Well, no one is banged up yet, but the Giants of the NCAA in 2004 was Alabama.

Boston College-- They have 15 starters returning, including all five O-Linemen. Make that 16 if you count QB Quentin Porter who was redshirted last year after playing well in 2003. The Eagles also have outstanding LBs. Of course, they have Mathias Kiwanuka. However, they have nothing at WR, and the rest of their DL is terrible. The kicking game is also an issue. 

Maryland-- Maryland doesn't have many strengths. They have an outstanding front seven, but that's it. They have uncertainty at the QB and RBs positions. Their secondary is also suspect.

Duke-- Duke also has little to be excited about. They have a freak-athlete in the aptly-named Curt Dukes. They have holes everywhere. They will finish last in the ACC. 

North Carolina-- They are set at QB (Matt Baker) and RB (Ronnie McGill). The Heels also have a solid offensive line. They will be able to score this year. However, their defense is terrible. They will be participating in plenty of shoot-outs this year.

N.C. State--The Wolfpack are also set at QB (Jay Davis) and RB (Bobby Washington). Their WR corps is also solid. Their defensive line will be able to pressure the opposing quarterback. N.C. State has some concern at offensive line and defensive back.

For RBs, you have to look at Reggie Bush and DeAngelo Williams. The best duo? Perhaps FSU's Leon Washington and Lorenzo Booker.

I don't look at any teams outside of Division 1-A, so I cannot give you my take on Alabama A&M. Sorry. Why do you want to know about them?

Most overrated coach? Larry Coker. He won with Butch Davis' recruiting classes. He hasn't won with his own.

Most underrated? I still say Kirk Ferentz. He's highly regarded, but I don't think anyone realizes how good he is. Iowa always has a chance at the National Championship with him on the sidelines.

Iowa State has a chance to win the Big XII North. Now, what does that mean? Nothing. They'll get smacked around by Oklahoma in the Big XII Championship.

Yes, Charlie Weis will be a great coach, and will bring a winning attitude to Notre Dame. I see them in a major bowl by 2007.

If USC isn't in Pasadena in January, it will be a major dissapointment

Correction

Now Miami is recruiting less blue-chips then they were when Butch Davis coached the Hurricanes.

No wonder they lost to OSU in the 2003 Fiesta Bowl and Miami didn't win the ACC in it's first year in the conference.

Clemson--The Tigers still have Charlie Whitehurst at QB. Whitehurst will receive better blocking from his o-line this year. He will also have a decent WR corps, despite the loss of Airese Currie. The Tigers also have a solid back seven on defense. As for their weaknesses, Clemson will have trouble running the ball this year. The kicking game is also an issue. Clemson's schedule is brutal. I don't see how they're going to exceed last year's win total (6).

Virginia--They will have a great running game because RB Wali Lundy has looked very impressive this spring. Virginia has the best offensive lineman in the nation, D'Brickashaw Ferguson. QB Marques Haggans is also a decent player. However, Haggans doesn't have much to throw to. The Cavaliers need to shed their ugly habit of coming up very soft in big games.

Notre Dame--Charlie Weis is obviously a strength. The Irish return 10 starters on offense, including QB Brady Quinn and his best target, TE Anthony Fasano. The Irish will be able to score this year. Defense is a weakness. Notre Dame returns only three starters.

Cincinnati -- They don't have many strengths, but their running game is solid, and their kicking game will not be a concern. However, they only return five starters the same year they join a tougher conference. There are holes all over this roster, especially at WR and O-Line.

Connecticut -- With Dan Orlovsky gone, the Huskies will need to somehow move the chains. That'll happen on the ground this year with Terry Caulley and Cornell Brockington. Unfortunately for Huskies fans, that's it. No QB. No WRs. No O-Line. Weak defense.

Louisville -- Stefan Lefors is gone, but Louisville has a great QB ready to step in named Brian Brohm, who will be able to throw to impressive WR Mario Urrutia. Even with the loss of Eric Shelton, the Cardinals will have a stout running game. Their defensive line is also solid. The back seven on defense is a huge question mark. However, Louisville is in a class by themselves in the weak Big East. If they aren't 10-1 or 11-0, I'll be shocked.

I covered six teams today, I'll do the other five teams from the Big East tomorrow.

Texas loses to OU because of Mack Brown. When Cedric Benson was a freshman, Brown held him out of the Red River Shootout, because "he wasn't ready." What a dope.

