legitimate prospect. He'll probably be competing with Troy Smith and Drew Stanton to be the 3rd QB taken in the Draft. That spot would have gone to Brian Brohm, but of course he decided to stay in school.

Running Back
Adrian Peterson, Oklahoma - I think Peterson is a great NFL prospect and should be a great NFL RB as long as he can stay healthy. He's fast, he's a tough inside runner, and he can make people miss. In many ways I think he's every bit the RB prospect that Reggie Bush was last year, albeit a very different style.

Darius Walker, Notre Dame - this surprised me a bit when I saw Walker was coming out. I personally am not that high on him... I didn't think he was that good running the ball, but he is an excellent receiver out of the backfield. At best, I think he'll be a Kevin Faulk type without the Special Teams skills. Which isn't bad, but I'm just a little surprised he came out with another year left of eligibility.

Michael Bush, Lousville - he must have really not wanted to go back to school, entering the Draft even after the big injury. Even so, as long as he can show he's healthy, he'll probably be a late first round back. He's got good patience and vision in the backfield and should be a solid runner.

Marshawn Lynch, California - Lynch has big play ability and will probably be the second RB off the board. He averaged over 6 YPC each of his 3 years and greatly increased his receiving totals this year as well. He finished with almost 1700 all-purpose yards this year.

Wide Receiver
Calvin Johnson, Georgia Tech - I think Johnson is excellent and he will be the top WR off the board. If he fell to the Vikings at #7 I would possibly faint out of joy. He's fast, he's got great hands, great body control, great anticipation... basically, he rocks.

Ted Ginn, Ohio St. - Ginn's my #2 WR on the board. He's not a great route runner and he doesn't have the best hands ever, but he makes things happen. He's similar to Reggie Bush in that anytime he has the ball he is capable of scoring. Extra boost for being such a Special Teams threat as well. I'm a big fan.

Dwayne Jarrett, USC - Jarrett has very good hands and is a pretty good route runner. He may not be as explosive after the catch as Ginn or Johnson, but it's hard to argue with the production. 41 TD catches in 3 years.

Robert Meachem, Tennessee - not sure if this was a good year for a fringe underclassmen WR to come to the draft. Meachem is obviously talented (he put up BIG numbers for the Vols this year), but he'll be either the 5th or 6th WR off the board most likely. Still, should be an excellent 2nd round pick for some team.

Sidney Rice, South Carolina - See Meachem. Rice is very talented, but I'm not sure he'll go higher than any of the top 4. Should be a solid NFL player.

Defense
Jamaal Anderson, Alabama - I've heard a lot of talk about Anderson since he declared, and now he may even be the first DE taken in the draft. I'll admit I don't know much about him right now, though hopefully I'll learn, as he could be one of the Vikings top choices at #7.

Reggie Nelson, Florida - I was impressed everytime I watched Nelson play this year. He's a big hitter in the secondary, but more importantly he always seemed to have good instincts going to get the ball. Even if he wasn't going for the INT, he was in plays hitting WR as the ball got there, tipping balls, etc. and was one of the main reasons Florida's defense was as good as it was.

There's a lot of other good early entrant players defensively, most notably Jarvis Moss of Florida and Alan Branch of Michigan, but I really don't know much at all about them, so I won't bore you with bad generalizations.

So anyway, what guys are you most looking forward to watching?

9 Things I Think I Know about College Football

Ok, I realize I'm basically copying Peter King's "10 Things I Think I Think," but I don't think he'll mind. If you're reading this Peter and you do mind, my apologies.

Anyway, here are the 9 things I think I know about college football as of right now. These are probably sure to change within the week, because that's how things are. So sue me.

1) For all the preseason talk, the Big East is better than the ACC.
The ACC has more depth (since they have about twice the teams), I'll grant you that, but the Big East is much stronger up top. With the anemic FSU offense, and the mediocre seasons of Miami and Va. Tech, that leaves Clemson and Georgia Tech as [arguably] the 2 best teams in the ACC. They're solid clubs, but West Virginia and Louisville are both head and shoulders above them. The rest of the Big East isn't so bad either. The 3rd and 4th best teams are Pittsburgh and Rutgers, a combined 12-1. Pitt is playing great with Tyler Palko at the helm, and Rutgers has some fine talent on offense. I'll take the top 4 in the Big East over the top 4 in the ACC, no questions asked.

