Nevada Football Season Preview for 2012

Hall of Fame head coach Chris Ault has done a masterful job at Nevada in 27 years with the team. He has guided the Wolf Pack to a combined 226-103-1 record in three separate stints as head coach. In the past eight years, Ault has led Nevada to seven bowl games.

The Wolf Pack had a record 7-6 last year, including a 17-24 loss Southern Miss in the Hawaii Bowl to end the season. With just 12 starters and 31 lettermen coming back, there isn't a whole lot of experience returning in 2012. But they do have some interesting talents on this roster, especially offensively.

Nfl 2012

Offense

Nevada has put up offenses that have regularly been among the best in college football year in and year out. They have averaged over 31 points and 500 yards in four consecutive seasons, including the 31.7 and 507 they put up last year. Ault is an offensive maestro, but he's handing the keys to the offense to new offensive coordinator Nick Rolovich, who was at Hawaii the past two years.

Sophomore QB Cody Fajardo earned Freshman WAC Player of the Year honors for his efforts last season.

The Wolf Pack lose their top two rushers from a year ago in Lampford Mark and Mike Ball. talented freshman Tony Knight will slide into the starting position. Junior Stefphon Jefferson will earn his fair share of carries as well.

This unit should continue to be good despite losing their leading receivers in Rashard Matthews and Shane Anderson. That's because both senior WR Brandon Wimberly and senior TE Zach Sudfeld comes back after missing almost all of last season due to injury. Coming back as well is sophomore WR Aaron Bradley and junior TE Kolby Arendse. They add JUCO transfer Nigel Westbrooks at receiver as well.

The offensive line should be just as strong coming into 2012 with three starters and 75 career starts returning. First-team All-WAC guard Chris Barker and second-team All-WAC tackle Jeff NAdy lead the way.

Defense

The defense gave up a respectable 25.2 points and 369 total yards per game last season. The Wolf Pack return six starters on this side of the ball, but lose their top two tacklers, and many of their best players.

Their biggest loss may be up front where DT Brett Roy has departed. Their only returning starter is junior DT Jack Reynoso. JUCO transfer Cortez Woods should dominate alongside Reynose at defensive tackle. Both sophomore DE's Jake Peppard and Tyler Houk are still quite raw and they may not be ready to be big contributors in 2012.

The linebacker position loses their #1 and #2 tacklers in Brandon Marshall and James-Michael-Johnson. Both players were taken in the NFL during the offseason. Former DE Albert Rosette moved to MLB in the spring. Also coming back is senior SLB Jeremiah Green, and JUCO transfer Jon McNeal's ready to start at the WLB position.

The secondary played exceptionally well last year, allowing just 48.3% completions and 222 passing yards/game to opposing quarterbacks. This unit should once again be their bread and butter on the defensive end as seven of their top eight players are back. They lost first-team All-WAC CB Isaiah Frey to the NFL, but return three starters in senior CB Khalid Wooten, senior SS Duke Williams, and senior FS Marlon Johnson.

Mountain West Prediction - 2nd Place

The Wolf Pack move from the WAC to the Mountain West this season. While the MWC used to be very strong, it appears to be down this season with the departure of TCU, and a lot of inexperience from most teams in the conference. Boise State is even expected to be down this year. The Wolf Pack certainly has the talent to compete for a conference title in their first year in the MWC. Their schedule is also quite manageable facing teams on the road that are winnable, while all their toughest games will be played at home. Their game against Boise State at home at the end of the regular season could be the deciding factor on whether or not the Wolf Pack can win the conference.

Nevada Football Season Preview for 2012

Jack Jones provides his football picks each Saturday at Betfirms.com and NCAAFootballFreePicks.com.

2012 Iowa Hawkeyes Football Predictions

Under head coach Kirk Ferentz, Iowa has put together a number of successful seasons. In his first 13 years on the job, he has led the Hawkeyes to at least seven wins in nine of the past 11 seasons. This year, another 7 win season is definitely within reach.

Iowa could just have easily won nine games last year if it wasn't for some very close contests that they let slip away in the form of an Iowa State overtime loss and one point heartbreaker against Minnesota. The schedule once again seems to favor the Hawkeyes, but they need to adjust to new coordinators Greg Davies and Phil Parker.

Nfl 2012

The changes to the coaching staff might just work out well for Iowa since they had gotten stale and predictable on both sides of the ball.

Offense

Senior quarterback, James Vandenberg might very well be the best pure passer in the Big Ten. He threw for 3,032 yards with 25 touchdowns and only seven interceptions in 2011. While he will certainly miss Marvin McNutt's excellent play as the school's all-time leading receiver, the presence of Keenan Davis will still make life easier for Vandenberg. Davis caught 50 passes for 713 yards and four scores last season.

Sophomore wide receiver Kevonte Martin-Manly seems to be coming into his own, showing flashes of brilliance last year. Look for him to be even more productive in 2012 in a larger role.

With Iowa being known for having good tight ends, it looks as though C.J. Fiedorowics might just be the latest player to be added on that list and have a bright future with the NFL on the horizon.

Iowa's offensive line might be decimated with the loss of three starters, and they will definitely miss the play of All-Big Ten left tackle Riley Reiff.

Coming into the new season, the running back position seems to be the biggest area of concern for the Hawkeyes. Last year's leading rusher, Marcus Coker, has left the program and the guy that was supposed to replace him, Jordan Canzeri, had a debilitating knee injury that will sideline him for the season. Now it seems as though Damon Bullock, the unproven sophomore, will get the starting job.

Defense

Iowa was a regular fixture among the elite defensive teams in the nation for a number of seasons until they drastically fell off last year. The Hawkeyes finished just eighth in the Big Ten in both total and scoring defense with 378.9 yards and 23.9 points allowed. Their struggles were even more apparent against the pass as they would repeatedly fail to mount much of a pass rush.

Parker is expected to blitz more to get pressure on opposing quarterbacks, but he'll also be counting on end Dominic Alvis and tackle Steve Bigach to get penetration.

Big Ten Legends Prediction: 4th Place

Iowa has had years where they overachieved and 2012 could prove to be one of those years. The Hawkeyes have very little chance to win the Legends division but they could finish as high as second with a relatively easy schedule.

2012 Iowa Hawkeyes Football Predictions

Jack Jones posts his football picks at Betfirms.com as well as FootballFreePicks.com.

2012 Baylor Bears Football Season Preview

Head coach Art Briles has done a wonderful job of turning this program around in just his 4th year on the job. Baylor just completed their first 10-win season since 1980, and Briles has taken this team to two straight bowl games. Art has certainly proved himself to be a solid recruiter, now it will be up to him to take this team to the next level with the loss of a great talent in Robert Griffin III.

While the Bears return a solid 14 starters and 54 lettermen, their offense take a hit since they lose five NFL draft choices on that side of the ball alone. Baylor relied on their offense to win games last year, now they may need their defense to shoulder most of the weight in the new season.

Nfl 2012

Offense

Baylor had one of the better offenses in the country last season. They averaged a whopping 45.3 points and 587 total yards/game. They also had extremely good balance that made them extremely tough to defend. They averaged 351 yards through the air and 236 yards per game on the ground. With only six starters returning on offense, Baylor will have a very hard time putting up the same numbers it did last year.

Heisman Trophy winner Robert Griffin III will be very difficult to replace at quarterback. He was selected as the second overall pick in the draft by the Washington Redskins and his amazing production will be sorely missed.

Senior Nick Florence takes over at quarterback, and even though he is nowhere near as talented as Griffin, at least he has some experience.

Running back Tarrance Ganaway will be missed by the Bears in many different ways as he was an extremely underrated player on the team. He was picked by the New York Jets in the 6th round of the NFL draft. Oregon transfer Lache Seastrunk will likely be the new starter in 2012.

Kendall Wright also moved on to the NFL, but the Bears can take the solace on the fact that they bring back six of their top seven receivers. The players returning include Terrance Williams, Tevin Reese, Lanear Sampson, and junior TE Jordan Najvar.

The Bears also lose great players on the line in first-team All-Big 12 Philip Blake and second-team All-Big 12 right guard Robert T. Griffin. They do bring back three starters and 77 careers starts up front, but they have lost their two best linemen.

Defense

Despite a criminally poor defense that yielded 37.2 points and 488 total yards/game, Baylor was still able to win 10 games. Whatever the cause, 2012 should be a much improved season for them on defense with eight starters returning.

The Bears gave up 197 yards per game and 5.2/carry on the ground last season. They lose two solid defensive tackles in Nicolas Jean-Baptiste and Tracy Robertson. Junior DE Terrance Lloyd and senior DE Gary Mason are two returning starters who will anchor the defensive line.

The Bears should still be solid at linebacker despite losing leading tackler Elliot Coffey to graduation. They have five of their top six returning including junior starters Ahmad Dixon and Rodney Chadwick. Sophomore Bryce Hager is expected to replace Chadwick at middle linebacker, while Eddie Lackey is expected to start right away.

The secondary may just be the strength of the team as they helped Baylor to force a lot of turnovers. They had a ridiculous 18 takeaways over the final five regular season games and with the entire 2-deep back in the defensive backfield, more of the same can be expected.

Big 12 Prediction - 9th Place

This is a rebuilding year for Baylor since it's virtually impossible to replace the players they lost to the NFL draft. A lot of their talent on the offensive side of the ball is gone and it's very hard to see them post anywhere near the same numbers as last year. While their defense will obviously be improved, their defense last year was so bad that it won't mean much. Baylor has an extremely tough schedule ahead of them and it seems as though this team can win no more than two conference games.

2012 Baylor Bears Football Season Preview

Jack Jones posts his football picks at Betfirms.com as well as FootballFreePicks.com.

2012 New York Jets Football Preview: Turbulence Ahead For Mark Sanchez and the Jets

2012 New York Jets football Preview: Turbulence Ahead For Mark Sanchez and the Jets

The New York jets followed up an 11-win season two years ago with a dismal 8-8 season in 2011. The Jets finished the season in a free-fall losing three straight games to a combined 93-50, and that trend will continue into the upcoming season.