A&M can definitely beat Texas this year.

TCU and UTEP would probably fare well in the Big XII. I'd say they would have a shot at winning the Big XII North. But, like I said, that doesn't mean much.

Notre Dame's defense needs to step up. I think they can win eight games. BCS game? Probably not.

The best pregame show for NCAA Football? I'd say ESPN. Same for NFL.

The last time I heard of Ryan Leaf's whereabouts, he was taking classes at some college in Washington under an alias. I read about this in November 2004.

If the Jets are good enough to sweep the Patriots, they'll probably win the Super Bowl. That won't happen.

It's hard to name the most overrated and underrated players in college football because the players change every 3-5 years. Let me think about this, and I'll tell you tomorrow.

 

 

Yes A&M can beat Texas this year, especially when they lost Cedric Benson and Derrick Johnson to the NFL.

 

quote:

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Originally posted by: Walter
"I think it's a little bit of both. USC is very good, and Oklahoma--especially Jason White--was very overrated. Most overrated--Mathias Kawinuka, DE, Boston College. He's a great pass rusher, but can he play the run? Is he just another Kabeer Gbaja Biamila? He's not the best defensive player in the nation, which is something a lot of people perceive him to be. Most underrated--Both Iowa LBs: Abdul Hodge and Chad Greenway. I think it's a joke that Ohio State OLB A.J. Hawk is rated above them. Pittsburgh--This will be a new offense under Dave Wannstedt, who wants to install a power running game. Look out for freshman RB Rashad Jennings. TE Darrell Strong will be a potent weapon for Tyler Palko. Pitt's defensive line will anchor their defense. The Panthers' weaknesses are at the WR and DB positions. Rutgers--They return 17 starters. Rutgers also has a very talented RB in Brian Leonard. They also have a great receiving corps, featuring TE Clark Harris. The offensive line is also solid. The biggest question for the Scarlet Knights is their QB Ryan Hart, who threw 19 INTs last year. If he struggles, freshman Jabu Lovelace will take his place. South Florida--Underrated. The Bulls have a great running game (Andre Hall) and a very quick defense, anchored by a solid defensive line. Like Rutgers, South Florida has issues at QB. They also have problems at WR, DB and the kicking game. Syracuse-- The greatest positive about Syracuse is new coach Greg Robinson, who needs to rebuild a woeful defense. Other than that, there isn't much to like here. Syracuse will be going with a brand-new West Coast Offense, but they don't even know who the QB will be. Walter Reyes is gone, so can Damien Rhodes carry the load by himself. Do the Orange have the wide outs to play the West Coast? Not enough talent on defense. Concerns about a kicking game. Syracuse could finish near the bottom of the Big East. They might only win three or four games. West Virginia -- Way too many losses. Rasheed Marshall, Kay-Jay Harris, Chris Henry, Pac Man Jones, Jason Hardee: all gone. In fact, the only holes West Virginia doesn't have are at: OL, DL and safety. They are lucky they play Wofford and East Carolina this year.  "

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!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!? !?!?!?!?!?!?!?!? and I thought Rutgers football was bad. Syracuse would get worse. Same for WVU too. Don't forget about the Bearcats of Cincinnatti. Is a Bearcat a cat, a bear, or both?

You posed a good question about Bearcats. I decided to google-image it, and I came up with this:

http://bearcatgetaway.com/cool_stuff/cool_stuff_images/bearcat_photo_left.jpg

That thing is pretty nasty-looking. It actually has the face of a bear and the body of a cat. I didn't think they actually existed.

I also play NCAA Football 2005. What team do you use? I play as Montana State (I moved them to the Sun Belt). I don't use a quarterback; I use a 4-RB formation and run the ball every play.

Lee Corso is great. Kirk Herbstreit is also good. I don't like Trev Alberts though. He adamantly opposes instant replay and never seems to know what he's talking about.

Yeah, the Big East stinks. If Louisville doesn't go undefeated, it'll be a disappointing season.

Do you want me to give you strengths/weaknesses of any other teams/conferences?

I'll do six Big Ten teams today and the other five tomorrow.

Illinois--They will have a decent running game with the 1-2 punch of Pierre Thomas and E.B. Halsey. The WR corps is a negative, but they have a decent tight end--Melvin Bryant. The defense stinks but they have a solid secondary. Despite the hiring of Ron Zook, Illinois will not have a passing game in 2005.

