2009 NFC North Preview

The news for the NFC North division this preseason was supposed to be about the Bears finally getting a quarterback to replace Sid Luckman and the QB battle between Dante Culpepper and number one overall draft pick Matt Stafford in Detroit.

Instead we have to go through another season of journalists and reporters (ESPN) having a hard-on for Brett Favre and his tired act of not wanting to go to training camp, but wanting to be given special treatment to come in and "lead" a team to the playoffs and perhaps a Super Bowl.

I'll go ahead and start with the Minnesota Vikings, who won the division last year and are now the popular pick to go all the way after Favre finally signed on. I don't think they'll win the division though, because Favre won't be able to allow Adrian Peterson to be the man. And eventually Favre will want to do things his way, which means changing run plays to passes and throwing interceptions.

The Vikings do have a terrific defense to go along with the best running back in the NFL right now. However, they do not have a number one wide receiver because Bernard Berrian is just a burner who can't run routes. They'll have to rely on Favre at some point in the season to win games and he won't be able to deliver, though they may still make the playoffs.

The Chicago Bears are an improved team on offense with the trade for Jay Cutler, which tells me Lovie Smith and company know they need more offense to help out an aging defense.

Though it's still a top ten defense guys like Brian Urlacher aren't quite as young as they once were and the best way to combat this is by having the D on the field less by controlling the ball offensively. I think the Bears can win 10 or 11 games this year and sneak in and win the division as Minnesota and Green Bay beat up on each other.

The Green Bay Packers are another difficult team to pin down because the defense is so much of a question mark and they are switching to a 3-4 scheme this season. The offense, on the other hand, should be very good again as Aaron Rogers looks poised for another big season.

We know that the Packers will be ready for at least two games on the schedule this year against Favre and the Vikings, but it's unclear if they'll show up for the rest. Losing a lot of close games last season should have helped the Pack mature from last season to now, and I think they can win the division if they are able to get something from the defense that is, at best, a work in progress.

The Detroit Lions have done the most improving from a 2008 season that saw them go 0-16. What's best for the Lions is they have nowhere to go but up, and with the addition of guys like Julian Peterson, Grady Jackson and Phillip Buchanon to the defense, the front office has shown it wants to get better.

On the offensive side of the ball Detroit took Matt Stafford with the number one overall pick in the draft, but they also snatched tight end Brandon Pettigrew with the 20th overall pick in the first round. Pettigrew, a 6'5" target, along with wide receiver Calvin Johnson, should provide a nice security blanket for the young Stafford. Even with all of this, though, six or seven wins is tops for the Lions in '09.

2009 NFC East Preview

The Philadelphia Eagles (9-6-1 in '08) are my favorite to win the division and not because of the addition of Michael Vick, rather because they are the most complete team. Let's not forget the Eagles were in the NFC Championship game last season.

The biggest problem for Andy Reid will be the same that it's always been: Can he use the playbook evenly and not force Donovan McNabb to throw the ball 40 or 50 times every game? When he falls in love with the passing game it always seems to get Donovan injured.

Plus there are more three-and-outs forcing the defense to spend more time on the field. The defense is very good again, though they'll have to overcome the death of longtime Defensive Coordinator Jim Johnson.

The New York Giants (12-4 in '08) are the defending NFC East champions and are just two years removed from winning the Super Bowl. Though they do lose some key pieces, especially on offense, they are glad to have Brandon Jacobs, the bruising tailback, and Osi Umenyiora, who missed all of last season, back and 100% for 2009.

Eli Manning should continue to progress into an elite, Pro Bowl-caliber quarterback this year, even without Plaxico Burress and one of his favorite targets, Amani Toomer, who is now with Kansas City.

In what was supposed to be a Super Bowl season in 2008, the Dallas Cowboys failed to reach the playoffs going (9-7) and sorely disappointing fans of "America's Team" all over Dallas. Owner and GM, and overall Poonhound, Jerry Jones did begin the 2009 season in the best way he could have done, which is by releasing Terrell Owens. The Cowboys also have that huge new monstrosity of a stadium to open, too.