Super Bowl 2012

Online sportsbook Just Bet has listed the Jets as 12-to-1 to win the AFC and an eye-popping 25-to-1 to win the Super bowl.

In the Super Bowl preview, the Jets did not make the cut and in the NFL Win Total Predictions for every team, the Jets were forecast to go under 8.5 wins on the season. The win totals for the Jets is currently listed at 8.5 (u+125). If that were to come true, the Jets would fall below.500 for the first time since the 2007 season.

One of the biggest problems for the Jets a year ago was team chemistry as the locker room turned on one another as the season ended. As long as players like Santonio Holmes are still on the team that is unlikely to change.

Mark Sanchez is under tremendous pressure at the quarterback spot and the Jets brass did not do him any favors by bringing in the mass-media mega machine in Tim Tebow. Rex Ryan has already announced that Tebow will play a big role in the offense and any bad play by Sanchez will turn the team, fans, and media on Sanchez. The disappointing season by the Jets could most certainly mean the end of Mark Sanchez with the Jets.

The 2012 Jets football schedule is not going to help them either. They start the season off by hosting the improved Buffalo Bills and the opening line posted by WagerWeb was unbelievable. The Jets will lose that game, yet they are still favorites? They could easily be swept by the Patriots, have tough road games against the Steelers, Buffalo, and Seattle, and brutal home games against the 49ers, Texans, and the Chargers.

In short, the New York Jets are looking for another long season without a chance of taking down the Patriots for the AFC East.

The Jets have not addressed the lack of speed on this team and if anything they have taken a step back. The Jets will finish the season at 7-9 if they are lucky and will miss the playoffs for the second season in a row.

2012 New York Jets Football Preview: Turbulence Ahead For Mark Sanchez and the Jets

For more NFL previews on the upcoming season check out http://www.bookieblitz.com for all your NFL needs.

Overview of the 2012 Rutgers Football Team

With the departure of 11-year head coach Greg Schiano for the NFL, the Rutgers are now set for a new era. Schiano's time with the team was littered with accomplishments and success and he will be sorely missed.

Rutgers hired Schiano's assistant Kyle Flood in the hopes that he could maintain Schiano's program. Flood takes over the team with some real talent and 15 starters returning. They had a record of 9-4 last season, and the transition to the new coaching staff will certainly be easier, but it's still a concern.

Nfl 2012

Offense:

Last year, Rutgers was forced to split quarterback duties between a couple of freshman in Gary Nova and Chas Dodd and they struggled in the process. Neither quarterback did well enough to secure their spot in the starting lineup in 2012. What will likely happen is that neither player will have the starting job locked up until the end of fall practice.

Regardless of who ends up starting at quarterback, they need to find a way of turning things around in the running game. They averaged a measly 98 yards/game and only 2.8 yards/carry last year. The Scarlet Knights once again struggled to crack the 3.0 yards/carry mark. It was certainly a surprise to see the team struggle with their running game as much as they did last year. Rutgers landed one of the top recruits in the nation in Savon Huggins but he struggled to make a lasting impact until his season ended seven games into the season. Red-shirt freshman Jawan Jamison managed to lead the team with 897 yards and nine touchdowns, but it's likely he takes a step back to Huggins in 2012.

The Scarlet Knights must find a way to replace the production of 4th Team All-American Mohamed Sanu. The departure of Sanu would have definitely hurt more if it wasn't for the emergence of freshman Brandon Coleman last year.

Despite having a mediocre quarterback under center and an unproven running game, their offensive line should be one of the best in the Big East this coming season. They have to replace three starters, but the addition of Maryland transfer R.J. Dill at right tackle, the emergence of Andre Civil as one of the top left guards in the conference and with 3rd Team Freshman All-American left tackle Kaleb Johnson coming back, this unit looks to be deadly in 2012.

Defense:

The defense of the Scarlet Knights is what will make this squad fun to watch as they had an excellent campaign in that regard last year. With eight starters coming back in 2012, look for the team to continue to be one of the best defenses in the Big East.

Despite losing starting defensive tackle Justin Francis and defensive end Manny Abreu, the defensive line should be even better than it was a year ago. Rutgers returns one of the premier defensive tackles in all of college football in Scott Vallone, and add in one of the top ten freshman defensive ends in the country in Darius Hamilton. They also expect big things out of highly touted red-shirt defensive tackle Marquise Wright.

The return of all three starting linebackers from last year is what is keeping this team as one of the top defenses in the Big East this season. Weak-side linebacker Khaseem Green headlines this unit and he was named Big East Defensive Player of the Year in 2011.

The secondary also figures to be unit loaded with different weapons and talent. The Scarlet Knights have one of the top corners in the nation in junior Logan Ryan and a big time playmaker at free safety in Duron Harmon. They also have starting corner Brandon Jones and one of their top backup corners in Mason Robinson both coming back.

Big East Prediction - 4th Place

The loss of Schiano is the biggest reason this team slips to 4th place. Flood can still lead this team to a Big East title, but chances are they will disappoint. They have a very hard schedule where they face both South Florida and Pittsburgh on the road. Both teams are among the two highest rated teams in the conference.

Overview of the 2012 Rutgers Football Team

Jack Jones provides his football picks each Saturday at BetFirms and Football Free Picks.

Six Non-1st Round Rookies To Consider In Fantasy Football

Most fantasy football players will be concentrating on the big-name rookies selected in the 1st round of the 2012 NFL Draft. Trent Richardson, Justin Blackmon, Michael Floyd and Doug Martin are the obvious rookies to consider adding to your fantasy team. However, often there are rookies taken after the 1st round who have surprisingly productive seasons and outperform the more heralded ones.

Marques Colston was a little-known 7th round pick in the 2006 NFL Draft. All he did for the Saints in his rookie year was catch 70 passes for 1,038 yards (14.8 per) and score 8 touchdowns. Aaron Hernandez was taken in the 4th round of the 2010 NFL Draft and contributed 45 receptions for 563 yards (12.5 per) and 6 scores for New England as a rookie. DeMarco Murray (3rd round, 2011 NFL Draft) was the most impressive rookie running back last year before an ankle injury ended his season. Murray rushed for 897 yards, averaged 5.5 yards per carry and scored 2 touchdowns with just 7 starts for Dallas. The following are six rookies who could be more productive than many fantasy football players expect:

Nfl 2012

TE Dwayne Allen, Indianapolis Colts: The 2011 John Mackey Award winner was the draft's best all-around tight end. Allen has the size and strength to be a solid blocker. He also has the athleticism and hands to be a receiving threat. The Colts would like to play 2 tight ends, 2 wide receivers and 1 running back as their base offense. That is why they drafted Coby Fleener and Dwayne Allen back-to-back. Allen figures to play a lot in this offense. Indianapolis is wisely tailoring their offense around the talents of their quarterback, Andrew Luck. The former Stanford star is used to an offense that features tight ends. Stanford did not have a strong core of receivers, but Luck thrived throwing to a deep and talented group of tight ends. A tight end can be a fine security blanket for a quarterback. Dwayne Allen could find himself the target of a good number of Andrew Luck passes.

WR Juron Criner, Oakland Raiders: The Silver & Black need a good possession receiver to complement some of their speed on the outside. Juron Criner may prove to be a steal for the Raiders and fantasy football players. Criner caught 32 touchdowns passes in college and has a knack for catching the ball in traffic. His route running ability enables him to play faster than he times in the Forty-yard dash. Carson Palmer should develop confidence in throwing the ball to Criner because he has such terrific hands. Palmer should also be better this year with a full off-season to learn the Raiders' offense. Juron Criner could push for playing time as a rookie and be a surprising contributor to the Raiders.

WR Alshon Jeffery, Chicago Bears: The Bears were wasting Jay Cutler's passing ability with a mediocre group of receivers. That changed this off-season. Brandon Marshall was brought in via a trade and Alshon Jeffery was drafted in the 2nd round. Jeffery is a big target with huge, soft hands. His ability to highpoint the ball is very impressive. A subpar conditioning effort and poor quarterback play led to a less productive 2011 season for Jeffery and cost him being a 1st round selection. He reportedly is in shape now and Jay Cutler can deliver the football. Jeffery can be a factor in the end zone and a solid possession receiver for Chicago in 2012.

RB Lamar Miller, Miami Dolphins: There is a lot of change in Miami with a new coaching staff. The west coast offense will be used and that means a good number of quick, short passes. Naturally, Reggie Bush will be utilized more as a pass receiver this season. Lamar Miller did not catch a lot of passes out of the backfield for the Hurricanes, but displayed pretty good hands. Miller has outstanding acceleration and speed. His burst was better than any back in the 2012 NFL Draft. The University of Miami product dropped in the draft due concerns over his surgically repaired shoulder. Miller is recovering well from his December surgery and will be able to handle contact in time for training camp.

He could very well beat out Daniel Thomas who was very disappointing as a rookie last year. Thomas (581 rushing yards, 3.5 yards per carry and zero touchdowns) did not run with power or speed in 2011. Miller could carve out a nice niche in Miami's offense as a complement to Bush. In addition, Reggie Bush has averaged only nine starts a season in his six-year career. It may have been an aberration that Bush started fifteen games last year. Miller is also a dangerous kickoff returner and his speed is a big play waiting to happen. A mediocre group of receivers could mean that the Dolphins must find a way to get the ball into the hands of their two most explosive players (Reggie Bush and Lamar Miller).

WR Rueben Randle, New York Giants: A rookie playing much on a Super Bowl-winning team normally does not happen. However, the Giants lost Mario Manningham to free agency and need a 3rd receiver to emerge. Randle could have put-up much bigger receiving numbers in college had he been in a better situation. LSU wins a lot of games with their strong defense and running attack. This philosophy combined with erratic quarterback play does not shine the spotlight on receiving talent. Randle ran a number of routes in college and has a good feel for the wide receiver position. He has an NFL body and physically should be able to handle press coverage. Randle is not a speed merchant, but he has enough to make some big plays downfield.