Indiana-- Mysteriously, a carbon copy of Illinois with just two major differences. Instead of a running game, Indiana will be able to stop the run. Indiana also does not have a strong secondary. Both the Hoosiers and Illini will be at the bottom of the Big Ten.

Iowa-- One of the best teams in the country. They actually have a QB who returns (Drew Tate) and their back seven on defense is one of the nation's best. Matt Roth and Justin Babineaux left, so the defensive line is questionable, but Kirk Ferentz is the best coach in college football. He'll get them together. This team could go undefeated, but probably 10-1 or 9-2 if they have a lot of injuries. They have Michigan at home, but they have to go to Ohio State and Wisconsin.

Michigan-- My #2 team in the nation. They have two areas of concern: 1) finding a center. 2) finding replacements for Marlin Jackson and Earnest Shazor. They have a lot of depth elsewhere, including QB and RB. Their game at Iowa could decide the Big Ten.

Michigan State-- They were 5-7 last year, but that was prior to the insertion of Drew Stanton, who was phenomenal. Michigan State, however, will struggle to run the ball this year. Their offensive line is nothing more than mediocre. They only have five starters returning on defense. The Spartans will be involved in a lot of shoot-outs this year. I can see the Spartans winning seven games.

Minnesota-- 15 starters return. They could have the best running game in the Big Ten, and their front seven on defense will be dominant. However, the passing game, led by Bryan Cupito, is a huge concern, and the secondary stinks. The kicking game is also a concern.

 

Recruiting classes with Montana State were rough in the early going, but I eventually got some good ones. Beating North Texas was always tough for me. I couldn't beat them the first few years, but now I own them.

Did you sim all games with North Texas or play? You don't have to restart and quit. Simming all games, I took Eastern Illinois to six stars and multiple Big Ten championships.

Actually, I didn't like Madden 2005. I thought the player progression was stupid. They got better by how well they played in games? Makes no sense. Players get better in practice and in the off-season. I think Madden should go back to their old player progression, but make a new stat called "Trade Value" which increases and decreases by how the players perform.

UConn will probably get to the Final Four. UNC will not. The Heels will make the tournament, but anything past the Sweet 16 is a reach. That team will basically be a group of freshmen. I think Duke and Villanova make the Final Four. The fourth team? Not sure. Maybe Texas.

No, I don't like Texas A&M's basketball team.

Give me some strengths of the Big 12, PAC-10, and the Mid-Major Teams. Are there any good players on your Montana State team? If Vince Young can beat Ohio State at "The Horseshoe" and Oklahoma in the Cotton Bowl, would he be Heisman winner?

I thought I already gave you the strengths and weaknesses of the PAC-10 teams? I'll do the Big XII North today and the South tomorrow.

Colorado-- They have nine starters returning on defense. They have a strong front seven. Unfortunately for Buffaloes fans, the positives end there. The team does not have anything close to a passing game, the running game is a concern and the offensive line looks terrible. The front seven on defense is stout, but Colorado has a very weak secondary. 3-8.

Iowa State-- 16 starters return. The Cyclones are set at QB with Bret Meyer, who has two decent targets to throw to: Todd Blythe and Austin Flynn. Iowa State can also run the ball with Stevie Hicks. However, the offensive line is a bit of a concern. Even worse will be replacing shutdown corner Ellis Hobbs. Worse than that is the kicking situation. 7-4.

Kansas-- 15 starters return. One of the most prominent is Adam Barmann, who I think is a very decent QB. Kansas has one of the most underrated secondaries in the country. They'll shut down opposing pass attacks. The linebacking corps is also decent. Weaknesses? The Jayhawks have nothing at running back, and the wide receiver position presents some concern. 8-3.

Kansas State-- No quarterback. No running back. What do they have? A decent WR in Jordy Nelson. That might be it. Their defense is also terrible. Last place in the Big XII is very possible. 2-9.

Missouri-- Brad Smith is talented, but he needs to be more consistent. That could be a problem. Smith has decent weapons around him like RB Tony Temple, WR Tommy Saunders and TE DeQuincy Howard. The defense only returns three starters. 4-7, maybe 5-6.

