The Sports Fist

The Big East Conference sent five of their eight teams to a bowl game last year. They had a national title contender in West Virginia, who shared a Big East title with a surprising Connecticut team. Pittsburgh struggled much of the year, until they showed heart against WVU in the last game of the year, beating them and taking them out of the BCS Title game. This conference has plenty of talent, Heisman Trophy contenders, and parity. The season will prove to be another dogfight to the end to see who will take the Big East title. Granted this conference does not have a title game at season’s end, it is quickly becoming one of the tops in the nation because everyone can beat each other up.

1- South Florida Bulls-
2007 Record: (9-4 overall) (4-3 conference)
Sun Bowl: vs. Oregon L 56-21
Opening Game: August 30th @ 7:00 vs. Tennessee-Martin

The state of Florida added another team to their rich football traditions last year, as one of the nations best teams. The South Florida Bulls, who play out of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers stadium, had their best year ever last season. They were even at one point ranked as high as #2 overall in the polls. It was absolutely a break through year for USF. Unfortunately, they closed out the
season with a horrific loss to Oregon in a bowl game. However, they have a lot of the same coming back this year to bring even more firsts to the school, like a Big East Title maybe?

(+) Pros- QB Matt Grothe returns, this year as a junior to once again take the reigns in South Florida. Grothe, coming off a good campaign last year, throwing for 2,670 yards and even rushing for a solid 872 yards. Grothe can run when the situation calls for it, but the best thing about him is how well he is able to distribute the football. Last year the Bulls had 9 players with more then 10 receptions and 10 players with more then 100 yards receiving. Now, I know 100+ yards receiving over the course of one season is not great for a receiver, but I’m not bragging about the USF receiving talent. It is exceptional for a QB to throw to that many targets and that is what I want to get accross. With Grothe able to get the ball around, expect USF to rack up decent yards in the air, as they will keep defensive units guessing as to where the ball is going to end up after it leaves Grothe’s hands.

(-) Cons- One huge hit this team takes this year, is the loss of two great defensive backs in Mike Jenkins and Trae Williams. Both went in the draft, Jenkins as high as a first round pick, so that just goes to show what kind of job they have in replacing him. The coaching staff will put in reputable players to fill the void these two guys left, don’t expect them to be making the kinds of plays you saw a year ago. But, at the same time, don’t expect USF to get lit up in the secondary. Another issue the Bulls need to address is the fact that Grothe really ran a bit more then he needed to last year, and needs more action from his tail backs. RB Mike Ford was just a freshman a year ago and made serious progress in just a one-year span, so look for Ford to have more of a role on this offense so Grothe does not risk any injury while running too much.

2- West Virginia Mountaineers-
2007 Record: (11-2 overall) (5-2 conference)
Fiesta Bowl: vs. Oklahoma W 48-28
Opening Game: August 30th @ 3:30 vs. Villanova

Expecting to see the Mountaineers in the 1 spot were we? Well, let me explain myself. I have read, listened, and watched predictions on the Big East, and they are either predicting USF or WVU to finish atop the pack. I tried to find reasons why South Florida would not win this conference and my end result had nothing to do with either roster, coaching, or experience. West Virginia’s schedule is, in my opinion, much more of a challenge. With that said, these guy’s also have a disappointing end to the season to overcome, they will go a whole season under a new head coach (Bill Stewart), and have a new #1 back (Noel Devine) with Steve Slaton gone.

(+) Pros- The Mountaineers mostly want to continue on what coach Rich Rodriguez built on. I expect under a new coach, we will see much of the same. This team will put up points as they have the last couple of years with relative ease. Pat White returns for his final year as a Mountaineer, this time without partner in crime, Steve Slaton. That’s just fine, considering Slaton really had his best season with them two years ago and even last year when he wasn’t as good, WVU still racked up points on the ground. This year Noel Devine is the RB. He will step in nicely with Slaton gone as he showed sparks of brilliance last year averaging 8.6 yards a carry, and reaching the farm 6 times. The real driving forces of this offense though, are the boys up front, in the trenches. The offensive line’s starters for this year are all experienced from a year ago, including guard Greg Isdaner and tackle Ryan Stanchek, who were All-Conference just a year ago.

(-) Cons- As mentioned before, the Mountaineers, have (in my opinion) the most difficult schedule in the Big East. They have two difficult non-conference games when they have to travel to Boulder to play Colorado and have Auburn at home later on in the year. They also have to face rival Pittsburgh at Heinz field this year in a revenge game from last year, and they finish the year up against South Florida at home, a game that could potentially decide the Big East title. Schedule difficulty aside, WVU’s defense was at the top’s of the conference in statistics and excellent against the run. However, they have lost the majority of that group, as they only have 4 returnees on defense. The line up front will be inexperienced and will have to gain confidence quickly to put pressure on opposing QB’s. The LB crew has two starters coming back with Reed Williams (leads teams in tackles amongst returning athletes) and Mortty Ivy, who will bring guidance, as well as their own experience to any new LB’s. One last thought, the secondary is going to see some tough times due to the fact they have a lone returnee in the secondary, so I foresee some yards being accumulated through the air against this defense.

3- Rutgers Scarlet Knights-
2007 Record: (8-5 overall) (3-4 conference)
International Bowl: vs. Ball State W 52-30
Opening Game: September 1st @ 4:30 vs. Fresno State

Rutgers is still riding their incredible turn around season of two years ago. Coach Greg Schiano will not be satisfied with just mediocre seasons however. He certainly will not tolerate a losing conference record. This season, most people seem to be more down on the Scarlet Knights then they are up. A lot see a Pittsburgh team emerging ahead of them and I refuse to turn my head on Rutgers. With plenty of key players returning and a very smart coach making the calls, I expect Rutgers, to once again, surprise people.

(+) Pros- Mike Teel is now the leader on Rutgers with the departure of RB Ray Rice. Teel has plenty of experience and should have a good year with three of his top receivers returning. Wide Outs Tim Brown, Kenny Britt and Tiquan Underwood are all back to grab hold of Teel’s passes. Britt and Underwood both had over 1,000 yards receiving last year (the only other teams to have two 1,000 yard receivers were Texas Tech and Hawaii). With the loss of Rice, this offense will probably have to become more reliant on the pass, but with these guys all being available at Teel’s disposal, that shouldn’t be to hard of a transition. On the other side, the defense has eight players returning from starting roles and that includes standout safety Courtney Greene who led the team with a 101 tackles. Corners Jason and Devin McCourty also return to lead the nation’s fifth best passing defense of a year ago. With the defense bringing back familiar faces and the offense having a formidable air attack, don’t sleep on Rutgers this year.

(-) Cons- Alright, let’s state the obvious, loosing Ray Rice is clearly a con. When the offense did happen to struggle, they gave Rice the ball and he made things happen, which opened things up for the passing game. He’s gone now, and that’s that. Coach Schiano has other guys coming in to fill the spot of course, but this offense will need to rely on its receivers instead this year. That should be just fine considering they have extremely capable receivers. Mike Teel will just have to keep his turnovers down and his control up. As Ray Rice went, so did his blockers, as the offensive line looses three starters. That may prove to be a worse loss then loosing Rice if the replacements don’t give Teel the time he needs. The end result is this with Rutgers. They need to provide Mike Teel time to throw, they need decent performances in red zone situations from the new running backs and they need to have their defense continue to win games for them.

4- Pittsburgh Panthers-
2007 Record: (5-7 overall) (3-4 conference)
No Bowl
Opening Game: August 30th @ 12:00 vs. Bowling Green

Dave Wanndstedt has been in Pittsburgh now three years and has seen relatively little success. That little win over West Virginia in Morgantown however, could go a long way as the Panthers eliminated their rival from title contention. This year Pitt has high expectations and many feel they will challenge for a Big East title. The defense last season was fifth in the nation overall and finished best within the conference, a bright side to an otherwise failed season.