With the addition-by-subtraction method or releasing T.O. this may very well be the year Tony Romo and company take control in the NFC and finally win a playoff game for the first time since 1996. Yes, that's correct, 1996. They are loaded (Romo, Barber, Witten, Ware, Spears) and the fans are starving and they open a new stadium. This could be a magical year in Big D.

The Washington Redskins (8-8) were the cellar dwellers in the tough NFC East last season and this year may very well be a repeat. Not that they're not good, but the 'Skins face a tough inter-divisional schedule and are still searching for an elite quarterback to lead them.

If Jason Campbell busts out this season and has a Pro Bowl type of season I won't be surprised, though. He has had a few years to learn as a starter in the NFL and he may have finally caught up to the speed of the game.

He has in the past few seasons made lots of mistakes and must cut down on the fumbles and interceptions if the Redskins are to compete in the East and make the playoffs this season. They still have a good defense and can rely on Clinton Portis, assuming he's healthy, to carry them most of the way.

John Calipari=Scum of the Earth

For a long time I was a big fan of coach John Calipari, going back to the mid-90's when he was the coach at the University of Massachusetts. He had players like Marcus Camby and even got UMass to a Final Four.

Then, a few years ago, my brother Michael told me about how Calipari was a cheater and how the NCAA stripped UMass of the Final Four appearance. Calipari went on to greener pastures in the NBA and finally Memphis without ever being punished, even though his hands were clearly dirty.

What I don't understand is how the school can get fined or placed on probaion, but the coach is allowed to move on without any restrictions or punishment. This is what Calipari did as he went from cheating at UMass, to the NBA for a while, to cheating at his job at Memphis.

The NCAA yesterday announced that it is stripping the University of Memphis of its NCAA record 38 victories, and a Final Four appearance from the 2007-2008 season that saw Memphis make it to the championship game. Memphis will also be placed on three years probation.

This all stems from an investigation that found major infractions at Memphis under coach John Calipari. The school allowed a fraudulent SAT score by a player who was later found out to be star point guard Derrick Rose, who only stayed at Memphis for one season before going to the NBA. The school also provided close to $1700 in free travel to Rose's brother, Reggie.

The worst part of all of this is the fact that it was John Calipari absolutely knew what was going on, but he is allowed to go to Kentucky with no penalties or punishment at all. It's only a matter of time before he does the same thing with the Wildcats and moves on again before the NCAA can come down on him.

The NCAA rules don't seem to fit the crime because it should be Calipari who is in trouble, not the University of Memphis. Just look at UMass, they haven't been the same since all that trouble and soon Memphis will be the same way.

John Calipari, aside from being the biggest type of scumbag, also holds another dubious distinction: He is the first head coach to have been forced to vacate two Final Four appearances with two different schools. Do you see a pattern here, University of Kentucky? If I were the AD at UK I would nip this thing in the bud and go ahead and fire John Calipari, because it's only a matter of time before he is caught cheating again and disgraces the tradition of UK basketball.

So parents, don't let your kids play for John Calipari, no matter what school he is at, because he is a cheater and will always be one. A leopard can't change its spots and John Calipari will always be a cheating snake in the grass.

I would rather my child play for Satan himself than for "Coach" Calipari. At least with Satan you know what he's doing and don't have to worry about your coach leaving to avoid a scandal, unlike with Calipari.

Florida Gators 2009 Preview

It's hard to imagine a college team or player being better than the Florida Gators and Tim Tebow have been over the last three years, but the 2009 college football season may very well prove me wrong.

Urban Meyer, Tim Tebow and the Gators are going for three national championships in four years, something that has never been accomplished by a quarterback, as far as I know. Anything less than another crystal ball will be considered a let down in Gainesville. Tebow also has a legitimate shot at a second Heisman trophy, which only the great Archie Griffin has done.

Florida will lose offensive threat Percy Harvin, but he is basically the only player missing from last year's championship team and, as a WR, is the easiest skill position to replace.

Their running backs, mainly Demps and Moody, should be more experienced and ready for the big time and Tebow still has tight end Aaron Hernandez, who could have a huge season for the Gators. Brandon Spikes also returns with Tebow to anchor a ferocious defensive attack that should dominate teams again this season.

With teams like Florida International, Troy, and Charleston Southern on the schedule, their only real out of conference challenge will be home versus Florida State, which may or may not be a tough one. As long as they take care of business in conference, though, Florida should be there come December 5th at the Georgia Dome.