He will also notice a big difference between Eli Manning delivering the ball to him rather than Jarrett Lee or Jordan Jefferson (his LSU quarterbacks). The competition for the 3rd receiver spot is not steep for Randle. Domenik Hixon has struggled with injuries and really is a better kickoff returner than receiver. Ramses Barden has made zero impact in three seasons. Jerrel Jernigan has speed and quickness, but is small. He may be best as a punt returner and slot receiver. The Giants ideally would like Victor Cruz to work the slot and have another receiver complement Hakeem Nicks on the outside. Rueben Randle will have every opportunity to be the Giants' 3rd receiver this season.

WR Mohamed Sanu, Cincinnati Bengals: The free agency losses of Jerome Simpson and Andre Caldwell means the Bengals need some young wideouts to emerge. A.J. Green clearly is the lead receiver and an emerging star. Who is going to complement Green remains up in the air. Sanu has a good chance to emerge as a valuable contributor to Cincinnati's passing attack. Andy Dalton does not have a big arm and the fact that Sanu lacks speed may not matter much.

Sanu uses his good size and toughness to run slants effectively. Dalton may develop confidence in the rookie to keep drives alive with well-executed short passes. His competition for playing time is an undistinguished group of receivers. Jordan Shipley (recovering from a serious knee injury), Marvin Jones (fellow rookie), Brandon Tate (better kickoff returner than receiver), Armon Binns and Ryan Whalen are not proven NFL wide receivers. Mohamed Sanu has an excellent opportunity to play a good number of snaps as a rookie.

Six Non-1st Round Rookies To Consider In Fantasy Football

http://www.profootballdraftnetwork.com provides extensive pre and post NFL draft analysis. The site features scouting reports, rankings, top values, biggest risks, interviews with college coaches, players and mock drafts.

LSU Tigers 2012 Football Predictions

2011 was a great year for LSU. The Tigers finished the regular season with an undefeated 12-0 run, including impressive wins against then No. 3 Oregon, No. 3 Arkansas, and No. 2 Alabama. They would finish with an impressive 13-0 with a 42-10 thrashing of No. 12 Georgia in the SEC Title Game, setting up the much anticipated rematch with Alabama in the BCS National Championship Game. It ended up being a cakewalk for Alabama though as they just decimated the Tigers 21-0 in their second meeting. LSU was unable to make it past midfield until the 4th quarter and were outgained 384-92 in total yards.

2012 will be another year where heavy expectations are set in Baton Rouge. Les Miles will have 13 starters (7 offense, 6 defense) back from last year squad. While the expectations may be high, there is plenty to be excited about in the new season. Despite the fact that they will have a new quarterback and will have to replace some big names on the defensive side of the ball, this year's team is arguably better or equally just as talented as the team that went 13-1 in 2011.

Nfl 2012

Offense

The Tigers averaged 35.7 points per game behind a powerful rushing attack that averaged 203 ypg on the ground. The running game looks to be the main focus again in 2012, as they are extremely talented at the running back position and are very experienced up front on the offensive line.

What many fail to realize is that the running back corps were all relatively young last year. Their top four rushers were all freshmen and sophomores. They also boast one of the more balanced attacks in the country. Spencer Ware received 2nd-Team All-SEC honors with 707 yards and eight touchdowns and looks to be the starter heading into 2012. Michael Ford (756 yards, seven touchdowns), Alfred Blue (539 yards, seven touchdowns), and Kenny Hilliard (336 yards, eight touchdowns) will look to help out Ware on the backfield.

All of that talent in the backfield will only benefit from one of the top offensive lines in the country. Despite them losing 2nd-Team All-American guard Will Blackwell, they do have some capable starters returning to fill the void in starting tackles Chris Faulk and Alex Hurst, guard Josh Williford and center P.J. Lonergan. They also get back injured starting guard Josh Dworaczyk. Dworaczyk was the projected starter head into last season, but a season-ending injury thwarted that chance last August. Hurst, Faulk, and Williford are each considered to be one of the top 15 players at their respective positions in the country.

The quarterback position is where there will be a huge change on offense. The Tigers lost their quarterback rotation last year in Jarrett Lee and Jordan Jefferson. It seems that junior college transfer Zach Mettenberger is the projected starting quarterback in 2012. But he will face some stiff competition in a couple of highly recruited red-shirt freshmen in Stephen Rivers (brother of NFL QB Phillip Rivers) and Jerrard Randall.

Passing hasn't been a huge emphasis in the Tiger's offense in recent years despite them sporting a strong core of receivers that have come through the program. They lost 1st Team All-SEC wide out Rueben Randle and his team-best 53 catches for 917 yards and eight touchdowns. But they do have two highly recruited receivers in Odell Beckham (41 catches, 475 yards, two touchdowns) and Russell Shepard (14 catches, 190 yards, four touchdowns) coming back. Sophomore Jarvis Landry is also someone who the Tigers are expecting huge things from over the next three seasons.

Defense

Defensively, the Tigers were superb last year. They help opposing offenses to just 11.3 points/game and 262 yards of total offense. They were outstanding in forcing opposing teams into mistakes, as they finished the year +20 in the turnover department. They were able to capitalize on those mistakes and turn them into scores.

LSU has been widely known for producing NFL talent on the defensive line, as they have had at least one defensive lineman selected in each of the last nine drafts. This year, they lost top defensive tackles in the country in Michael Brockers, who was selected by the St. Louis Rams in the first round. But despite that, LSU still figures to be one of the top units in the trenches in 2012. Sam Montgomery and Barkevius Mingo, two of the top defensive end in the SEC, are set to return. Starting defensive tackle Bennie Logan and 1st Team Freshman All-American tackle Anthony Johnson round out the team.

There is also a lot to like in the secondary if you are a LSU fan. While the Tigers lose 1st Team All-American corner Morris Claiborne, starting strong safety Brandon Taylor, and backup corner Ron Brooks. They also return 1st Team All-American corner Tyrann "Honey Badger" Mathieu and one of the elite free safeties in the country in Eric Reed. They also add in one of the top safety prospects in junior Craig Loston to fill the void left by Taylor, and will have another great player at corner in Tharold Simon.

Linebacker is the one spot where the Tigers may have problems defensively. They've lost two starters in Ryan Baker and Stefoin Francois, but returning middle linebacker can help fill the immeasurable void. Juniors Lamin Barrow and Tahj Jones may take over for the vacant spots, however, one or two of the five talented freshmen can swoop in and win the starting spot.

SEC Prediction - 1st SEC West

The Tigers can defend their SEC Title and go back to the Championship Game, but it's not going to be easy. While they get Alabama at home, they have to go and face Auburn, Florida, Texas A&M and Arkansas on the road. Most of their success will hinge on the shoulders of their new starting quarterback. With Alabama losing some very important pieces defensively and their star running back Trent Richardson, and Arkansas having to deal with the loss of head coach Bobby Petrino, it's looking like the Tigers will win the SEC West and finish the year with at least 11 wins.

LSU Tigers 2012 Football Predictions

Jack Jones posts his football picks at Betfirms.com as well as FootballFreePicks.com.

2012 Michigan State Spartans Football Predictions

Michigan has been a powerhouse these past two seasons. It earned a share of the Big Ten title in 2010 finishing the year at 11-2, and won the Legends division last year, finishing 11-3.

Michigan State's success has them among elite company, as are one of just seven BCS schools to have won at least 11 games over the past two seasons. The string of 11-win seasons could very well come to an end in 2012 as they must replace a plethora of offensive stars.

Nfl 2012

Offense

Without a doubt, the loss of quarterback Kirk Cousins will sting as the Spartans will miss his play and leadership abilities. He led Michigan State to rank second in the Big Ten in passing offense last season.

Junior Andrew Maxwell is expected to take over under center, but he won't have the same proven playmakers to throw to that Cousins had last season. Wide receivers B.J. Cunningham, Keshawn Martin and running back Edwin Baker have all moved on the NFL.

Junior running back Le'Veon Bell is the team's top returning receiver. He hauled in 35 passes for 267 yards last year. He also rushed for 948 yards and 13 scores.

Bell has the opportunity to really show his skill this season with four returning starters on the offensive line. However, Maxwell will need to be able to stretch the field in order to keep defenses from loading the box in an attempt to slow down Bell.

Defense

The Spartans are so good defensively that they will have an opportunity to contend for a second-straight Legends division title.

Michigan State welcomes back eight starters from a unit that led the Big Ten in total defense, run defense, sacks and interceptions.

The defense is led by menacing end William Gholston, who plays the run as well as the pass and imposes his will against opposing offenses.

The Spartans are stacked at linebacker with anchors Denicos Allen and Max Bullough. Allen is the team's primary line of defense against the quarterback, having recorded 11 sacks in 2011. Bullogh is the team's top returning tackler, having recorded 89 stops last year.

The secondary looks to be strong as well with corners Johnny Adams and Darqueze Dennard and safety Isaiah Lewis showing potential this spring. Lewis is a big time hitter who also picked off four passes a year ago.

Big Ten Legends Prediction: 3rd Place

The defense will carry this team once again as their offense takes a considerable hit heading into 2012. With their suspect offense, it just seems unlikely for them to get another Legends title. They get a difficult stretch in the new season which will make or break their bid to repeat as division champs as they face Michigan and Wisconsin on the road. They'll also face a Nebraska team at home that defeated them 24-3 last year.

2012 Michigan State Spartans Football Predictions

Jack Jones posts his football picks at Betfirms.com as well as FootballFreePicks.com.

Youth Football Is Under Attack, How to Defend Our Game

Defending Our Game

If you haven't been camping out under a rock for the last few months, you know our game is under attack. The game we love and devote so much time to in order that our sons and players can gain the life lessons most of us learned from the game, is being viciously assaulted on many fronts. Some are calling for an out right ban on youth football due to the concussion issue or not allowing kids to play until age 13. One of the major problems in today's society is that perception is reality and that perception is shaped by those who are yelling the loudest and the most often.