(+) Pros- Insert LeSean McCoy’s name here. Yes, get familiar with this name because he is the best rusher in the conference. He was a freshman last year and now with a season in him he’ll be even better. McCoy rushed for over 1300 yards in his freshman stint. As a freshman your always prone to making a few mistakes getting used to the new college competition, well with that out of the way, that’s the biggest reason he’ll have even more success because he already has a ton of talent. Sticking with the offense, Pat Bostick threw for 1500 yards last year, nothing great, but he didn’t play the entire season. Bostick stepped in while other QB’s Bill Stull and Kevan Smith were injured. Now, with healthy quarterbacks competing for the start it remains to be seen who will be the starter for Pitt. In my own opinion, I think Bostick did well as a freshman for what he was thrown into and will only get better as a starter if given the spot. Wide Reciever Derek Kinder returns after being injured all of last year. Kinder had 847 yards in 2006 and will be a good addition for last years leading receiver, Oderick Turner. The pass game is not Pittsburgh’s forte; expect to see most of their drives come via the ground attack. On D, this collaboration will continue on what it established last year, as one of the nations top defenses. They did loose some players, however, but not irreplaceable players. It will be a solid showing on D again, setting up good opportunities for the offense to capitalize on turnovers and good field position.

(-) Cons- Insert LeSean McCoy’s O-Line here. I do not care how talented McCoy is, and he is, but you will not succeed as a back without a decent line in front of you. Pitt has the arduous task of replacing OT’s Mike McGlynn and Jeff Otah. Anytime you have to replace sound OT’s like that, their replacements are going to struggle at first. Whoever will be the QB for Pitt is another concern. Yes, Bostick showed promise last year, but is he the answer for them to win right now? I usually think in terms of what’s best for the future and with Bostick and McCoy both being sophomores, I think Pitt’s best option is to have Bostick get the experience. But, the pressure is on Dave Wannstedt to win right away. Therefore if one of the older QB’s who are coming off injuries gets the nod, there is the risk of another injury as well as being rusty from so much time off. Finally, with a young line, the offense is going to struggle to get McCoy the running lanes he needs, and the time to throw, leading to 3rd and longs as well as giving the ball back to opposing offenses in good field position. The lack of experience at QB, the mediocre receiving targets and the difficulty McCoy will face finding daylight are the reasons I chose Pitt to be behind Rutgers. Rutgers has more overall depth, although they have a harder schedule, will persevere due to being more balanced then Pitt.

5- Connecticut Huskies- 2007 Record:
(9-4 overall) (5-2 conference)
Meineke Bowl vs. Wake Forest L 24-10
Opening Game: August 28th @ 7:30 vs. Hofstra

In 2007, Storrs, Connecticut became more then just a place for a basketball team. The Uconn Huskies grabbed a share of the Big East title and shocked all critics as they had their greatest year ever. Head coach Randy Edsall really established himself as a top coach within the conference. The Huskies showed the nation they cane play on the road, conference or non-conference. They lost by only one on the road against a tough Virginia squad and handedly defeated Pittsburgh at Heinz Field. This year the Huskies won’t be sneaking up on anyone. We will really be able to see where this program is headed as they deal with the spotlight on them; teams now know the Huskies are no team to take lightly anymore.

(+) Pros- The Uconn defense is the reason they were able to win 5 games in the Big East. They kept them in games and set up the offense with opportunities to score. They were second in the conference in turnover margin, which more times than not, set up the Husky offense in good field position. This year there are eight defensive starters coming back to Storrs including linebacker Lawrence Wilson who accumulated 113 tackles, which lead the team. Speaking of the LB core, senior Dahna Deleston and last years surprising freshman Scott Lutrus will make this linebacker unit the best in the conference. The front four on the line and the secondary also have their fair share of experience also. Watch out for cornerback Darius Butler, who will look to become a real shut down corner-man in the league. With the defense discussed as the best part of this team, it leaves little to say about the offense. However, a bright spot for the Huskies are the two backs they have. Both Andre Dixon and Donald Brown are back from 800+ yards gained on the ground, and Brown was a great back in the red zone for them.

(-) Cons- With the defense as their strong suit, the Husky offense seemed to struggle last year when the defense was unable to set them up. They have experience coming back at QB with an underrated guy in Tyler Lorenzen (who threw for a svelte 2,367 yards). Lorenzen isn’t the problem on offense so much as it is his line in front of him and his receiving targets. The line gave up 2.3 sacks a game, which ranked 77th in the nation. The line will have to give Lorenzen more time to be able to read the D and find one of his lackluster wide outs. In his final year in Storrs, Tyler Lorenzen will try to leave this program in good hands, but he will have a challenge getting the ball in the end zone with the kind of time he will see, and the fact that he really does not have a big play option to throw to.

6- Cincinnati Bearcats-
2007 Record: (10-3 overall) (4-3 conference)
Papa Johns.com Bowl: vs. Southern Miss W 31-21
Opening Game: August 28th @ 7:30 vs. Eastern Kentucky

First year head coach Brian Kelly stormed into Cincinnati last year and gave the Bearcats their best finish in the Big East standings since they entered the league three seasons ago. They really rose above any expectations that may have been perceived for them, and also brought about a reputable belief in this program. However, with a programs success will come more challenges in the later years. A prime example is the Bearcats schedule this year. They will be making a grueling, second-week trip to Norman, OK to face the Sooners, in what is probably the hardest non-conference opponent of any Big East team this year. They also face tough road games within their own conference, having to go to WVU, Uconn and Louisville. Not to mention the longest road trip any one can possibly take, as they will go play Hawaii at seasons end.

(+) Pros- Cincinnati is not without potential this year. Cornerbacks Mike Mickens and DeAngelo Smith return for their senior seasons after combining for 14 interceptions last year. The Experience felt on the corners will provide a good curtain against the pass and will be a suitable substitute for any D-men that are gone from one year ago. The biggest improvement last year was the threats at wide receivers. It was expected that Dominick Goodman would be a quality receiver, but Marcus Barnett and Marshwan Gilyard made it nearly impossible for the opposition to cover everybody.

(-) Cons- The Bearcats will be without their leader in QB Ben Mauk. Mauk lost an appeal with the NCAA for a sixth year of eligibility, but it was expected that he would considering six years is a little over the top. That isn’t the worst thing that could have happened because senior QB Dustin Grutza will step in as a guy who has had experience with this offense. In 2005 and 2006 he threw for over 1600 yards, yet he also threw just as many picks as he did TD’s. Grutza may be familiar with playing within this offense, however he lacks the control that Mauk showed. They have the option of using Notre Dame transfer Demitrius Jones in certain situations if Grutza continues on throwing more interceptions than he does TD’s. Another concern will be on the defensive line due to a lack of experience at the ends after sack leader Anthony Hoke was drafted by the Bengals.

7- Louisville Cardinals-
2007 Record: (6-6 overall) (3-4 conference)
No Bowl
Opening Game: August 31st @ 3:30 vs. Kentucky

Last season was a train wreck for Louisville. They were expected to contend with West Virginia for the conference title, they had a Heisman trophy contender in Brian Brohme, and a potent offense. Yet it all came crumbling down for the Cardinals. They missed a bowl game for the first time since 1997 and things were really down. I hate to say it, but I expect more of the same this year. There is just not enough to go on here to say the Cardinals will turn things around and be able to right the ship. Steve Kragthorpe stepped in last year and hardly delivered what he was meant to. The heat will really be on Kragthorpe to turn things around.

(+) Pros- There is not going to be a lot to discuss here. The good thing about going into this season is the sense of not having anything to loose. The last few seasons, they were looked at as being national title contenders and were targeted. Now, they have a fresh start with new faces. One of the new faces will be QB Hunter Cantwell. He is a senior and spent plenty of time behind Brian Brohme and should have no problem knowing what to do with this offense, he just does not have the experience. Also, it is worth noting that they do get to play USF and WVU at home, at least.