It's going to be fun to watch the Gators again this year. Even if you're not a fan of the team you've got to admit it's one hell of a talented bunch, led by the second coming of Jesus himself, Tim Tebow.

I predict that Florida will lose one game, not sure to which team, but probably within the SEC, and go on to win the SEC championship game as well as their third national title in four years. And Tim Tebow, whether or not he wins another Heisman, will go down as the greatest college quarterback, and possibly the greatest college player, ever to lace 'em up.

University of Georgia 2009 Preview

While the 2008 season began with the highest of aspirations for the Bulldog nation, it ended with a let down, even though they did win 10 games. The Dawgs were preseason number one and had a lot to live up to and unfortunately they were unable to do so.

While a 10-3 record in '08 was very acceptable, it was considered a disappointing season becasue of the preseason ranking plus the fact that the Bulldogs lost to Alabama at home, then lost to hated rivals Florida and Georgia Tech. You can bet that coach Mark Richt will have something ready for that Yellow Jackets' option game this time around, though.

Being ranked preseason number one gives a team little margin for error if it wants to go all the way to a national title, and UGA wasn't able to measure up last season. This year, however, coach Richt is probably right where he wants to be in the preseason: in the top 15, but without a lot of hype like last season. Richt-coached teams always do better flying under the radar and this year they are poised to do some damage.

The Dawgs, as usual, have a tough schedule in the SEC and also face a difficult out of conference schedule in 2009. They open the season at Oklahoma State as they christen the Cowboys' new stadium in Stillwater. Then, they play host to Arizona State, which should be a tougher opponent than they were last year under coach Dennis Erickson.

Next they will also host Tennessee Tech, which is the one team on their schedule that I would label as a cupcake game this season (take that Penn St., USC, Ohio St., etc., basically any team not in the SEC). Finally, they finish the year at Georgia Tech in Atlanta in the game known as "Clean, Old-Fashioned Hate," and I know they have this game circled after last year's debacle in Athens.

Georgia loses some key players including number one overall pick Matt Stafford and "All Everything" running back Knowshon Moreno, also a first round pick, but the Dawgs should be able to reload and, with a strong defense, be ready to compete again in the SEC and on the national scene.

The offense should focus around true sophomore wide receiver A.J. Green who is poised to have a monster season after last year's production as a true freshman. The offensive line, which was banged up and had to rely heavily on underclassmen last year, should be healthier and deeper this year as well.

The defense should also be very good with Geno Atkins returning for his senior season and linemen Jeff Owens and Kade Weston anchoring the D-line. And, of course, I can't forget to mention maybe the best player on the whole squad, linebacker Rennie Curran, who is the SEC's leading returning tackler (115 tackles, 3 sacks) from last season.

Even with the very tough schedule, easily one of the toughest in the nation, Mark Richt will find a way to win at least nine games this year and, if senior QB Joe Cox can have a terrific year, the Dawgs may very well find themselves at least in a BCS game. It will be difficult to beat Florida and LSU, but the Dawgs can go 10-2 and make another BCS game, which is a successful season in my book.

The key game for me is the opener at Oklahoma St. in Stillwater. Winning this game will give the Bulldogs a load of confidence heading into their SEC schedule, which could mean a world of difference.

When it comes to SEC games like LSU, Tennessee, South Carolina, and Florida, anything can happen so they need as much confidence early on in the season as possible. 10-2 and another BCS game is totally do-able in my book and, if things go right, who knows, maybe they'll knock off Florida and win the SEC. I'm not saying they will, but you never know.

Why Brett? Nobody Wants You Back

I can't believe that after all of the shit that he put not only Packers and Vikings fans through, but also NFL fans who had to listen to all the B.S., that Brett Favre is now going to sign with the Minnesota Vikings. He told Ed Werder not six months ago that there was absolutely "no way" that he would return.

And to top it all off, ESPN is reporting that the one year deal is worth $10-$12 million. Who the hell is in charge of the Vikings that they would offer Favre that much money at this point in his career.

Brad (The Pedophile Look-A-Like) Childress and Ziggy Wilf are morons if they think Favre will lead them to a championship. Favre has apparently already told the Vikings that he has a tear in his rotator cuff, so Minnesota is paying top dollar for damaged goods: smart.