Nfl 2012

In all fairness, there are football people who did offer up some kindling to get this firestorm started. The NFL and it's "Bountygate" scandal didn't do the game any favors. While the youth game isn't the NFL, many soccer moms think that youth football is a microcosm of the NFL and what happens in little Johnny's league is just a mini version of what happens in the NFL. We also had some youth coaches who didn't understand how to teach safe blocking and tackling or how to recognize concussions. While those coaches are rare today, their legacy lives on. And like it or not, soccer moms make a lot of decisions on whether little Johnny is allowed to play youth football or not.

As most of you are well aware, Bountygate is the least of our worries. The concussion issue is what is dominating the airwaves these days. Concussion diagnosis and prevention has been a point of emphasis for the last 2-3 years. More fuel to that fire was added when Hall of Fame player Junior Seau died of an apparent suicide last week. Speculation was that his depression and subsequent suicide was caused by concussion issues. The Seau suicide was a tragedy, by all accounts Junior was a solid citizen. However there is no evidence that concussions played a role in his death or even that suicide rates are higher among NFL players than the general population. It should be noted that Samoans have one of, if not the highest suicide rate in the world and the US has a very high suicide rate compared to other developed nations.

Another interesting scientifically verified statistic is that former NFL players live much longer than the general population. Did you have any idea that was a verified truth? Many would have you believe that all these former NFL players break down and die prematurely in their 50's. Well that isn't the case at all, they are OUTLIVING the general population. A study was commissioned by the players union to study this very topic.

The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (Niosh), began it's data collection in 1990 and released its findings in January, 2012. They studied 3,439 players who were in the N.F.L. for five seasons or more. They found a lower death rate among former N.F.L. players than among men in the general population - the institute had expected to find that 625 members of the group it studied would be dead based on estimates from the general population, but instead found that 334 of the retired players had died. Yes, those alive were almost DOUBLE the number compared to the general population. These numbers are amazing considering the number of 300 lb plus players and African-American players who are in the NFL, since these groups typically have much higher early mortality rates than the general population. So the next time someone spouts off that National Enquirer like "stat" that NFL players are all dying prematurely in their 50's, please set them straight with the facts.

When it comes to youth football, again it's an entirely different game. We don't have 300 lb players who can run 4.8 40 yard dashes and who can bench press 225 lbs 35 times. Statistics say that 70% of youth players won't play High School football, let alone be part of the 2-3% that go on to play College Football or be one of the 1 in 20,000- 30,000 to go on to play in the NFL. The NFL is the cream of the cream of the cream of the crop, genetic freaks who have honed their bodies into athletic machines capable of inflicting significant hits to one another. But the NFL players abilities have very little correlation to what the average 10 year old can do with his body and in turn to other players.

Mayo Clinic Study

In fact the Mayo Clinic did a study of 913 youth football players on 42 different teams age 9-13. Back in 1997 they found that "most injuries that occurred were mild and that youth football injuries were uncommon." According to Mayo Clinic spokesman Michael J. Stuart M.D the findings showed that "the risk of injury in youth football does not appear greater than the risk associated with other recreational or competitive sports." Most of the injuries were mild and the most common type was a contusion, which occurred in 33 players. Four injuries (fractures involving the ankle growth plate) were such that they prevented players from No player required hospitalization or surgery. Again scientific fact flies in the face of those who would want you to believe that you are somehow an irresponsible Neanderthal parent if you want your son to play youth football.

Most of us coach youth football because the game did something for us and we want to pass that same thing onto others. We want kids to experience being part of a team, teamwork, perseverance, selflessness, goal setting, commitment, hard work, making friends, being coachable, delayed gratification, humility, grace, overcoming obstacles, competition, having fun and much more. There are people out there who for whatever reason either don't understand what youth football is about, had a bad experience from a "bad apple" program or coach or simply oppose kids learning and embracing some of those traditional character traits listed above. Don't let the haters and naysayers dominate the "debate." Know the facts and Share the data so people can make legitimate and honest decisions about their child's involvement in youth football. An additional footnote, I've coached youth football for over 25 years and not a single one of my players have ever been diagnosed with a concussion from anything they did on the football field.

Youth Football Is Under Attack, How to Defend Our Game

Dave Cisar-
Dave is a Nike "Coach of the Year" Designate and speaks nationwide at Coaches Clinics. His book "Winning Youth Football a Step by Step Plan" was endorsed by Tom Osborne and Dave Rimington. His personal teams using this system to date and has a 132-18 record in 5 Different Leagues.

To Sign up for his free tips and drills newsletter or to view 500 free youth football coaching tips go to: Football Plays

2012 Texas Longhorns Football Predictions

The Texas Longhorns have endured back-to-back disappointing seasons and now they feel the pressure to get things turned around. The Longhorns failed to make a bowl in 2010 after 5-7 campaign, and had a mediocre showing with an 8-5 record in 2011. They started out well, winning their first four games before losses to Oklahoma and Oklahoma State derailed their Big 12 title hopes.

Head coach Mack Brown has tallied a 141-139 record at Texas as he enters his 15th season with the program. The Longhorns will have the most experienced team in the conference with 15 starters and 43 lettermen returning. They do not overwhelming expectations nationally, but they have the ability to sneak up on some teams in 2012.

Nfl 2012

Offense

The Longhorns had a poor offensive showing in 2011. They averaged just 28.3 points and 393 total yards per game last year. Their ground game (203 yards per game) was good, but they struggled on the passing attack (only 190 yards/game). Texas started three quarterbacks last year and they need to find that one guy who gives them the consistency they need.

Sophomore David Ash will get the first crack at quarterback despite being less productive than junior Case McCoy last year. Ash threw for 1,068 yards on 56.6 percent completions with four touchdowns and eight interceptions, while McCoy threw for 1,045 yards on 61.4 percent completions with seven touchdowns and four picks. McCoy committed five turnovers in their season-finale last year against Baylor, which prompted Ash to get all of the snaps in their 21-10 victory over California in the Holiday Bowl.

Texaswill have two of its top rushers returning in sophomores Malcolm Brown (742 yards, 4.3/carry, five touchdowns) and Joe Bergeron (463 yards, 6.4/carry, five touchdowns). They will also add the top freshman running back recruit in the country in Johnathan Gray. They might still be young, but this team has the potential to have one of the nation's top backfields.

Questionable quarterback play is what forced the receivers to almost be nonexistent last year, but this unit should be much-improved as their top three receivers all return. Junior Mike Davis (45 receptions, 609 yards, one touchdown), sophomore Jaxon Shipley (44, 607, three touchdowns) and senior Marquise Goodwin (33, 421, two touchdowns) are all expected to make major contributions in 2012. Senior Barrett Mathews will start at the tight end position, but he doesn't offer much in the passing game as he is known more for his blocking than pass-catching ability.

The offensive line should become a team strength in 2012 as four starters will return who have 63 career starts together. Mack Brown claims that the improvement in this unit was like "night and day" in the spring compared to 2011. The one lost starter will be replaced by talented junior college transfer Donald Hawkins at left tackle.

Defense

Texashad arguably one of the best defenses in the country last year. This unit gave up just 22.2 points and 306 total yards per game, despite playing in a conference where many of the most potent offenses in the country played. They do lose three of their top four tacklers from that unit, but return six starters, which should help them pick up right where they left off in 2011.

The Longhorns will feature one of the best defensive end tandems in the country in senior Alex Okafor (58 tackles, 7 sacks, 7 tackles for loss) and junior Jackson Jeffcoat (71 tackles, 8 sacks, 13 tackles for loss). Okafor earned first-team All American honors last year, but in a shocking twist, opted to stay and turned down a shot at the NFL. With a very talented defensive tackle rotation in juniors Brandon Moore and Ashton Dorsey, as well as sophomore Desmond Jackson, this looks to be one of the best defensive fronts in all of college football.

The linebacking corps suffers the biggest blow, as the Longhorns lose their top two tacklers. Emmanuel Acho (131 tackles) was drafted in the sixth round by the Cleveland Browns, while Keenan Robinson (106 tackles) was taken in the fourth round by the Washington Redskins. Junior Jordan Hicks (65 tackles) is their only returning starter at linebacker and becomes the leader of this unit. They are loaded with very highly touted recruits, but inexperience might be a recurring issue.

10 very highly touted players will compete for playing time in the secondary heading into 2012. The Longhorns return three starters in the defensive backfield in star FS Kenny Vaccaro (82 tackles, 10 passes defended), sophomore CB Quandre Diggs (51 tackles, 15 pass break-ups, four INT) and junior CB Carrington Byndom (58 tackles, 15 pass break-ups, two INT). Paired up with a very strong defensive line, we could see one of the better pass defenses in the country.

Big 12 Prediction - 2nd Place

Texaswill almost definitely boast one of the best defenses in the country in 2012, but their improvement on the offensive end will be at test of how far they can go. With nine starters back on offense, they will obviously be more productive than they were a year ago. Their rushing attack will once again be very good and they will definitely see some improvement on their quarterback play. Ash and McCoy gained valuable experience last year, and now it's time for one of them to step up and lead this team. They also have a manageable road schedule with Oklahoma State, Kansas, Texas Tech and Kansas State.

2012 Texas Longhorns Football Predictions

Jack Jones posts his football picks at Betfirms.com as well as FootballFreePicks.com.

2012 Arkansas Razorbacks Football Predictions

The Arkansas Razorbacks certainly put up a memorable season last year. Despite finishing third in the SEC West behind LSU and Alabama, they earned a trip to their first-ever BCS Bowl after ending the regular season with a 10-2 record. Following a 29-16 win over Kansas State in the Cotton Bowl, Arkansas tied the school record with an 11-win season. Thanks to head coach Bobby Petrino, the Razorbacks ended up No. 5 in the country and the expectations coming into 2012 are at an all-time high.