(-) Cons- Okay, now I have some things to say. Hunter Cantwell came to Louisville as a good prospect and many feel he will step in as a great replacement for Brohme. Well all I can say to that is, who is this guy going to give the ball to? Both wide receivers Mario Urritia and Harry Douglas are gone and not to mention TE Gary Barnidge. These guys were the three leading receivers for Louisville. They are also missing starting running back Anthony Allen. That is on one side of the ball, which was the best thing they had going for them. With the offense now dismantled and the defense (if you want to consider what this team put on the field to be a “defense”) still very vulnerable to air or ground attacks, the Cardinals will be taking even more of a step back next year. They lost all of their starting LB’s and have huge holes in the secondary due to a lack of talent. Expect this to be the final year for head coach Steve Kragthorpe.

8- Syracuse Orange-
2007 Record: (2-10 overall) (1-6 conference)
No Bowl
Opening Game: August 30th @ 12:00 @ Northwestern

Greg Robinson has a 7-28 record at head coach at Syracuse. Why is this guy still the coach with that kind of record? I don’t have answer for you, I guess he has either made really good pleas to keep his job or the ‘Cuse AD just does not care. The last three years Syracuse has a combined for TWO Big East wins. That is abysmal for a D-1 program to put that kind of performance together for three consecutive years. This prediction of The Orange being dead last again is just about a lock! Donovan McNabb isn’t walking through that door folks!

(+) Pros- It’s honestly a real challenge for me to write about what is good about this team. The passing attack was at least 4th in the Big East averaging 229 yards per game, which is better then four other teams. Their QB, Andrew Robinson, is coming back, so that may add some consistency and he did have a decent campaign throwing for 2,192 yards with 13 TD’s and 7 INTS. With that being said, at least ‘Cuse fans can say he threw more touchdowns than interceptions. Robinson also has a good target to throw to in a 6’2 receiver Mike Williams who had 60 receptions, 837 yards and 10 touchdowns. Those are solid stats for a wide out on a team that is this awful.

(-) Cons- This team ranked dead last in every major statistical category except for the passing yards. They had a bad offensive line, so they couldn’t rush well, only averaging a terrible 63 yards a game. With a bad O-Line means very little time for your QB and this reigned true for Syracuse. Robinson was sacked 4.5 times per game, which is hard to do. No, I mean it’s hard to allow that many sacks a game, that’s how bad this line, really is. The line will have most of its guys returning, but they need to do tons of work in order to allow the rush game to improve, as well as keeping Robinson off the turf. The defense? Well, they allowed a whopping 207 yards rushing a game. The passing defense is even worse; they allowed 260 yards a game. Between those rush and pass yards, that is a whole lot of yardage to be giving up in one game, leaving them absolutely no chance at winning a football game. No wonder why these guys only have two conference wins over three years.

Big XII Preview- The Big XII Conference is the second best conference in all the land, behind the SEC. They have (like the SEC) 5 teams in the preseason top 25. It will be a very competitive conference, in both the North and South leagues. It seems like offense is the way to go around the Big XII with Oklahoma, Missouri, Kansas, Texas and the always pass happy Red Raiders of Texas Tech, all of them are extremely triumphant in reaching the pylons. So, without further adieu, let’s look at both the class of the Big XII and the bottom feeders.

North-

1-Missouri Tigers- 2007 record: (12-2 overall) (7-1 conference) Cotton Bowl: vs. Arkansas W 38-7

Opening Game: August 30^th @ 8:30 vs. Illinois

Heisman hopeful Chase Daniel is back to lead the Tigers out of Columbia to return his team to another incredible year. One big difference this year is that we expect something out of the Tigers, so now we will have to see how they respond when the heat is on. Missouri is not without weapons, on both sides of the ball, this year they have 14 starters returning. Amongst those starters is Chase Daniels favorite target Jeremy Maclin. Out of Daniel’s 4,306 yards last year, Maclin racked up 1, 055 of them.

(-) Cons- Mizzou has an issue at tail back. Tony Temple graduated, and replacing him is a big task. They have Jimmy Jackson, sophomore Derrick Washington and freshman De’Vion Moore competing for the spot. Usually when there is open competition in camps, it builds the characters of the guys, and I don’t expect anything different out of this situation. Whoever steps into the role for them, I expect they will fit nicely into the equation. One last con…they open up hosting a very improved Ron Zook team, in Illinois, that is a hard way to open up a year, however, it could strengthen the team in the end.

(+) Pros- Jeremy Maclin is the lead wide out amongst other very skilled receivers like Danario Alexander, Tommy Saunders and TE Chase Coffman. The Tigers defense is also a big part of this teams game, granted the offense retained most of the lore from last season. However, in the Big XII to only give up 23 points per game is something to brag about. The D has all of their linebackers returning and the secondary has players stepping into roles they are no strangers to.

2- Kansas Jayhawks- 2007 record: (12-1 overall) (7-1 conference) Orange Bowl: vs Virginia Tech W 24-21

Opening Game: August 30^th @ 7:00 vs. Florida International

Another Cinderella story from a year ago. The Kansas Jayhawks. The main difference between Kansas and Missouri was the argument amongst skeptics, that Kansas had a cake walk schedule. That argument may hold some water due to the fact that they did not play Oklahoma or Texas and when they went on the road within the Big XII, they seemed to struggle. They may have “struggled” but last I checked, if you win the game, your not lucky, your good. Kansas looks to feed off of that big Orange Bowl win against Virginia Tech and surprise people again.

(-) Cons- The offensive line took a hit loosing the bookends. Tackles Caesar Rodriguez and Anthony Collins are gone. The good news is that all of the guards from a year ago have returned. However, ask anyone in Lawrence and replacing Rodriguez and Collins is no easy task ,the end result may be Reesing being on his back a bit more this season. The Jayhawks defense will be stellar again as it was last year, but they did loose star CB Aqib Talib. The schedule this year for the Jayhawks is not as easy this time around. They have a tough non-conference road game against South Florida, who is very tough at home. They also will be playing @Oklahoma, @Missouri and hosting Texas and Texas Tech.

(+) Pros- Todd Reesing returns as QB. Reesing threw for over 3400 yards last year and had 33 TD’s. This year he returns as a junior looking to lead his Jayhawks to another BCS bowl game. WR Dezmon Briscoe is coming back as a sophomore to catch those lasers from Reesing. On the defensive side, Joe Mortenson returns at LB. Mortenson had 106 tackles last year. Starting safeties Darrell Stuckey and Justin Thornton will be back in Lawrence as well to bring a Big XII North title home.

3- Colorado Buffaloes- 2007 record: (6-7 overall) (4-4 conference) Independence Bowl: vs. Alabama L 30-24

Opening Game: August 31^st @ 7:30 vs. Colorado State

The Buffaloes had a very good season last year based on what happened in 2006. Coach Dan Hawkins came over from Boise State and imposed his philosophy. It got them a 4-4-conference record and that’s a step in the right direction. With a year under the Hawkins system, I expect the Buffaloes to be physical, competitive and improved on offense. Cody Hawkins (the coach’s son) is returning and looks to improve on his 3,015 yards last year. He showed signs of progression last year and very good poise having his own team.

(-) Cons- Let’s start with what Colorado lost. RB Hugh Charles is gone, Charles 1,058 yards last year with 8 TD’s. On defense they loose LB Jordan Dizon who accumulated 160 tackles for the buffs. In the secondary they lost Terrence Wheatley, who was taken in the second round of the NFL draft. Losses aside, another weakness is that QB Cody Hawkins was hardly accurate last year. You can imagine, with a bad completion percentage and over 3,000 yards, the buffs like to pass. Well in my opinion Hawkins has had time to improve, and under the tutelage of his father, should be better this year. On the Colorado schedule? It starts out alright the first two weeks…but the next four games are pretty rough. Week 3 they are hosting West Virginia, then travel to Tallahassee to face FSU, then host Texas and finally have to go into Lawrence to face the Jayhawks. The buffs can very easily start out 2-4.