What's he gonna do to improve your team, unless you call throwing 20 interceptions improving your team. I wish Favre would have come back with the Raiders, that's the only way this could have been any better.

No wonder the Vikings have never won a Super Bowl. With morons like Childress and Wilf running things they will never win it. Hopefully they will never win it with Favre because he is all hype to me. He did not deserve two of the three MVP awards he won back in the 90's.

With all of those great Packers teams they should have won more than one Super Bowl, and it's because of Favre that I believe they did not. Go back to the '96 season with the Packers and Patriots in the Super Bowl. Who won that game for the Pack? It was Desmond Howard, not Brett Favre that won them that game.

In 22 career playoff games Favre has thrown 39 touchdowns and 28 interceptions, with a completion percentage of 60.7% and a passer rating of 85.2. Those are not numbers that a three time NFL MVP should have, which tells me that Favre is totally overhyped.

People like John Madden and pretty much everybody at ESPN have a hard-on for Favre so they've made him the next Johnny Unitas. Screw Favre. Give me John Elway or Joe Montana.

I really hope that Favre falls flat on his ass and throws 30 interceptions this year and drags down the Vikings with him. He is only out for himself so he can get revenge on Green Bay and I truly hope it all blows up in his face.

No one deserves to fail more than him after the way he's jerked people around for so long. He's always been about himself and no one else and it's only a matter of time before he lets down Minnesota, too.

I don't know how, but I hope he screws it all up and all the veterans on the Vikings team who think he will help them will be calling for his head. That would be sweet. Can't wait to see Favre fail and everyone at ESPN will have to eat crow.

With any luck, this will be the last season we have to put up with Favre-watch. It makes me sick. Retire already Brett, nobody wants to see another season of this crap.

Tiger Tamed?

Now that Tiger Woods has finally lost a major championship after having the 54-hole lead maybe people will stop making excuses for him every time he hits a bad shot or has a bad round. The man is only human and we don't have to find a reason for everything he does wrong, which usually isn't much.

It was so sorry on Sunday to hear the announcer, not sure who, say that Tiger hit a perfect shot on the last par 3, and the ball didn't even stay on the green. If he had hit a perfect shot the ball would have stayed on the green and he would have had a putt of less than ten feet. That is a perfect shot.

Just becasue Woods hits it and starts staring it down doesn't mean you have to guess that he has hit a perfect shot. And then you have the ESPN and SportsCenter people who all night and morning have been saying that he choked in the final round and that he got too conservative.

Can't you people just say that Tiger finally had a bad final round in a major when leading after the third round, and that Y.E. Yang was the better golfer on Sunday. Of course, though, we have today's headline on ESPN.com that asks, "Did Y.E. Yang win the PGA or did Tiger lose it?" Give me a freaking break!

Tiger simply had a bad round and was beaten by a golfer who was better than him, at least, on Sunday. That's it. Tiger wasn't hitting great shots and getting unlucky. Y.E. Yang was hitting great shots and Tiger was not. Period.

But the way I see it, Tiger will only use this season for motivation in the future. This marks the first year since 2004 that Tiger has failed to win a major in a season. He'll be ready for next year and he will be even better after Sunday's disappointment.

So stop making excuses for Tiger because he's not making them. He knows that he didn't putt very well at all and that he was too inconsistent off of the tee. Y.E. Yang, on the other hand, was hitting fairways and greens and making putts all day. Not to mention that eagle chip on the 14th hole. But don't worry too much about Tiger, I'm sure he'll be back next season and win the Grand Slam.

Tiger Goes for the PGA Championship

If Tiger Woods wants to win a major title this season he's only got one chance left. It's this weekend's PGA Championship at Hazeltine in Minnesota.

Tiger is riding a two tournament win streak after his victory last week at the WGC Bridgestone Invitational at Firestone in Ohio, a course that he's dominated in recent years. Hazeltine, however, should be a whole other challenge with its PGA Championship-ready layout.

One thing I do know for sure is that Tiger really only cares about the majors. Not that he doesn't love winning every tournament he's won, but the majors are what everyone expects him to win and the only thing by which he is judged professionally.