Things got sour in a hurry in the offseason however, as head coach Bobby Petrino was dismissed from the team after hiding a relationship with a female employee. The Razorbacks got John L. Smith to replace Petrino in after just a 4.5 month stint with Weber St. Smith was previously a linebacker coach and a special team's coordinator with Arkansas the previous three years. Paul Petrino returns as the offensive coordinator and Paul Hayes takes over as the new defensive coordinator after spending the last six seasons with Ohio State.

Nfl 2012

This team definitely has a lot of talent, as the Razorback return 13 starters (7 offense, 6 defense). This season all depends on how well the players will react to the new coach. There might not be a lot of changes made on this team, but they are surely going to miss the play-calling of Bobby Petrino.

Offense:

The Razorbacks are extremely happy that one of the elite quarterbacks in college football, Tyler Wilson, is coming back to the team. What's impressive about Wilson is that he has set numerous school records and became the first Razorback signal caller to receive 1st team All-SEC honors in his first season as a starter. He finished up the year with a whopping 3,638 yards with 24 touchdowns and just six interceptions. With Wilson behind center, Arkansas averaged 36.8 points/game and 438 yards of total offense. Big things are expected of him coming into his senior year, which has others thinking that this team can still win without Petrino in charge.

It would have been something really spectacular to see had it not been for the injury that sidelined Kniles Davis prior to 2011 season. Davis was coming off a sophomore season where he rushed for 1,322 yards and 13 touchdowns, earning him First Team All-SEC honors in 2010. Had it not been for Kniles' injury, the offense would have been even more potent for the Razorbacks. Dennis Johnson (670 yards, three touchdowns) and RonnieWingo (458 yards, three touchdowns) were solid as fill ins, but will now be used primary as backups with Davis returning in 2012. This should be one of the most improved units on the entire team.

An area on the offensive end where Arkansas may have to rely on some new faces for production is at the receiver position. Jarius Wright, Joe Adams, and Greg Child were all taken in the 4th round of the NFL Draft. There are still some strong players coming back in senior tight end Chris Gragg (42 catches, 518 yards, two touchdowns) and senior wide out Cobi Hamilton (34 catches, 542 yards, four touchdowns). Sophomore Marquel Wade and red-shirt freshman Quinta Funderburke are also expected to make contributions in the new season.

The offensive line had just two starters back last season and struggled early in the year. They did find their footing and made solid progress as the season went on, and should see a welcome improvement as 2012 rolls along. They bring back two of the top linemen in the conference in left guard Alvin Bailey and center Travis Swanson. Right tackle Jason Peacock is also coming back for the Razorbacks. Two highly touted sophomores in guard Mitch Smothers and tackle Brey Cook are expected to fill the other two spots.

Defense:

The Razorbacks have always had problems on the defensive side of the ball, but they have made some welcome strides since giving up just over 31 points/game in 2008. Last year they held opponents to just 22.2 points/game. The biggest issue for Arkansas was in stopping the run, as they allowed 168 yards/game on the ground. Injuries were a major factor in the struggles this unit faced. It will be interesting to see if Haynes can help this group make even more strides in 2012.

Even though it's hard to replace the production left by 1st team All-SEC defensive end Jake Bequette, they do have six of the top eight defensive linemen back from last season, including starting defensive tackle duo of Bryan Jones and Robert Thomas. There is a chance for the Razorbacks to allow under 4.0 yards/carry for the first time since 2006, but Chris Smith and Trey Flower need to step up.

Middle linebacker is where the Razorbacks may have major problems on the defensive end. They need to find a replacement for Jerry Franklin, who became the first player in school history to lead the team in tackles for four straight seasons. They also lost starting outside linebacker Jerico Nelson and will be moving Ross Rasner to free Safety. While top outside backer Tenarius Wright is returning, there's no doubt that this is their biggest concern heading into the season.

They also have some holes to fill at secondary, as they must fill the voids left by starting corner Greg Gatson and 3rd Team All-SEC safety Tramain Thomas. They do have some potentially great talents coming back, especially if Rasner can make a smooth transition from linebacker. Sophomore corner Tevon Mitchell should get better as he gets more burn in his second season as a starter and safety Eric Bennett is one of the up-and-coming players at his position in the SEC.

SEC Prediction - 2nd SEC West

Arkansas' only real problem right now is losing their head coach after spring practices concluded. Had it not been for that huge development, Arkansas would have a great chance to finish first in the SEC West and possibly play for a National Championship. That being said, they do get to face Alabama and LSU at home, and have a pretty favorable non-conference schedule. It's still tough to pick them ahead of LSU, despite them being a virtual lock to win double-digit games again in 2012.

2012 Arkansas Razorbacks Football Predictions

Click here for live odds from the reputable BetFirms.com.

The 2011 National Football League Season Is Underway

Now that the first quarter of the National Football League's season is over, it is time to find out what to look for as the season goes until the Super Bowl takes place in February 2012.

What to look for:

Nfl 2012

1. Indianapolis Colts

For Colts fans, this was the year that Indy is supposed to contend for another Super Bowl, instead this campaign might be a total wash with 4-time MVP Peyton Manning on the sidelines after undergoing neck surgery a few weeks ago. He is supposed to miss 2-3 months, so in the meantime, The Colts signed veteran QB Kerry Collins. But the results so far has not been good because the Colts are 0-3. They have Curtis Painter as the backup quarterback, but they might as well sign another veteran QB such as Carson Palmer (see below) or David Gerrard (see below.) Then again, Indy could say "forget it" about this season and wait in April 2012 for the Andrew Luck sweepstakes in the NFL Draft.

2. Cincinnati Bengals

This is going to be interesting to see how the Cincinnati Bengals are going to do this season. The team has made some major changes on its roster:The Triplets are gone. Earlier this year, the team decided not to renew the contract of Wide Receiver Terrell Owens, making him a free agent; In July, the team traded All-Pro Wide Receiver Chad Ochocinco to the New England Patriots; and starting quarterback Carson Palmer have requested that he wanted to get traded from the Bengals (the team refused the request) because they are not committed to winning (since appearing in the AFC Championship Game vs. Pittsburgh, the team has been going downhill), plus he said that he would rather retire than play for the Bengals this season. Their number one pick in the NFL Draft Andy Dalton has taken over the quarterback duties this season. Despite the ongoing drama, Coach Marvin Lewis was able to keep his job and actually signed a new contract during the off-season.

3. Jacksonville Jaguars

Right before the season began, the Jags have decided to release David Gerrard, their starting quarterback for the last 4 years, in favor of Luke McCown. Ironically, the Jaguars did the same thing in 2006, where the team dumped starting quarterback Byron Leftwich for Gerrard. Currently, the Jaguars are 1-2 but they have changed quarterbacks: McCown is out and the team first round pick in the 2011 NFL Draft Blaine Gabbert is in. We will see how the change at quarterback will pan out this season.

4. Denver Broncos

During training camp, the Broncos had a quarterback controversy on its hands. The incumbent QB Kyle Orton was competing for the starting job against 2nd year backup Tim Tebow and third-stringer Brady Quinn. For a while, the buzz was that Tebow was the odds on favor to take over the job, however there were reported that the team wanted to trade Tebow or even turn him into a wide receiver. New coach John Fox decided to stick with Orton, but the team right now is 1-2. We have to see if this controversy spills over into the regular season.

Teams to look for this season

1. Detroit Lions

After finishing the 2008 season with a 0-16 record, the Lions began to make smarter picks in the NFL Draft and right now it is pay off. The team is 3-0 with both the offense and defense playing great. Now, it would be great that the Lions can make it to the playoffs and win the Super Bowl, but that all depends on keep Matthew Stafford injury free. The last two season, Stafford lost significant playing time due to shoulder injuries. The Lions resurgence coincide with the Tigers winning the American League Central and the possible odds on favorite to win the pennant in the American League in this year's baseball postseason is showing that the city of Detroit is coming back. Side Note: the story would be even better once jobs come back to the Motor city.

2. St. Louis Rams

The Rams lost in the NFC West Division Championship game in January against Seattle and the thinking was that St. Louis has quarterback Sam Bradford, Running Back Stephen Jackson and an improving defense that the team can get better despite the 7-9 record. Well, right now it doesn't look good with a 0-3 record. Look for the team to change course and start winning again.

3. Atlanta Falcons

Despite being taken apart at home by the eventual Super Bowl Champion Green Bay Packers, the Falcons are a team that people should pay attention to right now. It has been a slow build, but ever year since 2007, the team has turn itself into a title contender. Currently, Atlanta is 1-2, but it's like the old saying in football "No one wins the championship in September," so we will see if the team can turn it around by December.

Head Coaches on the Hot Seat

1. Tony Sparano, Miami Dolphins

In 2007, the Dolphins made it the NFL Playoffs and even though they lost the game against Baltimore, the feeling was they the had both the offense and defense to become an up and coming team they no wanted to play. Since then, the team went 7-9 the last two seasons. So far the Dolphins are 0-3 and there is talk that the team might replace Sparano sometime during the season. Hopefully he can turn it around or another coach will take his talents to South Beach and revive the Dolphin franchise.

2. Jack Del Rio, Jacksonville Jaguars

Once a upon of time, the Jaguars were a playoff contending team, now they have gone backwards and missed the playoff three seasons in a row. This year, the jags have a new starting quarterback and drafted another one last April. It hasn't worked out yet because the team is 1-2 so far. The Jaguars has to turn in around this year or else Coach Del Rio might be out of a job.

3. Gary Kubiak, Houston Texans

From their inception in 2002 until 2008, the Texans were an easy win for any team that played against them. Since then, Houston has built a strong defense led by Mario Williams and a really good offense with quarterback Matt Schuab, running back Arian Foster and wide receiver Andre Williams. The problem the team has is that Coach Kubiak has led Houston to an 8-8 record for two years in a row and a 9-7 mark last season but no playoff appearances. The Texans has crossed one hurdle last year and finally beat Indianapolis in Houston two years in a row and the team could possibly beat the Colts in Indy (there's a really good chance that can happen) when the two teams meet again later on this year. In order for Kubiak to keep his job, Houston must make the playoffs or else someone will take over as head coach and make the Texans a serious contender in the NFL.