2) It's a shame Adrian Peterson may never play another college football game.
Let's face it, there's a great chance Peterson will leave Oklahoma for the NFL after this year, and that's probably the right choice. I'm just disappointed that with the broken collarbone, we may not see him run the ball in college anymore. He's carred the load (when healthy) in Norman since he got there, and he was on a Heisman campaign this year. Let's be honest, he is better bit the NFL prospect Reggie Bush was, just a much different style of RB. It was great to watch him for the Sooners, and it's too bad that we may never get to see that again.

3) The new clock rules are bad.
Seriously, a running clock after the change of possession? They thought this was a good idea? Can they at least change it so the clock stops in the last 2 minutes, or maybe the whole 4th quarter? Please?

4) The Heisman is Troy Smith's to lose.
Coming into the year, I thought Brady Quinn and Adrian Peterson were the Heisman favorites. However, Quinn has struggled a bit (especially against Michigan), and Peterson is hurt. Leaving Troy Smith all alone up top. If OSU goes undefeated, there is a 0% chance Smith doesn't win the Heisman as long as he stays healthy. You can quote me on that.

5) All things being equal, Florida is the best team in the SEC.
Yes, I know they lost to Auburn. And Auburn played great. But I think they were helped out a lot by the home crowd. Obviously, that's the advantage of home-field advantage. However, if these teams meet again in the SEC Championship, I'll take Florida. I think they're faster, more athletic, and stronger up front defensively. One thing's for sure, that's definitely a rematch I'd love to see.

6) California is the best team in the Pac-10.
Sure, they got rocked in the opening game against Tennessee, but they're a different team now. Since then, their closest game has been 18 points, and that's including games against ASU (who gave USC all they wanted), and a very talented Oregon team. USC's still a very talented team, and they'll be playing Cal at home, but from what I've seen, Cal is the better team right now. That may change in the next month when they play, but right now Cal is better defensively and more explosive offensively.

7) Michigan (with a healthy Mario Manningham) is the best team in the country.
Ohio St. may have something to say about that, and they obviously have a strong case, but no team has impressed me more than Michigan. Chad Henne has been accurate and is making good decisions, Michael Hart is the best RB in the Big 10, and Mario Manningham is the most explosive player not named Ted Ginn in the conference. But what sets them apart is the defense. They're giving up 13.6 PPG, but that's not against an easy schedule. They held a powerful Irish team to 21 points, a pretty darned good Wisconsin team to 13 points, and no one else in the Big 10 over 14. If they get by Iowa, it looks like pretty smooth sailing for the Wolverines to be heading into Columbus with an undefeated record.

8) There will be more BCS Controversy.
As it stands right now, there are 5 teams near the top of the polls that are undefeated in Ohio St., Michigan, USC, West Virginia, and Louisville. With OSU/Michigan and WVU/Louisville games in the future, that leaves 3 of those teams being possibly undefeated. USC still hs games against Oregon, Cal, and Notre Dame, and I don't really like their chances to come out of that unscathed. Which would leave 2 teams... and odds are, at least one of them will lose. That's what tends to happen. Which would leave a 0-loss team playing a 1-loss team in the BCS Title Game. Which means that...

9) Michigan will play Auburn for the National Championship.
Obviously in this scenario Michigan would beat Ohio St., and as I've mentioned, I think that's entirely possible. Which leaves Auburn as the 1-loss team making it. They have 5 games left on their regular season schedule, and frankly, the game are not that intimidating. Their toughest remaining opponents are Georgia (who has looked pretty bad lately) and @ Alabama (who hasn't been that great either). After that, they may not even make the SEC Title game. For all intents and purposes, they are 2 games back of Arkansas, and the Razorbacks are playing real well behind the running game and solid defense. It's very possible they lose 1 game or less the rest of the way. The biggest crimp in this plan that I see is that I look at West Virginia's remaining schedule and I'm not sure anyone can beat them, especially with Michael Bush being hurt. But it is worth noting that Auburn is above West Virginia in the inaugural BCS Standings.