For a guy like Tiger his season is judged by the majors and nothing else. It also should be exciting to see Woods playing alongside Paddy Harrington on Thursday, who is a guy that could very well take this tournament from Tiger.

Another reason that I want to see Tiger win the PGA is because golf is just more exciting when he is winning compared to a tournament that he's not in or one where is has fallen out of contention.

Don't get me wrong, I love to see guys like Mickelson, Anthony Kim or Paddy Harrington do well, but Tiger is the straw that stirs the drink on the PGA Tour. It's just cool to see Tiger when he's pumping his fist or to see the crowd go crazy after one of his shots. They don't do that for anyone else.

So come on Tiger, I want to see another great victory and perhaps something dramatic on the 72nd hole again like we've come to expect from you.

Team USA vs. Mexico

The United States soccer team goes for its first ever win at Azteca Stadium in Mexico City today, a place where the U.S. has never won a game. In fact, they've only come close once with an all time record of 0-22-1 in Mexico City.

This is a different team, though, that has gone into that stadium in the past. This is the team that beat the #1 ranked team in the world, Spain, just a few months ago and nearly beat another top team in Brazil to win the FIFA Confederations Cup.

Those two games gave Team USA a world of confidence that I believe will carry over to not only today's game, but to the 2010 World Cup as well. I look for the USA's big guns, Landon Donovan, Jozy Altidore, Clint Dempsey and Tim Howard to come through and simultaneously shut up 100,000 screaming Mexican fans.

I look for the U.S. to also avenge their most recent loss to Mexico on home soil where they were slaughtered 5-0. But that was a different USA team and only a few players will be in uniform from that team.

Can't wait to see the United States finally take it to the Mexican team and get another monkey off of their backs as they continue their run to the 2010 World Cup.

The ONLY Bad Part of Football

With the renewal of summer every year also comes the event that has become America's new national pasttime: NFL training camps and the new football season. Every summer fans fill training camps and stadiums to see their favorite teams and players break the seal on a new season of football.

Lately, however, what the fans have been seeing is their favorite players going down with an injury during training camp, which is the one thing every player in the league agrees that each player would be better off avoiding.

In the past week alone in NFL camps we have seen the Falcons' Harry Douglas (Knee) out for the season, the Buccaneers' Antonio Bryant (Torn Meniscus) will miss the rest of the preseason, and now the Panthers' Steve Smith was carted off the field yesterday with an apparent shoulder injury, though x-rays were negative.

So what do all of these players have in common? Well, a lot of things: they're all wide receivers in dynamic offenses, they're all in the NFC South and, most importantly, they were all hustling and giving their best during practice when they were injured.

My point? Every player would like to have an injury-free career, and I'm sure he wishes that same thought to every single other player in the league. But that's just the problem. How do you avoid an injury? The truth is that you can't and, if you try to, you won't be effective and won't last long in the game.

The players that are able to get over the fact that they could have their season, or careers, ended at any moment are the ones who make a difference. This is a violent game. It always has been and always will be. And with the players being bigger, stronger, and faster than ever before, we just have to get used to seeing more injuries.

You always hate to see when a guy gets hurt, but it's just part of the game and almost adds an aura of toughness and virility to the players who fight through the pain to reach their ultimate goal: the Lombardi Trophy. Once you've got that in your hands, nothing hurts on your body anymore. Besides, you've then got all offseason to heal up and do it again next season.

Forget Mike, I Wanna Be Like Tiger

Akron, Ohio: Tiger Woods won the WGC Bridgstone Invitational on Sunday over Paddy Harrington and the rest of the PGA field that he left in the dust during yesterday's round.

This time his signature shot was an 8-iron from 180 yards away on the par-5 16th hole, which he proceeded to put within a foot of the hole for a tap-in birdie. Harrington made triple bogey on the same hole allowing Woods to cruise home on the final two holes at Firestone Country Club.

Tiger finished the final round with a 65 as he became the first player in PGA Tour history to win seven times on the same course.

The win was also his fifth this year and career PGA Tour victory number 70 for Tiger putting him in third all-time behind only Jack Nicklaus (73) and Sam Snead (82).

The win also marked back-to-back wins for Woods going into the PGA Championship at Hazeltine beginning on Thursday, which will be the last chance for Tiger to win a major championship this year.