(+) Pros- Colorado has eight starters returning on defense. That’s always a plus; a young defense takes a while to get used to some of the plays that get thrown their way. This defense was amongst the best in the conference last year as they allowed under 390 yards, which came to be 6^th in the conference. The buffs are hard to read right now, however, Coach Hawkins seems to be very passionate and a no “bull” kind of coach. That is just what Colorado needed after their scandals and problems with their previous staff. Under Hawkins this team is headed in the right direction and definitely to a better bowl game, they just need to battle through those tough early season games.

4- Nebraska Cornhuskers- 2007 record: (5-7 overall) (2-6 conference) No Bowl

Opening Game: August 30^th @ 7:00 vs. Western Michigan

Years ago, around this time, Lincoln would be buzzing about college football. Nebraska was a powerhouse team that instilled fear in the hearts of every college program. Now? There can still be some buzz, but just because it will be something to do on the weekends. The days of the black shirt defense and unstoppable option offense are over for the Cornhuskers. Step in Bo Pelini. Pelini has been a successful defensive mind at Oklahoma and LSU. He will try, key word being try, to turn things around for them. First thing first would be to build up that defense.

(-) Cons- Last season it was no secret as to how you could get yardage on Nebraska. The run game. They gave up huge amounts of yards every game, ranking 112th in the nation in run defense, not to mention in their own Big XII they were dead last in overall defense. Are those highlights from Kansas shredding this defense coming back to you at all? Losses include the entire line-backing core, which obviously does not help. They have their entire front line returning, but how good of a thing can that be bearing in mind that these guys only managed to get 1.08 sacks, another dead last statistic in the conference. Schedule wise, they have a tough three weeks in a row starting on September 27^th when Virginia Tech comes to town and the week after that Missouri. Then on October 11^th they have to go down to Lubbock and go against the air attack of Texas Tech.

(+) Pros- Offensively this team has some things going for them. Marlon Lucky is returning from gaining 1,019 yards rushing last year and QB Joe Ganz, who had a noteworthy end to the season after replacing Keller. The Huskers have problems on the outside though. Maurice Purify and Terrence Nunn are gone, leaving Marlon Lucky out of the backfield to have the most receiving yards as a returnee. Hopefully someone can step up in their place, because the passing game was one of the bright spots for Nebraska, they ranked 7^th in nation and 2^nd in the conference behind Texas Tech.

5- Iowa State Cyclones- 2007 Record: (3-9 overall) (2-6 conference) No Bowl

Opening Game: Auguest 28^th @ 8:00 vs. South Dakota State

Iowa State has never been amongst the top in this conference, let alone the North division. Last season Gene Chizik stepped in to try and bring an identity to this program. It was a tough first year as the Cyclones could only manage 3 overall wins. A bright point to last season was a non-conference win over rival Iowa. They need to improve on the road as they were blown out a few times in enemy territory. They have a new identity under Chizik, the uniforms show, the Cyclones will adorn a new logo and uniform scheme this season. Hey, it’s actually worked for some teams before, maybe it can for them.

(-) Cons- There is a lot that can be fixed here. The Cyclones were 10^th in the conference in turnover margin. A huge reason as to why they gave up so many points. Their turnovers would come within Iowa State territory, giving the defense little to go on. The offense’s problem did not stop there unfortunately. Passing offense, scoring offense and total offense were all at the bottom of the conference. It will not get any better this year. They have no clear cut #1 QB right now, and it looks like Coach Chizik may have to resort to a QB by committee program until he can get a clear cut leader of this group.

(+) Pros- Iowa State had a talented defensive showing last year. They were clearly the focal point of this team. Any time you rank amongst the middle of the Big XII in any kind of rank, it is a positive, unless you are amongst the elite. It is such a top-heavy conference that a ranking of 5,6 or 7 amongst 12 teams gets a bit lost. I for one realize that ISU had a talented D last season, and they will undoubtedly be improved more this year. One area that would make them a better defense is to force more turnovers, which is the one area where ISU struggled. They force more turnovers; they will get more opportunities to win football games. Upon looking at the schedule, what I see is one very similar to what Kansas had last year. They do not face Oklahoma or Texas, and the toughest opponents they’ll face are all at home. This could be a real jump in improvement kind of year for the Iowa State Cyclones.

6- Kansas State Wildcats- 2007 Record: (5-7 overall) (3-5 conference) No Bowl

Opening Game: August 30^th @ 7:05 vs. North Texas

Ron Price signed a five-year contract extension through 2012. K-State had a down year last year, mainly because the defense really could not find answers to any problems they had. They had a new D unit start almost every game, showing that Coach Price really had no answers. Will another year make much of a difference? Personally, I don’t feel it will. Many feel Kansas State has to good of a program to stay down for too long, but you have to face the facts. The Wildcats schedule does not favor them having a turn around year.

(-) Cons- There’s no getting around this fact. Jordy Nelson has left Manhattan, KS. Nelson was above and beyond the best offensive player for QB Josh Freeman to throw to, as he is now in the NFL via a second round draft pick. He had 57 more receptions then the second leader and 716 more yards… he will certainly be missed. Aside from loosing Nelson the ‘Cats have other issues. They are only returning five guys on defense, which could be a good thing or a bad thing. As I mentioned before, the defense was nothing to brag about, however, new guys always bring about a transition period. Why will it be difficult to get back to a bowl for KSU? Take a look at the middle part of their schedule. Aside from the fact they have to travel to Louisville on 9/7, they begin a brutal 6 week period on October 4th when they face Texas Tech, travel to College Station to go up against the Aggies and then to Folsom Field which is always hard to play at. If that wasn’t bad enough they play Oklahoma, then are back on the road to face Kansas and Missouri back to back. That will be a ROUGH six weeks for this ‘Cats team.

(+) Pros- I’m not sure if anyone remembers the name Alesana Alesana, but he is an OL on an offensive line that has seven guys returning that played on it last year. This is always good news when you have a talented QB to protect. That QB is Josh Freeman, who threw for over 3,000 yards last year, a productive amount on a team like this. After a productive year like that, I would expect Freeman to only improve his game behind an experienced line. He will have to improvise though for the first few match-ups with his WR unit until he finds his go to man.

South-

1-Oklahoma Sooners- 2007 Record: (11-3 overall) (6-2 conference) Fiesta Bowl: vs. West Virginia L 48-28

Opening Game: August 30^th @ 7:00 vs. Chattanooga

The Sooners come into the year once again with high expectations. Ranked #4 in the pre-season polls, can OU finally go a whole year without an upset? Without loosing when they have to win? That remains to be seen considering they are as talented as they ever are. One thing remains true though, under Bob Stoops this team will be around in the BCS title considerations at seasons end.

(-) Cons- Losses on defense will prove to show some issues during the beginning stages of the season. But considering OU’s first four games of the season are all easy games for them, the defense should rise to the form OU is capable of. The secondary element for the Sooners is ready to blossom into one of the best in the nation, they are young, and may make a few mistakes, however, look ready to become an elite unit. A bit of an issue is the loss of RB Allen Patrick, however, DeMarco Murray will step into the starter role nicely as he had 13 TD’s last year.

(+) Pros- Didn’t notice many negatives? Well there are plenty of positives. Sam Bradford is back, and he had an outstanding year, as a freshman, coming back for his second stint as starter, should only be a better experience for OU. For a freshman to only throw 8 INT’s all year within the Big XII is nothing less of remarkable. Look for Bradford to throw into the 4,000 yards mark this time around. With Bradford at the helm, this offense will not see many roadblocks along the way. As mentioned before DeMarco Murray is a rock-solid back, expect him to have a break out year. Malcom Kelly is no longer with the receiving core, however there is no problem with that. Juaquin Iglesias led in receiving last year with 907 yards, as well as TE Jermaine Gresham. Gresham had 37 receptions last season, and is an excellent mark to get the ball to.