Who is going to win the Super Bowl?

Your guess is good as mine. No one saw the Arizona Cardinals, a perennial losing team make it to the NFL Championship game in February 2009 versus Pittsburgh, or the New Orleans Saints, a team known as the "Aints" for its 1-15 season in 1980, won in all in February 2010, nearly years after Hurricane Katrina destroyed the city and the Gulf Coast. The title is up for grabs and anyone can win it on any given Super Bowl Sunday.

The 2011 National Football League Season Is Underway

Gestapo-Like NCAA Weighs Down on North Carolina Football

The heavy hand of the absolutist National Collegiate Athletic Association thundered mightily on the evil deeds of one University of North Carolina football program banning the Tar Heels from the postseason for one year, reducing the number of scholarships available, and placing the program on its "double secret" three-years' probation.

The NCAA's ruling caps a two-year investigation that led to the dismissal of head coach Butch Davis and the athletic director, Dick Baddour. Players received jewelry and other gifts from people outside of the program as well as receiving improper tutoring help on term papers.

Nfl 2012

Davis cooperated with the investigation and, as many Division I coaches do, implemented several strategies to make sure events like these did not occur. Davis now works for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and was never mentioned as having committed any violation. It seems the dirty deeds belonged to former assistant coach John Blake and a former UNC student and tutor named Jennifer Wiley, who allegedly provided too much assistance on research papers as well as other improper benefits.

Blake supposedly received ,000 from his long-time friend, Gary Wichard. Problem is...Wichard is an NFL player's agent and the NCAA says that the ,000 was paid to Blake as a representative of Wichard's firm. Blake and Wichard say it was one friend helping out another. As a result of the NCAA sanctions, Blake received a three-year "show cause" penalty meaning, for the most part, that he is not permitted to recruit college football players.

The university attempted to preempt any NCAA sanctions by investigating the matter and immediately instituting self-imposed penalties that included vacating all 16 wins from the 2008 and 2009 seasons, a reduction of nine scholarships over the next three seasons, and two years of probation. The school also imposed a ,000 fine, but the NCAA found the self-imposed sanctions to be not enough.

So, now UNC will be ineligible for this season's ACC championship as well as prevented from attending a bowl game, should it have the necessary number of wins. Welcome to North Carolina, Larry Fedora and staff!

For events that occurred three and four seasons ago, current staff and players now take the hit. In 2010, 14 players were forced to miss at least one game as a penalty for being involved in these violations. Seven players missed the entire 2010 season and four of those players were either dismissed from the team or ruled permanently ineligible by the NCAA. Among the 14 players were Robert Quinn, Marvin Austin, and Greg Little. All three were taken in the first two rounds of last year's NFL draft.

It appears that the NCAA will continue to demonstrate its ultimate authority continuing its vise-like death grip on college athletes. Sure, there are some things that shouldn't be allowed to happen, but the NCAA's rules regarding college athletics dwarfs the IRS tax code in size and scope.

As a result, once again we see a group of athletes (and coaches) penalized for something they had nothing to do with. Most of the players and coaches involved in any wrong-doing (according to the NCAA) are gone and are in no way associated with the University of North Carolina anymore. But, until the NCAA, like the IRS, figures out why it exists, the 2012 edition of UNC football must pay the price.

Gestapo-Like NCAA Weighs Down on North Carolina Football

The author is a veteran college and high school football coach who now operates the http://football-freak.com website. The site offers insight, analysis, and coaching tips on a variety of topics and is geared toward the youth, junior high, high school, and foreign coach. Go to http://football-freak.com to sign up for the monthly newsletter and become a member today.

Football is a Brutal Sport and There is a Lot of Money Involved

The National Football League or NFL has some bit of integrity behind it. Surely, it is a business, and football is an action sport, it's a tough sport, and you can see that even without watching it on high definition TV. But what happens when it becomes a full on war of brutality on the field? Well, it wouldn't be the only sport which has knockout, drag out action on pay-per-view, or signing big licenses with major TV networks. I'd like to talk to you about this for a moment because something has come to my attention which is somewhat alarming for NFL fans.

There was an interesting article, an Op-Ed, in the Wall Street Journal in March 7, 2012 titled; "Football's Bounty Hunters Must Be Clipped - Payments for causing injury are unacceptable. Gregg Williams should never be seen in the NFL again," by Frank Tarkenton - the editorial was quite telling;

Nfl 2012

"Former New Orleans Saints Defensive Coordinator established a bounty system that rewarded players-not for tough, clean football plays but for injuring other players for 3-seasons paying bonuses to players for knocking opponents out of the game. The rewards were ,500 for a knockout, and ,000 if the player had to be carted off the field. In the playoffs, rewards doubled and tripled. Later, linebacker coach offered a ,000 bounty to any Saints player who could knock Minnesota Vikings quarterback Brett Favre out of the NFC Championship Game during the Saints Super Bowl run in the 2009 season."

The reality is, when a boxer knocks out all his opponents, he moves up in the ranks, and then he gets more money from his sponsors and more money on pay-per-view to knockout the next person. If the knocks them out hard enough then they do leave in a stretcher or ambulance, and that's what people want to see. However with the NFL, these players are paid huge amounts of money, and the amount of money a player might lose, or a team might lose in ticket sales if they can't sell seats in the stadium for the next game is crucial.

Most of the billionaires who own these companies take great pride in winning. They don't want their NFL team to lose. There is a tremendous amount of pressure on coaches, players, and their owners to win, often at all costs. After all that's what it's about, this is not a pansy-ass sport playing patty cake. Therefore, one has to ask; as bad as this sounds is it really all that surprising?

No matter what type of pads that you put on, what kind of hats you wear, or what type of protections you take - when you have men of pure strength, agility, skill, mass, and running at full speed that are over 250 pounds - crashing into each other obviously there will be injuries.

Paying for performance, or rewarding players for making excellent plays is one thing, paying them to injure other players is quite another. This isn't boxing after all, this is the NFL. And therefore I ask if; "you'll make the call." Please consider all this and think on it.

Football is a Brutal Sport and There is a Lot of Money Involved

Lance Winslow has launched a new provocative series of eBooks on the future of Sports in Space. Lance Winslow is a retired Founder of a Nationwide Franchise Chain, and now runs the Online Think Tank; http://www.worldthinktank.net

Watch NFL Games From Internet - Watch Free Football Matches Online

How do you watch NFL on your computer

The new technology of internet TV has enabled more than 5 million people in the USA alone to watch satellite TV on their PCs. I personally tried watching the internet TV after I couldn't manage to convince my family that my NFL playoffs were a matter of life and death. There is nothing as hard as convincing your kids or your wife that the family TV is better when used to watch sports like the NFL games.

Nfl 2012

Try reasoning with them and you will get to know why you get to buy the TVs but forfeit the right to watch it the minute it gets home. At home you are considered an adult and adults don't watch TV... your kid will reason out, and sorry no watching your game tonight.

National Football League on your pc

It was the beginning of last years NFL playoffs and I could not get an opportunity to watch the games from the family TV. I bought one of those satellite TV softwares and installed it in my laptop. The software has made it possible for me to watch the National Football League matches from virtually anywhere. Whenever there is a game, all I do is go to my home office, laptop in tow; connect it to the internet and use the already installed software to watch all my matches in the privacy of my home office.

Sometimes when I'm feeling abit tired, I decide to watch the playoffs from my bedroom. All I need is to extend the internet cable into my bedroom.

These online TV services are also available for you if you want to catch the NBA or NFL games without making enemies with everyone else at home. Or better still if you are traveling and want to watch favorite football games on the internet. I want to show you the service that I have been using to connect to internet TV so that you may also be able to enjoy your games in private.

Satellite TV Softwares for Watching the NFL Series

There are many online TV softwares being sold on the internet which are just BS. You see, internet TV reception is a tricky affair and most of these companies haven't really mastered how to deliver quality picture and sound. Most of them don't even care the quality of service you get after you buy their "software".

I want to assure you that there are still a few good companies that pioneered the development of satellite TV softwares. These offer good service and the quality of their programs is high. Finding the good ones can however be a challenge that may take you forever before getting the right company.

Watching the NFL games with PC 2007Elite Edition

The service that I have relied upon to watch my NFL games is the Elite Edition 2007. They have many sports channels including the NFL playoffs among the many other thousands channels. In addition, the company has also put together radio stations, which you can listen to as you work at home or in the office. The variety of sports channels include ESPN, Euro sports and other extreme sports not shown on normal TV like raw Thailand kickboxing and others.

I used this service last year to watch the super bowl and the other matches of the NFL Series without skipping a single playoff. The good thing is that I was able to record the semis and the finals into my laptop which I kept rerunning way past the end of the season.

In addition I also get to watch many other TV channels including educational, shopping, science, geographical, music videos, among many others. The software also has TV channels from over 70 other countries around the world and in different languages. There are also many soccer channels from Europe, Americas, and Africa.

All this variety in TV channels has a set up cost of .95 for the initial start up. The company does not charge any other monthly fees ever after the initial charge. The .95 is all you will ever need to pay to watch all the NFL games you want and in a way seems like a steal of a deal.

Watch NFL Games From Internet - Watch Free Football Matches Online

You can get the same service that I'm enjoying instantly by following the links "RIGHT HERE! [http://pcsatellitetvreviews.blogspot.com]" Robert is a self-confessed fan of TV and writes free TV over internet review articles. Or grab the "SATELLITE TV FOR PC 2007 ELITE EDITION" [http://pcsatellitetvreviews.blogspot.com]

A List of the Highest Paid Football Players in the NFL

In researching information for this article, the latest data for the presentation of the highest salaries in the NFL is for the 2008 season. It should be noted that this list changes from year to year. Also, the salary cap imposed by the NFL commission increases from year to year. The salary cap is the amount of money an NFL team can spend on salaries for their players per year. The salary cap has progressively increased year by year since its inception back in 1994.