Tiger and Padraig Harrington will also be paired together in the first two rounds of the PGA Championship on Thursday, which will no doubt be exciting for the fans to see two of the best in the world going head to head in one of the biggest tournaments of the year. Can't wait.

Georgia Tech Football '09 Preview

The Yellow Jackets are coming off of one of their best seasons in recent memory. Many believe that coach Paul Johnson and his option offense snuck up on a lot of teams last year, which is something that they won't be able to do this year.

However, Paul Johnson's teams in the past have traditionally gotten better and been more efficeint at running the option in his second year as head coach. This will tough to duplicate this season, though, because the ACC is a solid conference and every team he plays will be ready for the option.

Coach Johnson has said that he plans on using more passes from the option this year, which should open up some holes for the Yellow Jackets. This could be difficult because the whole team practices running all the time so the first time they go to drop back and pass out of the option, there could be trouble. Then again, it could work beautifully.

With the way quarterbacks in his option system take poundings, coach Paul Johnson expects both Josh Nesbitt and Jaybo Shaw to get plenty of snaps under center this season. Some critics may say, 'If you think you have two quarterbacks, then you don't have one.' This, however, isn't the case with Tech as Nesbitt and Shaw both know their roles and seem to be very comfortable with sharing time with one another.

While I expect Tech to have another pretty good season, I don't expect them to win more games than they did last season simply because they have a tough schedule to go up against.

The Yellow Jackets usually always have a tough schedule, but this season will be brutal because of all the up and coming ACC teams like North Carolina and Virginia they'll have to play. Add to that Clemson, Miami, FSU, Va. Tech, Miss. State, Wake Forest and Georgia, and the Yellow Jackets could have a tough year.

Either way I expect that the Yellow Jackets will win a few games that they should lose and lose a few that they should win, ending up with a respectable season. I feel that 8-4 or maybe 9-3 if they're lucky is a good season for Georgia Tech.

But, no one expected the option to work for them last year, so they could win ten or eleven games if they're firing on all cylinders. Perhaps a return to the Chik-Fil-A Bowl and possibly another 10-win season is in their future.

2009 NCAA Football Pre-Season Top 10

Well it's August, which means it's time for football. And that means that it's time for preseason polls and predictions. So without further ado, I give you my 2009 college football preseason top ten:

1.Florida Gators-Two championships in three years. Why not make it three in four years to cap off Tim Tebow's Florida career as the greatest quarterback to ever lace 'em up in college football. Hell, throw in another Heisman too. Even though they lose Percy Harvin to the NFL the Gators will be even more explosive this year and linebacker Brandon Spikes leads a defense that may be the best in the country. The defense, which held the so-called "great" Oklahoma offense to 14 points in the championship game last year, returns just about everyone and will cover any holes the offense may have from the departure of Harvin. You may not like it, but we'll all have to watch again this season as the Gators win their third national title in four years under coach Urban Meyer.

2.Texas Longhorns-Many Longhorns believe that it should have been them in the title game last season. They have a chance to prove it this year led by Colt McCoy and Jordan Shipley who return to take care of unfinished business. Though they lose a player that can't be replaced in defensive end Brian Orakpo, Mack Brown always has his teams prepared and the Longhorns should have a great season. Possibly even a championship season.

3.Oklahoma Sooners-You know the Sooners have a bitter taste in their mouths after the disappointment of last season, which may be one reason why Sam Bradford has returned for another year and another shot at a championship. The usual culprits await OU, including the always big Red River Shootout against Texas. The winner of that game should put itself in the drivers seat for the Big 12 and a national championship game berth.

4.USC Trojans-The Trojans' defense, ranked #1 in the country last season, will only return three starters on that side of the ball. However, USC will have no problem reloading like always, even after losing starting quarterback Mark Sanchez as well. Mitch Mustain could be the answer for the Trojans who may very well return to the national title game in '09.

5.Alabama Crimson Tide-'Bama was a young team last season and not supposed to do so well until at least this year. Instead they were the only SEC team to finish the regular season undefeated. Young receiever Julio Jones is ready to explode, but their main problem will be at

quarterback. If they can figure that out early, then the Tide may make another BCS run again in 2009.