2-Texas Tech Red Raiders- 2007 Record (9-4 overall) (4-4 conference) Gator Bowl: vs. Virginia W 31-28

Opening Game: August 30^th @ 7:00 vs. Eastern Washington

It is no secret that the Red Raiders, year in and year out, are amongst the best in total offensive production. The problem is usually their defense. Things turned around last year though. TT ranked 1^st in pass defense and 3^rd in overall defense. WR Michael Crabtree returns after having an absolutely insane year, racking up 1,962 yards and reaching the end zone 22 times. Fellow WR’s Eric Morris and Edward Britton were secondary targets last year, but will step into a bigger roll this year.

(-) Cons- Yes, the defense was improved last year. The passing defense was very, very good. They did have a problem stopping the run though. They gave up 177 yards on the ground a game. You have to figure a lot of that is on the LB crew. One returning LB is Brian Duncan, the other two starters are gone, leaving room for new, developing talent. If the Red Raiders have any plans to bring another level of prestige to this program, the defense does have to step up in big games, like in the Oklahoma game at the end of the year. If the defense can build on what it started last year, and the returning front four and linebacker’s work on stopping the run, this can very well be a BCS title contender as well.

(+) Pros- In his senior year, Graham Harrell returns after throwing a ridiculous 5,705 yards last year. That’s way more then any other Big XII QB threw. With Michael Crabtree coming back with him, Harrel will have another historic year for TT. As great as this offense is, it does run into problems when they face a superb pass defense, because they know that Texas Tech is going to throw the ball every time. Just look at their rushing stats, they were last in the conference, and will need a bit more rushing production to keep the defense guessing just a little bit. Aside from that, the pass attack seems to work every year. With Morris and Britton coming back and stepping into a bigger spot they will produce big numbers and take some pressure off of Crabtree. TT will have an outstanding year, and could very well be in the Big XII title game if they take down Oklahoma in Norman on November 22^nd

3-Texas Longhorns- 2007 Record: (10-3 overall) (5-3 conference) Holiday Bowl: vs. Arizona State W 52-34

Opening Game: August 30^th vs. Florida Atlantic University

Texas is coming off a blowout victory performance against Arizona State; just showing how good the Big XII really is when they go up against other conferences proves that. Going into 2008, Texas will have some new faces to give the ball to. RB Jamaal Charles and WR Limas Sweed are both gone. No big deal though, Coach Mack Brown has seen stars come and go in plenty of ways. These guys weren’t even stars, so I expect Texas to be a typical Texas team, getting early season wins, yet struggling against OU and a late season upset. Prove me wrong otherwise Texas.

(-) Cons- Texas’ secondary gave up HUGE yardage last year. I just remember watching this team get torched through the air. Can it get worse? Well, if you thought they could get better with experience, think again. Texas is only returning one starter on the secondary team. Will Muschamp is the new D-coordinator, so that may bring about a new attitude to the secondary and the D as a whole. One last thing before moving on to Texas’ strength’s…they better not loose to A&M for a third year in a row or someone’s head will roll.

(+) Pros- Colt McCoy is back as an experienced junior. It seems like just the other day he was stepping in for Vince Young right? Well McCoy has down a fine job and is even the teams best returning rusher (492 yards). He does need to have more control this season, as he had a whopping 18 interceptions last year. A running back will surely step up to the plate for Texas, such as Vondrell McGee, entering his sophomore year. At wide receiver, the Longhorns have a lot of young talent, and if McCoy can keep the control and fine-tune his accuracy, these youngsters will flourish in this offense.

4-Oklahoma State- 2007 Record: (7-6 overall) (4-4 conference) Insight Bowl: vs. Indiana W 49-33

Opening Game: August 30^th @ 3:30 vs. Washington State

Oklahoma State signed a handful of junior college transfers, which means they are eager to fill in the missing pieces and put a winner on the field right now. Players are expected to contribute immediately and bolster what has been a struggling defense. Combine that instant experience to the quality recruiting classes the Cowboys have had over the last couple of years and this collection has the capacity to be the best defense Oklahoma State has seen in a few years.

(-) Cons- Like Texas, this team had a hard time defending the pass. Most of the secondary is back but unless they have changed up defensive schemes or worked extremely hard to get better, they will continue to struggle in this offensive happy league. Their go to RB Dantrell Savage (rushed for 1,272) is no longer with the pokes, but with those JC transfers, someone may be able to step in and produce some good yardage in tight spots. Their beast of a receiver Adarius Bowman is also gone, he produced 1,000 yards receiving last season.

(+) Pros- Quarterback Zac Robinson really came along a year ago. He stepped into the starting role and made it his own. Throwing for 2,824 yards and 23 touchdowns, the kids got what it takes. He also rushed for over 800 yards. Not bad. He is only a sophomore and should only show more with a full season ahead of him. Lucky for Robinson he has a good line ahead of, all returning from a year ago, giving him protection from those nasties on the other side.

5-Texas A&M Aggies- 2007 Record ( 7-6 overall) (4-4 conference) Alamo Bowl: vs. Penn State L 24-17

Opening Game: August 30^th @ 7:00 vs. Arkansas State

The Aggies had another mediocre year last year. Will they ever be atop the Big XII, or even the nation? That remains to be seen, but Dennis Franchione is out and new Head Coach Mike Sherman is ready to try to do just that. There are talented guys coming back to A&M, but under a new coach, everyone’s roles could change, meaning one may struggle, while another one gains. We shall see what transpires in College Station.

(-) Cons- Where did the protection go? Well, it isn’t in Texas anymore. Four starters are gone from the O-line, leaving QB Stephen McGee very susceptible to sacks. While the Aggies prefer to run the ball, it hurts that their top two air options are also no longer there. On defense most of the guys up front are in need of being replaced. Good luck Aggies.

(+) Pros- Under a new system, we will see how much QB McGee will run, but he likes to run that’s for sure. Big man Javorski Lane is always a threat in the backfield, but he needs to see some more touches, he is a huge physical presence. With Mike Sherman coming in, expect him to implement a new philosophy, with more offensive options, giving McGee’s legs a rest with more emphasis on his arm. The Aggies schedule is tough, what Big XII schedule isn’t? But, the games against Oklahoma and Texas Tech are at home. The rivalry game at years end is in Austin, Texas though. Can they make it three years in a row over the Longhorns?

6-Baylor Bears- 2007 Record: (3-9 overall) (0-8 conference) No Bowl

Opening Game: August 28^th @ 8:00 vs. Wake Forest

New Head Coach Art Briles is in Waco, Texas to lead the Bears in a new direction. He comes over from Houston and brings (at least Baylor fans hope) his high offensive game plan. He will have the option between returning starter Blake Syzmanski (threw for 2,844 yards) and Kirby Freeman, who transferred to Baylor from the University of Miami.

(-) Cons- There are plenty of faults with Baylor, there have been for a number of years. A new coach can change that, but not in one year. Let’s just go over some stats. They were 11^th in total offense in the Big XII, 11^th in scoring, 11^th in total defense, 11^th in pass and rush defense, and 10^th in sacks allowed. They have tons of work on both sides of the ball. The secondary on Baylor is terrible, giving up 280 yards a game, which spells trouble in the Big XII. They have some guys returning on the secondary and up front, so maybe the defense will improve. For the Bears fan’s sake, I hope it results in at least one conference win

(+) Pros- The O-line has all of its guys returning, a few names are Jason Smith and Dan Gay, which some reports have said are real solid linemen. Whoever the QB will be, these guys can really protect them. Granted, the line can have a lot of potential, but Baylor needs to have a better running game. The best returning rusher only had 200 yards last year. However, with an improved line, the running game may have a better year. It is hard to be optimistic though considering Baylor will have to face D-lines the likes of Texas, Missouri and Oklahoma.