So there you have... some bold predictions, some not so bold. What do you think?

College Football Preview: Big 12

Last year, this conference was basically Texas and a whole bunch of average teams. This year? Well, not a whole lot better, but it does look like everyone else is catching up and some of those average teams improved. Let's take a look.

Player of the Year: Without question the most talented player in the conference is Adrian Peterson of Oklahoma. In his freshman year he ran for over 1800 yards, but that dropped off due to injury and an inconsistent pass game. Some of those same probelsm might still be there with the dismisall of Rhett Bomar, which will allow defenses to once again stack the line and gear up to stop Peterson. This should open the door for other candidates, namely Jamaal Charles of Texas. He was overshadowed last year by some guy named Vince Young and the fact that he was just a freshman. Still, he managed to run for 878 yards (on 7.4 YPC), and should keep improving that as he gets more touches. He's an explosive player and one of the big reasons Texas won't drop off much this year.

After that, there's a couple of QB candidates. One is Iowa St. QB Bret Meyer. He's a junior but already in his third year as the starter, and he's one of the most accurate and most athletic QBs in the conference. Plus, with great WR Todd Blythe in the mix, he has weapons. Another potential candidate is Nebraska QB Zac Taylor. He should now be fully entrenched in the offense Bill Callahan has put in, and with his top 2 WR returning, he should put up good numbers. Still, all of these guys pretty much only have a pipe dream if Adrian Peterson stays healthy. He is the best back in all of American and a big contender for the Heisman, and this is why he is my pick for Player of the Year.

Freshmen to Watch: The most important positional battle as far as the conference is concerned is the Texas QB position, which is between RS freshman Colt McCoy and true freshman Jevan Snead. Both will probably get playing time early, but they'll need one of them to grab the spot and flourish if they're going to make any noise this year. Word out of camp is that Snead is probably more talented, but McCoy is more polished. Should be one of the more fascinating battles to watch in all of the country. Another freshman to watch is RB Michael Goodson of Texas A&M. He might have been the best HS back out of Texas last year, and could be in the mix early for the Aggies.

Breakout Players: Nebraska has shifted emphasis from the running game to the passing game, but that doesn't mean they don't have a talented back in Marlon Lucky. With Cody Ross gone, Lucky should get more carries and has the talent to take advantage of them. In Texas Tech, they'll finally go into a year without a senior QB starting for the first time, and so it looks like sophomore Graham Harrell will be the starter there. With Mike Leach's offensive philsophy and the great WR trio fo Joel Filani, Jarrett Hicks, and Robert Johnson returning, Harrell should put up huge numbers. A final player is Stephen McGee of Texas A&M. Ryan McNeal has finally graduated, leaving the accurate McGee as the starter.

Other things to watch: Texas may have lost their all-world QB, but they're still returning a ton of talent, including their top 4 RB and starting WR. They'll obviously be extremely dangerous. Can the North ever catch up to the South in terms of team talent? Well, not this year. I'm also going to be very interested in watching Dan Hawkins, who has been so good at Boise St., and if he can turn around the Colorado program.

Best Games:
- Texas vs. Oklahoma - We all know about the tradition of this rivalry. Texas finally ended the drought and beat the Sooners last year, but can they make it 2 in a row? (October 7)
- Texas at Nebraska - Two very talented offensive teams meet up in Lincoln. (October 14)
- Texas Tech at Oklahoma - One of the best defenses in the nation for Oklahoma takes on the passing game of Texas Tech. It was a great game last year, and should be again. (November 22)

Projected Order of Finish

South:
1. Texas
2. Oklahoma
3. Texas Tech
4. Texas A&M
5. Oklahoma St.
6. Baylor

North:
1. Nebraska
2. Iowa St.
3. Colorado
4. Missouri
5. Kansas
6. Kansas St.