Nebraska-- Remember the name: Zac Taylor. He's the future of Nebraska's new passing offense. Taylor has great WRs to throw to. Nebraska can also run the ball with Cory Ross. Expect Nebraska to participate in a lot of shoot outs, because their defense stinks. They were terrible last year, Barrett Ruud is gone, and they only return five starters. I think they can go 8-3.

 

I had some good teams on my Montana State teams. I didn't use a QB; I used a 4-RB formation and used the four fastest players on my team at RB. I also had a pretty decent defense.

Yes, if Vince Young wins at Ohio St. and vs. Oklahoma, he will win the Heisman.

USC would get blown out by New England. It would be 35-3 by halftime. At least.

Yes, even though teams like Indiana, Florida Atlantic and Florida International are not any good, they have some decent players.

Arizona will be improved. Mike Stoops is a good coach.

I would say USC is better this year. Not by much though.

Assuming Penn State doesn't lose any dumb games, they will play in a BCS Bowl if they beat Ohio State, Minnesota and Michigan. They'll probably be playing for the National Championship at that point. Who else would they lose to in the Big Ten? They don't play Iowa.

The Minnesota Vikings of the NCAA? That's tough to say because Minnesota will be different this year. But a team that starts off hot and then melts down when playing tough competition? I would say Virginia.

No team in the NFL can go 16-0. It's too hard.

I don't know what you mean by Oklahoma Sooners of the NFL.

The most overrated team in the NFL is the Baltimore Ravens. I'm not buying their defense as great. They cannot stop teams with great running and passing attacks. That's why they'll lose their opener to Indianapolis.

The most underrated team in the NFL is Jacksonville. They are not getting enough credit, and no one is buying them as a legitimate AFC South champion.

The strengths and weaknesses of ACC basketball? It's far too early to talk--or even think--about college basketball. Once the season approaches, I'll give you detail on whatever teams you want. I can tell you right now, Duke is the best team in that conference.

 

The Ravens did add Samari Rolle, but don't count on Dan Cody making a huge impact this year. Don't forget that they lost Edgerton Hartwell, Peter Boulware and Greg Baxter. Ray Lewis is also a year older and a bit slower.

Baylor-- They have a decent offensive line and a good 1-2 punch at running back. They also have two good linebackers and a decent cornerback. Problem is, can they throw the ball? Shawn Bell is the QB, and I'm not too impressed. The defensive line is very weak. This is a two or three-win team.

Oklahoma-- Only 10 starters return, and the Sooners need to replace Jason White, Mark Clayton, Mark Bradley, Brodney Pool, Dan Cody, Jammal Brown, Donte Nicholson, etc. Of course Oklahoma still has Adrian Peterson, but they have no passing game. None of the QBs were impressive in the spring game, and the offensive line is worrisome. The defense still has its playmakers, including LB Clint Ingram and their corners.

Oklahoma State-- They have a pretty solid defense if their mediocre secondary can elevate their play. They can rush the passer, and they have really good linebackers. The Cowboys don't really have anything at QB or RB. They also don't have anything after D'Juan Woods at WR.

Texas-- Vince Young is a Heisman candidate, but I'm not buying it. I don't think he can throw well enough to get Texas to the National Championship. Young's top receiver will be Jordan Shipley. The Longhorns will have a tremendous pass rush, and their kicking game is solid. Texas has to replace Cedric Benson. They don't know who the RB will be, but they have the players to make a smooth transition. Can Texas beat Oklahoma? If they can, chances are they'll be playing USC.

Texas A&M-- Reggie McNeal. One of the best QBs in the country. His top target will be L'Tydrick Riley. Their defensive line is stout. However, cornerback is a huge issue. Running the ball will also be an issue, because their RB situation is a concern, and their offensive line is sub par.

Texas Tech-- Everyone knows they're going to throw every down. While they might have the best WR corps in the country, and coach Mike Leach will probably have a decent QB, Tech will never win with this gimmicky offense. They don't run the ball enough. The offensive line stinks, and the Red Raiders' defense cannot stop the run.

Yes, they still have Ed Reed. But they had Reed last year, and they didn't make the playoffs. Cincinnati, Jacksonville and Kansas City are all better. San Diego, Indianapolis, New England and Pittsburgh should all be back. It'll be tough for the Ravens to get into the playoffs, unless Kyle Boller somehow evolves into a really good quarterback.

I think you have to confirm it in an email they sent you.

I agree with all of that. Wait until you check out Jacksonville's record when I post the AFC South on Monday.