Kevin Whalen

Western Conference- After taking a look in the east, we head out west to the ultra competitive Western Conference. The difference between the Eastern and Western conferences is mainly the teams from top to bottom. In the west it isn’t just an 8-team race, barring about two teams, everyone has potential to reach the playoffs.

1-Detroit Red Wings- The Cup champs, the mighty Red Wings. This team is basically All-World with the diversity on their roster. Adding Marion Hossa for a 1-year contract only makes them a more formidable foe. They re-signed Valtteri Filppula to a 5-year deal, which is a great move for their future, another great front office move. It also looks like they are going to stick with Chris Osgood between the pipes and their defense should hold strong with Rafalski, Lidstrom and some young talent in front of the goal. Chris Chelios does not look like he will be coming back, but the Wings are no strangers to experience, so that is no loss. I expect another huge year for Detroit, winning on a consistent, nightly basis.

2-Anaheim Ducks- The Ducks seemed to have a Stanley Cup hangover last season in the early going. After a while, they came to look like the team we saw who won the Cup in the 2006-07 season. The major issue with the Ducks was their lack of scoring. They were 27^th in the league in goals scored. They made a stride towards more offensive production, nabbing Brendan Morrison. Morrison can add some speed and poise to the Ducks if he is healthy. They re-sighed Perry and have a star Ryan Getzlaf. I feel this team has zero pressure this season and with Selanne being ready right off the bat, the offense should be improved. The defense has no issues, best blue line in hockey with Schneider, Pronger, Niedermayer and Beauchemin.

3-Calgary Flames- The Flames lost some players that had been with them for their runs over the last few years. Alex Tanguay, Kristian Huselius, veteran Owen Nolan and D Rhett Warrener are all gone. But they replaced each accordingly; they signed Michael Cammalleri to fill the void of losing Huselius. They also added Todd Bertuzzi, the troubled forward, who has not seemed to get his offense on track since that incident in Colorado. He only had 40 points last season, down from his average; however, Bertuzzi can still be a physical presence and be valuable down low. Aside from additions and losses, the Flames still have that Iginla guy, one of the best all around players in the league. Along with Iginla, there are youngsters in the fray now in Curtis Glencross and Rene Bourque to compliment the offense. Mikka Kiprusoff is the best goalie in the west in my opinion and should anchor this team towards a division title this year.

4-San Jose Sharks- I hate to see this team fail for some reason. When a team is as talented as the Sharks, it just does not seem fit. They have a great core of players on offense and Vezina contender Evgeni Nabokov, who had an outstanding season. On D, Brian Campbell bolted to the Hawks, however, the Sharks just signed a few vet’s to strengthen the point. Rob Blake, Dan Boyle, Brad Lukowich will all contribute soundly for them. The Sharks are like clock work during the season and they have no problem winning on the road, they just have to face getting over the proverbial playoff “hump”. This is the year they do just that.

5-Dallas Stars- Dallas has what the Sharks don’t have yet. That is playoff experience and a killer instinct when they hit the post-season. Marty Turco had a sick playoff performance, shutting the mouths of any doubters. The ever-irritating Sean Avery comes to Dallas from New York and will add some grit and those always-important “garbage” goals. The Stars are not the youngest team out west, but they do have some young talent all the same. Brad Richards will be with the team for a full season, adding to the scoring presence along with speedster Mike Ribeiro. The Stars, Sharks and Ducks will seemingly jostle all year long for the first spot in the Pacific Division.

6-Chicago Blackhawks- The youngest and most talented team in the league in my opinion. I am not just singling that out to future superstars Patrick Kane (19) and Jonathan Toews (20), but also Andrew Ladd (22) and Dustin Byfuglien (23). All will contribute to this teams rise in success though out this year. Also, they now have Cristobal Huet in net, leaving Khabibulin on the outside looking in. Huet is better for this club with more to offer in the coming years. Not to mention they now have Brian Campbell to fortify that defense. The Hawks also have a date on New Years Day at Wrigley Field to face Original Six member, the Detroit Red Wings in an inter-division match up for the ages. This game should be incredible to watch and it is a fitting pairing seeing as the Blackhawks will offer the Wings the most competition within the Central.

7-Columbus Blue Jackets- The Blue Jackets are the most improved team through the free agency and in the future, through the draft. Umberger, Hueseluis, Commodore, Fedor Tyutin, Christian Backman, Raffi Torres. All of those coming from free agency, not to mention the Russian draft choice Nikita Filatov, only 18 years of age. All of this under the guidance in a great coach, Ken Hitchcock. These new additions will suit well for superstar Rick Nash, who in his own right is coming off his best statistical year to date. With the defense improved, it should bode well for potential star goaltender, Pascal Leclaire, only 25 years of age, who had 9 shutouts last year and a solid 2.25 GAA. The Blue Jackets will be happy to make the playoffs, but are right now geared for even more success down the road.

8-Edmonton Oilers- Edmonton had a winning season last year after a strong finish. They won 14 out of their last 20 games, and only three points away from the last playoff spot. They are young and ready to make a stride towards the post-season this year. The Northwest division is not out of their reach as the Wild lost some players in the off-season and the Avalanche have goalie issues. The Oilers main struggles will be in the Alberta rivalry with the Flames. They have a real young talent in Sam Gagne, only 18 years old, who had 49 points in his rookie year. They got Erik Cole, who can put the puck in the net, if healthy. Ales Hemsky and Shawn Horcoff are the leaders on this squad and being in a winnable division, they should have big years for the Oilers.

9-Phoenix Coyotes- Shane Doan was the Coyotes best player last year. Now they have Oli Jokinen, who had a good 71 points last year, and will undoubtedly help the Coyotes struggling offense. Starting last year with a goalie by committee system was no help. Now they have Ilya Brygalov, a decent goaltender, who can keep them in games. The number 9 spot seems high now, but through the year the Coyotes will progress.

10-Minnesota Wild- These guys are a fairly young team also. Minnesota lost Brian Rolston to free agency; however, they are a defensive minded team under Jacques Lemaire. Marion Gaborik may not be a league-leading superstar like we thought he may become, but he is a staple on the team and will provide critical points for them. Nik Backstrom had a great 33-win year last year and should only improve on that.

11- Vancouver Canucks- Down and out are the Canucks. Roberto Luongo is their best chance at winning games this season and I honestly feel he is the reason that the Canucks wont be any lower then this spot. They lost veteran Marcus Naslund, but he has been down for a few years anyway. Also, losing Morrison hurts them. Ryan Kesler, Taylor Pyatt and the Sedin twins are the most productive players, but are no superstars. It will be a down year for ‘couver.

12- Colorado Avalanche- A poor playoff showing by the Avs last year. But in their defense they were riddled with injuries at the time. The young talent will make a push this season as the team’s main focus. Joe Sakic is on the cusp of retirement, but don’t get me wrong, he can still play. The major issue will be at goalie, Raycroft and Budaj have never been #1 guys. If the Avs want a chance at the playoffs and of making quick strides, one of them will have to step up and play out of their minds.

13- St. Louis Blues- A lot of young talent here, this may seem like a bad team being in a 13 spot, but the front office are doing things right in St. Louis. The Central is a competitive division and will offer a difficult time for the Blues. One bright spot, Chris Mason comes over from Nashville to add some stability in front of the twine.

15- Los Angeles Kings- The Kings need help on defense, they were in the bottom of the league in GAA and they don’t have much help scoring either. It will be a while before the Kings are competitive again. They will show signs of life through out the year, however, they are very young team, inexperienced, and do not have a shut down goaltender. Expect Anze Kopitar to improve this year however, 77 points last year will easily get into the 90’s this year.