Handicapping the Heisman Hopefuls

Ok, so the college football season is still a while off... but in my opinion, it's never too early to start talking about college football. So I'd thought I'd like my top candidates for the Heisman, and what I predict their odds to be.

Brady Quinn (Notre Dame)
This one's pretty obvious. Quinn's basically the golden boy of college football right now, playing at Notre Dame under Charlie Weis. These are two very large pluses in his corner. Because all of Notre Dame's games are on TV, everyone in the nation will get to see him a lot. Playing for Charlie Weis is always a good thing for a QB, and Quinn showed last year. Maurice Stovall is gone, but Jeff Samardzija is back, and Darius Walker in the backfield means that teams can't just key on the pass. With Weis, one of the (if not the) best offensive minds in all of football, Notre Dame should have an extremely potent offense, all centered around Brady Quinn.
Odds: 2/1

Adrian Peterson (Oklahoma)
Peterson was bogged down by injury trubles and the fact that the Sooners had no passing game last year. Even so, he averaged 5.0 yards per carry and scored 14 TD. This year, as long as he can stay healthy, and Rhett Bomar can make some strides at the QB position, I expect his numbers will be closer to his 2004 campaign, where he rushed for 1925 yards as a true freshman. He'll be the center of the offense for a good team in a relatively weak major conference, meaning he should be able to gain lots of yards and score lots of TDs.
Odds: 3/1

Troy Smith (Ohio St.)
With the exit of Vince Young to the NFL, Smith becomes the top dual threat QB in all of college football. If Smith had started and played all of the Texas game, I think there's a very good chance that last season would have played out much differently. As it is, Smith is a great runner, but his passing is what improved all game by game. He finished the season very strong with good games against archrival Michigan and against Notre Dame in the bowl game, which should give him lots of momentum and confidence coming into the year.
Odds: 8/1

Ted Ginn (Ohio St.)
And now we see part of the reason that Smith is so dangerous... he has a pretty good target to throw to. Ginn is one of the most explosive receivers in college football, a gamebreaker in every sense of the word. As with Smith, we were reminded again of Ginn's big-play ability in the Fiesta Bowl, where Ginn caught 8 passes for 167 yards and a TD in addition to running for 73 yards and a TD. Wide Receivers typically have a hard time winning the Heisman, but Ginn is a possiblity because of his all-around explosiveness.
Odds: 12/1

Marshawn Lynch (California)
Playing in the same conference as Reggie Bush and LenDale White, he sometimes got overshadowed last year, but I don't think that will be a problem this year. He split carries with JJ Arrington his freshman season, but last year he got the ball more (almost 200 carries), and showed just how good he is. In only 196 carries, he ran for 1264 yards, or 6.4 yards per carry. He also ran for 10 TD. If Cal can get more consistent play from the QB position (which you wouldn't think would be a problem with Jeff Tedford), the Bears should contend for a Pac-10 title, which certainly helps Lynch's Heisman hopes.
Odds: 20/1

Brian Brohm (Louisville)
A heralded recruit coming out of high school, Brohm showed why last year. Leading a potent Louisville attack (RB Michael Bush is also a Heisman candidate coming into the year), Brohm is accurate (68.8 completion %), efficent (9.58 YPA), and makes good decisions (19/5 TD/INT ratio). If he can lead Louisville past West Virginia in the Big East, he could get a lot of Heisman hype.
Odds: 20/1

Chad Henne (Michigan)
Despite a disappointing season for Michigan as a team, Henne remained a constant in there for the Wolverines. In some circles, he was looked at as a little bit of a disappointment, but that's just because he set the bar so high for himself with an excellent freshman campaign. He didn't throw for as many yards last year as he did as a freshman, but he did improve his TD/INT ratio. This year, Michigan should be back on the map, as they are loaded with weapons. Michael Hart should be back and healthy (and he could be a Heisman contender as well), and Kevin Grady got a lot of experience in the backfield. On the receiving corps, Jason Avant is gone, but big play man Steve Breaston is back, as is Mario Manningham. With that offense, Michigan will be right back in the thick of things in the Big 10 with Ohio St. and Penn St.
Odds: 25/1

What's your early predictions?