The NFL salary cap, as negotiated by the players Union in the current collective bargaining agreement, is 62.24% of all football related revenue divided by 32 teams. For the 2009 season that figure is 128 million dollars.

Nfl 2012

The following shows the steady increase in salary cap since 1999:

Salary Cap Per Team for NFL Player Salaries by Year:

2008 6 million

2007 9 million

2006 2 million

2005 .5 million

2004 .5 million

2003 million

2002 million

2001 .5 million

2000 .2 million

1999 .4 million

As the salary cap increases, so does the salary of players. The real question is how is the money distributed to players. There is a type of salary distribution model that teams use which is not known to the general public. What is known is that the top 20 salaries for 2008 only had a couple of quarterbacks. Yet the highest paid player for 2008 was quarterback Ben Roethlisberger. So who were the highest paid NFL players for 2008. The following table tells it all:

TOP 20 HIGHEST PAID PLAYERS IN 2008

1. QB Ben Roethlisberger, Pittsburgh $ 27,701,920

2. DE Jared Allen, Minnesota $ 21,119,256

3. WR Larry Fitzgerald, Arizona $ 17,103,480

4. QB JaMarcus Russell, Oakland $ 16,872,400

5. RB Michael Turner, Atlanta $ 16,003,840

6. G Chris Snee, N.Y. Giants $ 14,890,000

7. CB Asante Samuel, Philadelphia $ 14,145,000

8. WR Randy Moss, New England $ 14,006,720

9. T Flozell Adams, Dallas $ 14,005,760

10.DT Tommy Kelly, Oakland $ 13,978,480

11. WR Terrell Owens, Dallas $ 13,731,560

12. WR Bernard Berrian, Minnesota $ 13,705,000

13. T Michael Roos, Tennessee $ 13,505,520

14. C Jeff Faine, Tampa Bay $ 13,105,760

15. DE Will Smith, New Orleans $ 12,950,000

16. QB Tony Romo, Dallas $ 12,886,600

17. G Travelle Wharton, Carolina $ 12,850,000

18. DE Antwan Odom, Cincinnati $ 12,800,000

19. CB Terence Newman, Dallas $ 12,611,240

20. RB Marion Barber, Dallas $ 12,522,400

Lets examine the concept of salary in the NFL a little more closely. As previously stated, how teams pay their players and the value they place on them is known by only a few, including the player agent. It is interesting to note that having high salary players does not necessarily mean success to the team.

A case in point. One of the most successful NFL teams over the past ten years has been the New England Patriots. Yet only one player from the Patriots is in the top 20 for 2008. That is wide receiver Randy Moss. Yet Oakland, over the past ten years, which has two players in the top 20, has not seen the success that the Patriots have had. As a matter of fact, they have not even come close.

Also, you can see five players from the Dallas Cowboys in the top 20 list for 2008, yet they have not been in the Super Bowl since 1995 (Super Bowl XXX). It appears that the New England Patriots like to spread their money around to their players, so that one or a few players do not get an enormous salary while the rest of the players make a fraction of that amount. Randy Moss may be an exception to this rule.

This team concept of salary distribution that the Patriots employ falls in line with the team concept they have set for their players when it comes to playing football. The Patriot's organization believe that it requires a team effort to win football games, and not the superior effort of only a few players. Maybe that is one of the reasons the Patriots have been so successful over the past ten years. And lets not forget that the Patriots is one of the best managed teams in the NFL. Part of that management is proper salary distribution. Team owner Robert Kraft and head coach Bill Belichick seem to know what they are doing.

In any case, NFL player salaries continue to increase year by year. Today the lowest rookie makes a bare minimum of 5,000.00 (at least for 2007). In terms of all professional sports, the NFL players are the highest paid. This is why so many college players seek to get into the NFL. But it should also be remembered that the average length of a career for a player in the NFL is only 4 years. So obviously a player needs to make all he can during that short career. The question is are the players worth these very high salaries.

A persons salary is dependent on one major factor. That is how many other people can do the job they are doing? The fewer the number of people that can perform a particular job, the higher the salary. Not to many people can play in the NFL. Also, the players do deserve most of the revenue that is produced simply because, without the players, you would not have any business entity. And since fans are willing to pay the high ticket prices, then I would have to answer the question that yes, the players do deserve the salaries they receive.

Football is a form of entertainment, but it is a form of entertainment Americans can not do without. Even in the Roman period, people had a need to see the gladiators fight in the Colosseums. The Romans had to pay to see their gladiators fight to the death. Sometimes all the seats were free, if a rich person had given money to pay for the show. Other times, you had to pay, and it cost more money for the good seats than for the bad seats, so the poor people had to sit way up top in the Colosseum where it was hard to see. Even the Colosseums had their nosebleed seats. The point is, Romans were willing to pay to see the gladiator form of competition. This willingness to pay to see competition has existed throughout the history of mankind.

Every year, fans watch their teams with the hope that their team will reach the Super Bowl, or in some cases, simply end up with a winning season. And in the end, we really do not care to much about a players salary. As long as we enjoy watching our team play, we will continue to pay high ticket prices.

So to conclude, there are really two basic reasons why NFL players can make millions of dollars per year. First and foremost, fans are willing to pay high ticket prices to see their team play. Secondly, not to many people can play in the NFL. This results in a high demand for their skill. Lets face it, not to many people have the skill of a Tom Brady or a Ben Roethlisberger. So as long as the demand for tickets remains high, players will continue to enjoy a high income.

Information sources for this article:

Sources: payscale.com, usatoday.com, historyforkids.org

A List of the Highest Paid Football Players in the NFL

Thomas Sullivan, the author of this article, is a web developer and publisher who lives in the Boston, MA area. He is the creator and webmaster for NFL Merchandise [http://new-england-patriots-tickets.top-seo-solutions.com/?page_id=7], an online store for the NFL fan, located at the site New England Patriots [http://new-england-patriots-tickets.top-seo-solutions.com/].

College Football - Coaching Musical Chairs

The film world was saddened this holiday season with news of the passing of Ann Savage - perhaps the original Femme Fatale. 'Femme Fatale' roughly interpreted, stands for 'Fatal Woman.' Get too close and you lose your good judgment, get whacked or at least seriously embarrassed. Using the universal laws of attraction, the standard methodology includes luring unsuspecting folks to listen to seductive language and in the end, cause some really poor decisions. As college football heads into the annual period of depression known as winter, some programs will be hard at work to rebuild or to at least get dog programs to respectability. Coaching candidates offer seductive language, grand visions and in some instances, cause the hiring institutions to make some really poor decisions.

In the end, schools have to try something radical to turn losers into winners. Witness the University of Buffalo. For years a doormat program, the Bulls actually achieved an unbelievable level of success in 2008 with a bowl appearance. Even though the Bulls lost to UConn in the International Bowl, this is a remarkable turn-around for a program that in the not too distant past, was simply the laughingstock of eastern college football. Congrats then to the Bulls and coach Turner Gill. This is what one would refer to as a "good hire."

Nfl 2012

Which coaching decisions will turn out to be the poor ones? One never knows for sure, but there are some bizarre story lines already forming on the surface of the 2009 season. Iowa State got really lucky in having its 2-10 coach hired away by - of all people - Auburn. This saved the school from itself when the Cyclone brass offered the former coach a contract extension. Racking up 2008 season wins over South Dakota State and Kent State at the beginning of the season, the Cyclones proceeded to lose everything else. Iowa State then replaced its lost head coach with native Iowan Paul Rhoads. Rhoads brings impressive credentials, a commitment to win in the state of Iowa and comes to the Cyclones from -of all places - Auburn. 2009 will see which school got the best end of this deal. Stay tuned on this one!

The Sage of College Football (your humble author) wishes Coach Steve Sarkisian at Washington the best of luck in 2009. Coach Sark probably read the tea leaves in his former position at USC and determined that his upward upward mobility would be better served by looking for another institution to craft into a winner. But Washington? The Huskies ended this past season winless - the first perfectly dreadful season for a Pac-10 school. If the Huskies turn in a few wins in 2009, coach Sark will really have accomplished something significant. Then look out for the purple dogs in 2012.

The opportunity to turn a loser into a winner will frequently override a coaching candidate's better judgment. The Sage hopes that New New Mexico State Coach DeWayne Walker made a good choice. Walker is the 33rd head coach of the Aggies and has his work cut out for him. The Aggies managed a single conference win last season and probably have the Cornhuskers, Michigan and a variety of other schools trying to get 'em on their home schedules. Should Walker get a couple of wins, New Mexico State's biggest challenge will be keeping him.

Going north from Las Cruces, the University of New Mexico also found itself in need of a new head football coach following the resignation of coach and alum Rocky Long. Never a powerhouse in the Mountain West Conference, New Mexico was in need of a recruiting ace to lure decent players to Albuquerque. Interestingly, the Lobos managed to convince Mike Locksley to give up his position as Offensive Coordinator at Illinois to try and push UNM in the right direction. This will take quite a bit of pushing. However, among Locksley's qualifications is a top 25 recruiting rating from Sports Illustrated. Should Locksley attract better players than have previously taken the field for the Lobos and get some wins in old UNM Stadium, other programs are going to want to know exactly how he did it. They are also going to want to hire him. Both football programs in the state of New Mexico need to make generous contract extension offers should either of their new coaches appear to be getting their respective programs turned around.