August has come and we are anxiously awaiting the start of the NFL season. Preseason football is about the closest thing we have right now, so we will just have to wait a bit more for that competitive Sunday drive we crave so much. On the other hand, the NFL no longer has an off-season with all of the drama that comes with the time between the Super Bowl and Kickoff Weekend. Jason Taylor to the Redskins, Jeremy Shockey finally getting out of New York for The Big Easy, Pacman ( oh wait, it’s just Adam now right? Or is it back to Pacman?) Jones arriving in Big-D, and Steve Smith punching out one of his own guys. Am I forgetting anything? Oh, that’s right, the big cheese Brett Favre and the Green Bay conundrum. Thankfully, we do not have to wait much longer and everything is going to be played on the field, we hope. Here are my facts, insights, and predictions on the upcoming season.

AFC-

East-

New England Patriots- (13-3) The Pats have already forgotten about the Super Bowl, it is just their way. They will start the season out strong with four games against teams with losing records from last year, however, the Jets may give them a better game then either of the two they gave them last season. Tom Brady will only continue from his record breaking 50 TD year, but expect Wes Welker to get a few more TD’s this season since Bellichick has had plenty of time to scheme up a new way to get into the end zone besides using the Moss factor. Pats get another AFC East title.

New York Jets- (10-6) The Jets have made tons of moves to improve themselves. Vernon Gholston was a solid draft choice for a defense that needed a lot of help. 11-year veteran Alan Faneca will add guidance and depth to the offensive line giving better protection to… Brett Favre!. The addition of Favre is huge to this teams confidence. Just having him behind center will give them the belief in once again winning. Although Favre will have to learn new things, and learn quickly, he has proven himself to be a winner. I had the Jets being improved at 8-8 before Favre, now with him, they easily get 2 more wins just from his performances.

Buffalo Bills- (8-8) The Bills have been mediocre for years. They may have something in young QB Trent Edwards, so long as the Bills stick with him and do not have a QB by committee system again. A bit of turbulence for the squad with the Marshawn Lynch incident, however, the NFL has said they will not punish lynch which is a good thing since he is the best chance this team really has to produce on offense. It will be another streaky season for the Bills.

Miami Dolphins- (4-12) Miami picked up OT Jake Long in the draft, he has the potential to be a number one lineman in the league. Unfortunately for the Dolphins, Long isn’t able to stop all on coming traffic for their QB’s. I eventually think Chad Henne will be the starter at one point in Miami seeing as they really will have no other choice down the road, having yet another difficult season. Also, it will be interesting to see how Ronnie Brown performs after his injury; perhaps the enigmatic Ricky Williams can shoulder some of the load. One last point, Ted Ginn Jr. needs to have a break out year, other wise, the decision of not taking Brady Quinn two years ago could haunt them for a while.

West-

San Diego Chargers- (11-5) When we last saw the Chargers they were walking off of the field at Gillette Stadium after they lost to New England in the AFC championship. A major advancement in this team that can be taken from that game, as well as the playoffs last year as a whole, was how gutsy Phillip Rivers was. That will go a long way this year as they try to win a Super Bowl before their window of opportunity shuts. They also had a very good draft, picking up Antoine Cason to bolster their secondary and another crafty pick was Jacob Hester, the speedy back out of LSU. The Chargers major concern going into this season is TE Antonio Gates’ nagging foot injury, if he can be back to his regular form, expect this predicted 11-5 record, to easily go to a 13-3, or possibly 14-2.

Denver Broncos- (9-7) The AFC West is a one-team division this year much like the AFC East. The broncos were disappointing last season, but this year they really do not have what it takes. They are slightly better then KC and OAK this year, but not by much. Jay Cutler’s inconsistency may actually have a culprit, being that he was diagnosed with diabetes and is now properly medicated and gone on record as to saying he feels great. Cutler can be great, but without the proper weapons around him the Broncos will struggle, but perhaps, based on who they defeat, may sneak into the playoffs.

Oakland Raiders- (7-9) Seven wins for Oakland? Yes, I’m going to say this is the year they start to make strides toward resurgence. They did not have a spectacular draft, they did not have a 2nd or 3rd round pick. However, with the acquisition of Darren McFadden, the draft is by no means unsuccessful. They made a fine move adding secondary man DeAngelo Hall to an experienced defense. Oakland just has problems with their offense, leading to my next question. Can JaMarcus Russell be the QB the Raiders need? He had little time last year to get acquainted with the NFL because of his lengthy hold out and when he did play, seemed to struggle. Now he has time to work out, study, and do whatever it is he needs to do to play, he just has to show what he can do. With that said, even if Russell advances his game, the WR core of the Raiders is lacking any depth with only Javon Walker as a go to receiver. They will really need another wide out to have a big year.

Kansas City Chiefs- (6-10) The Chiefs need to insert Brodie Croyle as the #1 QB, he may not be the answer, but what this team needs is consistency. They just don’t have it right now. Larry Johnson is coming off, what I felt, was a disappointing season before his injury, and could very well already be on the down and outs with the way he runs. I don’t think we will see him have any historic years again, but he is still dominant. The Chiefs had a huge draft, they drafted 12 people, one of which was the mammoth DT from LSU Glen Dorsey, who, if healthy, will be a staple on that D-Line. The Chiefs have made moves on defense to get better, but nothing major will come of it this year. Re-building time at Arrowhead.

North

Cleveland Browns- (10-6) Cleveland did not take much from the draft this year. But that’s just fine for fans because for the first time since the Browns became the Browns again, expectations are big. Derek Anderson looks to make big on the contract he got and lead them to the post-season for only the second time in “new” Browns history. RB Jamal Lewis isn’t getting 2,000 yards for them, but what he can provide is good 3rd and short yardage and goal line production. Derek Anderson can chuck it out in any other situation. Let’s not forget the Browns added to their wide-out unit with Dante Stallworth. Between Stallworth and Edwards, the Browns offense will pick up from what it established last season.

Pittsburgh Steelers- (10-6) Last season, Willie Parker seemed to have a fumbling issue. He had a productive year still, gaining over 1300 yards, but only managed to see the end zone 2 times. So, the Steelers went and drafted feature back out of Illinois, Rashard Mendenhall. He will add to the run game the Steelers have always loved to use. I expect the Steelers to have a typical, solid year, with Big Ben connecting with Ward and Holmes consistently. The reason they will only have a mediocre 10-6 record? They have a brutal non-conference schedule, as well as having to play Cleveland twice.

Cincinnati Bengals- (6-10) LB Keith Rivers out of USC, a good draft choice for the Bengals who really needed help in the linebacker department since Dhani Jones was the only consistent LB for them. Looking at the roster of the Bengals, one has to wonder with all this talent, where is the winning? Well the offense can get points, but last season more times then not the offense seemed to struggle. It was no secret the defense was giving up points, but with Houszmenzadeh and Johnson in the slots, Palmer has his targets. Rudi Johnson had a terrible year last season and for Marvin Lewis’ sake, he needs to get healthy and come to form. This teams major problem is the fact they don’t believe they can win anymore.

Baltimore Ravens- (3-13) The Brian Billick era had to end after last year. Enter John Harbaugh, who came over from Philadelphia. This team has always relied on defense, whether that will remain the same is yet to be seen. However, there is no denying the fact that Ray Lewis, the anchor of that defense, is in the last years of his career. It is a time of change in Baltimore. Who will be the starter? Troy Smith, the rookie Joe Flaco or the never improving Kyle Boler? If this team wants to rebuild, throw Joe Flaco in there and see how it goes. They have a good back he can hand it off to in McGahee and rookie back Ray Rice will get some reps here and there. One huge concern is the air attack, again. The Ravens have just never seemed to go after a WR with proven game changing abilities. Derrick Mason is capable, not game changing. Mark Clayton is the best receiver they have at this point and he needs to have a big year in order to change the philosophy in B-more.