6.Ohio State Buckeyes-With Terrelle Pryor no longer a true freshman look for a marked improvement in the Buckeyes' offensive attack. We saw the flashes of brilliance from Pryor, but also many mistakes. As he goes so, too, does Ohio State. That's a lot to put on a sophomore, but the Buckeyes should have a say when it's all said and done at least in the Big Ten.

7.Oklahoma State Cowboys-A win in the season opener against Georgia could go a long way to help out the Cowboys this season, who have tough games against other Top Ten, Big Ten opponents Texas and Oklahoma. This could be the year for coach Mike Gundy (He's 40!!!) and the potent Cowboys offensive attack led by quarterback Zac Robinson and wide receiver Dez White. The Cowboys could finally put it all together this year and take the Big 12.

8.L.S.U. Tigers-Being in the SEC it's always difficult to predict the future of the Tigers, but being in the West gives them an added advantage. LSU lost 3 of their last 4 games down the stretch last year, so don't expect that to happen again. They should win the SEC West, but may have to settle for the Peach Bowl again. The "Mad Hatter" Les Miles always is fun to watch, though, so I hope they do well so we can hear lots from him.

9.Penn State Nittany Lions-With quarterback Daryll Clark and running back Evan Royster returning the Nittany Lions will have a very good offense. And with their weak Big Ten schedule they should make a run at a BCS, if not the national title game. After all, they were only one win away from it last season. They do lose a lot on defense including first round pick Aaron Maybin, though.

10.Utah Utes-The Utes will be looking for respect this season after capping last year's undefeatd run with a win over Alabama in the Sugar Bowl. They could easily wind up undefeated again this year with their only real tough games coming at the end of the year at TCU Nov. 14 and at BYU Nov. 28. Look for the Utes to crash the BCS party once again this season.

Why Is The SEC So Good?

The Southeastern Conference is so good, and has been for so long, that for the last three straight seasons the national champion has come from the SEC and not been undefeated. Think about all those teams that go undefeated and automatically think they deserve to be in the title game.

Like Hawaii a few seasons ago. They were trying to lobby all over the place to get into the title game when no voter in his or her right mind was actually going to put them ranked either number one or two.

And what happened when they did eventually make an at large BCS game? They got stomped by Georgia and a great SEC defense. And that probably cost Colt Brennan a few million bucks. I'm sure he would have preferred to go to the Holiday Bowl and rack up 500 yards and been drafted in the second round or maybe even the first.

Then there was the curious case of Utah last season who actually did go undefeated and beat Alabama in the Sugar Bowl. This was a very good 'Bama team, don't get me wrong, but not a great team.

I think the Tide overachieved all season long except in the SEC Championship game and the BCS game, where they were exposed. But Utah was a very good team. However, if they were in the SEC they wouldn't have been undefeated and therefore would not have been in the BCS game to begin with.

And I believe that you can use this formula for pretty much any team in Division I, or FBS (Myanmar!?...It'll always be Burma to me), whatever they call it these days. USC would not have won two straight national titles and gone undefeated for that long streak, and been in a third straight title game, if they were in the SEC.

The Big10, PAC10, and Big12 are all great conferences, but each one has all teams with either a good offense or a good defense. None of these conferences has several teams, like the SEC, with both. Look at Ohio State and Oklahoma the last three seasons in the title game against SEC powerhouses. They were both beaten soundly, Ohio State twice.

Most colleges have some history and tradition, but nearly every shcool in the SEC has a long tradition of winning and success that keeps the fan bases' expectations high, which in turn keeps the AD's and coaches on a short leash. If you don't produce early and often in the SEC, you won't make it long.

The SEC has so many great coaches, too, that no team ever has a week off or a game that they can say, 'we know we will win this one.' Every game is thought out in practice by some of the finest minds in the college game, many against each other week after week.

Then, there's the out of conference scheduling with teams like UGA playing Georgia Tech and Oklahoma State this year, and Florida squaring off versus Florida State every year. South Carolina plays Clemson every year and the list goes on and on.

Few teams in the SEC take more than one weak game every year and that is a big difference in level of competition, which is a major contributor to the conference dominating the way it has for so long.

So once again this season I expect the SEC to dominate not only out of conference play, but also the entire season and bowl games as well.