Brady Hoke, formerly Head Coach at Ball State, now finds himself in the same position at San Diego State. Admittedly, SDSU could offer things that Ball State couldn't - like a beach and decent weather. Hoke traded in his #12 Ball State Cardinals for one of the worst programs going. If he can turn it around in South California, he will be one of the hottest coaching commodities going. The Aztecs also better have a retention plan in place should Hoke start winning. There isn't a task more daunting than taking over a perennial loser and turning it around - except perhaps for taking over a program that is used to winning and keeping it that way. Witness Lane Kiffen -the new Head Coach of the Tennessee Volunteers and former Head Coach of the NFL's Oakland Raiders. Here is a guy who won't miss church the rest of the year. Getting fired by Al Davis at Oakland is not a disgrace as much as it is a blessing. But then to land in Knoxville? A bowl appearance in 2009 would be the 'hat trick.' There is real pressure in Knoxville, though, and 104,000 fans will be in Neyland Stadium for every home game to apply it.

The annual shuffling of the head coaching ranks has just about ended now for 2009. The motivational speeches are being prepared for the Spring Games heralding a "new way of thinking," "a winning attitude," "putting the past behind us," and "making something special happen." These are all great speeches, and are essentially given to every college level player with the courage to take the field for a losing program. Next September, we will finally see which programs have been lured in with sweet talk of victory and which programs actually deliver. The unfortunate part of hiring coaches is that a good decision is rewarded with having to come up with a big contract extension. A poor decision puts your program right back in the dumper.

College Football - Coaching Musical Chairs

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Is There a Reason That American Football is Not an Olympic Sport?

Has it ever surprised you that one of the greatest sports in one of the greatest nations is not shared with the rest of the world? You have to think that the Olympic committee has received at least some request to add football. This article is meant to point out some of the peculiar reasons that it might not qualify for any future Olympic Games. First, is that it is an American Sport.

Second, they would probably shut it down just like baseball and softball. Third, the shear volume of players has to be a small reason for the non-inclusion. Fourth, there is no international sporting organization set up for football

Super Bowl 2012

Football is an American Sport

One of the main reasons that football might not be considered is that it is primarily an American sport. American football is not the only sport to have origins on this nation. Many sports like baseball and basket ball have expanded there reach to other countries. However football has never really extended past our continent. A reason may be due to the fact that football is a relatively newer sport. Though the exact date is unknown, we guess that it was started in the late 1800's. Much later than some of its sporting relatives: rugby or even soccer.

They would shut it down just like baseball and softball

Much to the disappointment of many American fans Baseball and Softball will not be a part of the 2012 London games. One of the reasons is that the United States has won it so many times that there really is no amount of competition that can come up against them. We could easily assume that if football was instated into the Olympics that it would be relativity impossible do dethrone our talent in the sport. Seeing as there is no point in competing against the likes of the New York Giants or the Patriots in shear atheism, one could denote that the same fate that has visited baseball and softball would surely come to pass on American football even after it was instated into the Olympics.

Shear number of players

If American football was instated it would require the largest amount of athletes per team coming in on average about 56 members per team. An average soccer team has anywhere from 25 to 30 members. Twice as many people would not be a big reason for non-inclusion in the summer games, but it does present some concerns about getting competition that is not from the United States to come and participate.

No international sporting organization

By far the biggest reason that American football has not joined the ranks for the Olympics is football is lacking an international sporting organization. One of the requirements of any sport prior to entering the Olympics is an international organization that is established to govern the sport all over the world.

Given the first reason, that football is an American sport, and that this sport has not caught on with other countries it is not likely to see any organization being formed in the near future. Thus furthering the distance that American football would have to journey to enter the games.

Conclusion

In the end, the question that we need to pose is, "Does football need the Olympics?" I would state that football is fine where it is. It has been estimated that 97 million people tuned in for the Giants vs. Patriots super bowl. Though likely to increase in these 2008 games, viewers for the 2004 games in Athens were estimated at 24 million.

American football is American. In the end would we want to share one of our greatest pastimes with the rest of the world? Many Americans enjoy the fact that we as a nation have a very independent spirit. Having our own sport simply magnifies that spirit. One thing is for sure, Olympics or no Olympics American football is here to stay.

Is There a Reason That American Football is Not an Olympic Sport?

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Fantasy Football 2010 Final QB Rankings

The 2010 fantasy football campaign is complete and here is how the QB position ranked with a heavy emphasis on went went down this season.

1. Tom Brady
2. Drew Brees
3. Philip Rivers
4. Peyton Manning
5. Michael Vick
6. Aaron Rodgers
7. Joe Flacco
8. Matt Ryan
9. Jay Cutler
10. Tony Romo
11. Matt Cassel
12. Ben Roethlisberger
13. Eli Manning
14. Matt Schaub
15. David Garrard
16. Josh Freeman
17. Sam Bradford

Super Bowl 2012

-Tom Brady once again has elevated himself to the number 1 spot in the fantasy football QB ranks and it took him two season to get back there after going through his knee injury in 2008. Brady was downright ridiculous with his TD to INT ratio and he threw a TD pass in every game this season. The best part was that Brady's value was lower than its been in years as he went fifth overall among QB's in my money league. Needless to say I was more than happy to nab him anad use his skill to win my league's top spot.

-There was a little bit of slippage in Peyton Manning's stats this season and he threw the most picks in his career since his rookie season. Some blame surely lands on the fact his receiving corps was decimated with injury but Manning also made some poor throws which we are not sued to seeing. Still he was money in the playoffs when it counted and he likely will slip into the second round next season where he makes a great value.

-Philip Rivers was awesome this season and he was one guy I was wrong about. I was worried about his offensive line and the fact Vincent Jackson was holding out. Despite all that, there were additional injuries that affected just about every receiving threat on the roster. Still Rivers was crazy good all season until the fantasy playoffs arrived where it seems he and the team lost their steam. Without a doubt Rivers is a top 5 option for next season.

-Michael Vick obviously is the story of the season and he no doubt will appear on many fantasy football winning teams this week. Its truly remarkable how great he has been and it will be interesting to see what happens next season as far as whether he re-signs with the Eagles. The offense is perfectly suited for his talents and if Vick does re-sign, he will likely put up similar stats in 2011.

-If I were to ask you who had the secon best TD to INT ratio in fantasy football, I guarantee it would take you more than 10 guesses to come up with Matt Cassel. Cassel was a preseason curiosity after finishing strong in his first season with the Chiefs last year but he bombed out in September and was cast aside by everyone. Once November arrived however, Cassel was utterly fantastic and he finished with an almost 3-TD gem in the fantasy football Super Bowl game. At the very least Cassel makes the perfect backup for next season but he clearly has earned starter status in most leagues.

-Joe Flacco was a guy I raved about all preseason and I told anyone who would listen to draft the guy. Needless to say I got a ton of angry e-mails in September after he too bombed out by I was fully confident he would turn it around. That he did and than some as Flacco finished with great stats to the tune of 25 TD and only 9 INT. Up and up we go here as Flacco is knocking on the door to the top tier guys.

-Eli Manning ruined what was looking like a potentially great season with a terrible INT rate. He completely flamed out Sunday with 4 picks against the Packers and no doubt he cost some a title. Manning is too skittish for me to trust as a full time starter but he makes a great backup.

-Matt Schaub was another one who let down and I did a feature on this weeks ago. Injuries to his offensive line and receiving corp hurt but an MVP-type season from RB Arian Foster should have helped the passing game more than it did. I still like Schaub and he will come much cheaper next season which makes him very attractive. This is a great stock to buy for 2011 if you dont want to go with a top QB early in your draft.

-Green Bay's Aaron Rodgers was up and down all season as he fought through a concussion and injuries to his receiving corp. Still he went bonkers with 4 TD in the title game and he remains a top 3 guy.

-Tony Romo finished ranked 10th on this list but he will certainly move up as we approach 2011 due to his skill set and the offense he plays in. Romo just has to stay healthy and he will yield big results.

-Tampa Bay's Josh Freeman and St. Louis' Sam Bradford are the next class of stars who will take the league by storm. Freeman surprised me with how great he played all season but Bradford is the guy I am really excited about. Without a doubt Bradford will be a top 5 guy by 2012. You read it here first.

Fantasy Football 2010 Final QB Rankings

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Profiling Georgia State University's Inaugural Football Season

The Georgia State University Panthers kicked off their inaugural football season this fall. After more than two years of preparation, the Panthers played their first football game on September 2 against Shorter College. The hard work paid off as Georgia State easily won that game 41-7.

The Panther's head coach, Atlanta native Bill Curry, was hired in June 2008. He has spent the past two years developing and directing every aspect of the football program. Curry has a long history of successful coaching at the college level. He is the former head coach at Georgia Tech, Alabama, and Kentucky. In 1985 Curry was named the ACC Coach of the Year. In 1989 he was the SEC Coach of the Year. Curry was also named the Bobby Dodd National Coach of the Year in 1989. Curry had a distinguished professional football career, playing a total of ten years for Green Bay, Baltimore, Houston, and Los Angeles. He was an NFL All Pro center, and played in two Pro Bowls and three Super Bowls. He began his college coaching career in 1980 at his alma mater, Georgia Tech.

Super Bowl 2012

The Panthers are playing in NCAA Division I. Their home games are played at the Georgia Dome. In 2012 Georgia State expects to be admitted to the Colonial Athletic Association Conference. Their 2010 schedule includes seven home games and four away games.

The opening game win over Shorter College was impressive. The Panther's had 366 total offensive yards in the game. Their second game was a 14-23 loss to Lambuth. Two interceptions late in the game hurt the Panthers. The third game was a 27-34 loss to Jacksonville State in overtime. Their fourth game was an exciting 24-21 win over Campbell. A 30 yard field goal with one second left on the clock put the Panther's on top. Their record thus far is 2-2. The October 2 game is Homecoming. Their opponent, Morehead State, also has a 2-2 record.

Georgia State University's main campus is located in downtown Atlanta. The university was founded in 1913, and has a student enrollment of over 30,000 students. The university offers 55 degree programs at the bachelors, masters, specialist, and doctoral level. Georgia State is the leading urban research institution in the Southeast. Join with Panther fans and alumni as they cheer their new football team on to victory.

Profiling Georgia State University's Inaugural Football Season

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