South

Indianapolis Colts- (12-4) Bursa Sack? Am I the only one who thinks that sounds like an alien life form was removed from Peyton Manning’s knee? Well anyway, I have no doubts he will be ready for opening night in Indy’s shiny new Lucas Oil Stadium. He may be a bit rusty the first few series, but this is Peyton, c’mon. The Colts will run that clockwork offense this year, same as every year, and will march right on in to the playoffs again. Solid receiving core as always and I expect Gonzalez to really have a big year as they begin to set the transition of Wayne to #1 and Gonzalez #2, anticipating Harrison’s retirement in a few years. The backfield is running smoothly with Joseph Addai and smart draft choice, Mike Hart. Tight End? Dallas Clark. They have someone in every position. The defense will be stingy in the secondary with Bob Sanders leading the way and up front, the pass rush is always fierce with Dwight Freeney going at the opposing QB’s. The main problem with the Colts, is just those two players, if they are not healthy, the defense is totally different and the entire team feels the effects.

Jacksonville Jaguars- (12-4) So, everyone wants to know if this is the year Jacksonville can knock the Colts off of their mighty AFC South pedestal. Well, I for one am not going to take the plunge. The Colts have shown me no signs of change and the Jaguars have not shown any killer instinct in taking the colts out, they lost to them twice last year. Sure one year can change everything, but I am not buying into it. They have the talent to go deep into the playoffs though, because, as the NY Giants proved last year, the playoffs are a whole new ball game. They have 2 great RB’s in Jones-Drew and veteran Fred Taylor, David Garrard proved he can win with his own team, and they have plenty of options from left to right, not to mention they got Jerry Porter, who will probably actually play hard for the first time in years. With the offense solid, the Jaguar D is concrete as well, but what else is new? Their pass rush is strong and LB crew always capable of causing turnovers, however, their secondary is susceptible to getting beat on the long routes. Expect the Jags to challenge to Colts from wire to wire in the division.

Houston Texans- (9-7) This could honestly be a playoff team in some other divisions. However, the fact of the matter is that they have to play both Indy and Jacksonville twice, and barring any upsets, that should be 4 losses right there. This team is capable of surprising people though. Matt Schaub came over from Atlanta last season and showed a lot of skill, he just could not stay on field week in and week out with some troublesome injuries. They have a capable backfield, but nothing great. Veteran Ahman Green, off-season pickup from the Titans Chris Brown, and rookie Steve Slaton out of West Virginia. From the receiving perspective Andre Johnson has been with Houston his entire career and continues to be their best bet in the slot. On defense, the #1 overall pick Mario Williams continues to improve. Unfortunately, just because Williams is on the defense, does not mean the defense is good. The Texans D is amongst the bottom of the league and needs improving if they plan to close the gap in the division.

Tennessee Titans- (7-9) They were a playoff team a year ago. They had a few needs, yet they were not answered. Getting Alge Crumpler does not mean they have an offensive weapon now. They needed protection up front for Vince Young and not much was improved in that area. The one great thing about the Titans, is that they do some how find ways to win football games. That does not last forever though. The Defense is talented but just not enough to keep them in games. The offense is just far too insufficient. However, with Vince Young, who has problems in his own right, some how does find ways to win, they just need some more help.

We are in the tail end of the summer now, fall is approaching and Hockey will be here soon. Granted most people out there are Baseball fans right now, however, one thing I hold true above all other sports is that Hockey is the fastest sport that asks for more out of you conditionally then any other sport. Although I’m sure there are some Baseball fans out there trying to think of arguments against that since a lot of people could care less about Hockey. However, for those of you that realize what Hockey is all about, here is a little preview of the NHL season, starting out with an East Coast bias.

1- Washington Capitals- I have never seen a team make such a drastic improvement within a single season in all my life. Under Bruce Boudreau the Caps made leaps and bounds toward a Southeast title and in the playoffs for the first time since 2002-03. The Defense is talented with an offensive defenseman in Mike Green leading the way. With reigning MVP Ovechkin, I would expect the Caps to surprise many and take the East by storm. The only question in my mind is Jose Theodore, if he plays like he did in the playoffs they should be all right between the pipes.

2- Pittsburgh Penguins- This prediction may be a reach to some of you out there. The Pens lost LW Ryan Malone to the Tampa Bay Barry Melrose’s, however, the leadership Crosby is showing and the play by Fleury last year convinced me they would be around for a while. Another Atlantic title for the Pens.

3- Montreal Canadiens- Tanguay was a nice addition to this Habs team in the off-season. I expect Carey Price to have a huge year. He now has the experience of the playoffs in him and the experience of defeat, he will come back strong. I like Montreal out of the Northeast simply due to the other teams in the division lacking depth. The Hab’s really need an impact player through out the season though.

4- New York Rangers- Lundqvist is in his prime now and will seemingly have another big year for the Rangers. He plays well within his own division and has a good defense in front of him, especially with the addition of Wade Redden. A few other good additions for NY in the off-season, Nikolai Zherdev came over from Columbus who had his best season last year with a solid 61 points. Also, the aging Naslund will be there to hopefully fill in the spot of Jagr, but don’t expect that to happen Ranger fans.

5- New Jersey Devils- They do it every year. This is the year they are going to miss the playoffs right? Or was that supposed to be the last 3 years? Until the Devils don’t have one of their typical seasons, I am going to expect them to do what they do every year, Brodeur will play 95% of the season and have a 40+ win season again. Aside from the usual, New Jersey made some decent moves in picking up Brian Rolston and a good third liner in Bobby Holik.

6- Philadelphia Flyers- Yes, yet another Atlantic Division team. Let’s face it, it’s the most competitive division in the NHL. Here are the flyers. They finally have a goalie in Martin Biron, a go to guy in Daniel Briere, young players in Richards and Carter. They are a good, solid team. So why not higher? They are too inconsistent and will be much of the same this season, however, in the playoffs they could make another surprising run.

7- Tampa Bay Lighning- The Lightning have a new face to look at everyday, Barry Melrose. Melrose has been out of coaching for a while now, so as far as his ability to lead a team goes, it is unproven as of now. But something new is what the Lightning needed. There is no doubt they have plenty of talent and now have a goalie in Mike Smith and signed Olaf Kolzig as a strong back up. The Lightning will play hard; don’t expect easy wins against them this year folks.

8- Boston Bruins- This is a young team on the rise. In the eighth spot, down from seventh a year ago. If it wasn’t’ for the talent and experience of the teams ahead of them I would have them higher. They do have a goalie issue though, Thomas is still a bit unproven as a #1 goalie.

9- Atlanta Thrashers- With Kovalchuk on the squad the team can score every night. Khari Lehtonen is a talented goaltender, however, has a weak defense in front of him.

10- Ottawa Senators- The complete opposite of the Washington Capitals last year. Like I said about the Caps, I never have seen a team collapse as badly as the Senators. With the majority of their best players getting older, this team is on the downward trend again. Goalie issues as well.

11- Carolina Hurricanes- They lead the Southwest much of last season, up until the surge of the Capitals wiped them out of first, and into 9th place. Tough fall. They have Eric Staal, a proven tough shooter. Jason Williams is a solid player also, they just don’t have much other then that. Cam Ward is an “iffy” goalie in my opinion, I still feel his cup run a few years back was a one time thing.

12- New York Islanders- Mike Comrie, Blake Comeau and goalie Rick DiPietro. Those are three men. You need a lot more then that Islanders.

13- Buffalo Sabres- This team has taken hit after hit since they went to the East Finals two years ago. Still feeling the effects of loosing Drury and Briere, now D-man Campbell. Ryan Miller will face a lot this year. He is their best player and will keep them in many games, they just don’t have enough to win on a night in and night out basis.

14- Florida Panthers- I have heard some critics talk about the Panthers having a break through year. I can not see it happening just yet. Young team, still needing a bit more. Vokoun in my opinion is amongst the best in the East behind Brodeur and Lundqvist.

15- Toronto Maple Leafs- Ohhhhhhh Canada! This team needs help. I hope Mats Sundin gets out before it’s too late. It will be a very long year for the Leafs. Who will start in net? The 41 year old Curtis Joseph? Vessa Toskala is the starter in Toronto, I just can’t see him getting any help this year.