Longhorn preview for NBA Draft

On Thursday, June 24^th, lackluster NBA teams will once again begin the process of moving towards contention, contenders will attempt to vault themselves to championship level, and championship-level teams will try to stay in the upper echelon of the league.

While the insanity of the impending free agent market, spurred by megastars like LeBron James, Dwayne Wade, and Chris Bosh, has dominated the NBA landscape for months now, the impact of the draft certainly cannot be overlooked. One need only think back to Oklahoma City’s meteoric rise from the dregs of the league to a team that gave the Lakers all they could handle in the NBA playoffs. The Thunder did it almost exclusively through the draft by acquiring one of the top five players in the league in Kevin Durant (No. 2 pick in 2007), a star point guard in Russell Westbrook (No. 4 pick in 2008), solid complimentary forward Jeff Green (No. 5 pick in 2007), and the insanely-talented combo of off guard James Harden (No. 3 pick in 2009) and power forward Serge Ibaka (No. 24 pick in 2008).

UT basketball coach Rick Barnes has churned out four first-round picks in T.J. Ford, LaMarcus Aldridge, D.J. Augustin, and the aforementioned Durant and expects to add two more to his tally this year in small forward Damion James and shooting guard Avery Bradley. Center Dexter Pittman has a chance to be drafted, as well. Let’s take a look at each prospect and where they could potentially end up hearing their names called on Thursday night.

Avery Bradley

Position: Shooting guard

Height w/o shoes: 6’ 2”

Height w/ shoes: 6’ 3.25”

Weight: 180 lbs

Year: Fr.

Strengths: Easily the top perimeter defender in this draft and possibly for a long time. Picture-perfect form and incredible elevation on his jump shot complement a strong midrange game. Freakish athleticism and speed. Hard worker on and off the court and a humble personality to boot.

Weaknesses: What is his position? He’s extremely short for an NBA shooting guard, his natural position. Comparisons to Russell Westbrook are premature, as Bradley possesses both subpar ball handling and passing skills. Didn’t display the primacy in college desired in a first-round NBA guard, especially at his size.

Where will he go: Projections for Bradley have been anything from late lottery to later first round. He seems to be a polarizing force among scouts, but expect him to go somewhere in the middle of the first round. The Timberwolves currently hold the number 16 pick, though there is speculation that they have been considering dealing it to Memphis. If they keep it, Minnesota would love to pick up a much-needed shooting guard to complement likely number-four-overall pick Wesley Johnson. Bradley would slide in seamlessly next to Johnny Flynn in the backcourt and his deferential style would fit in nicely with established post players Al Jefferson and Kevin Love.

Did you know: Despite the incredible hype surrounding number-one-pick lock John Wall, ESPN chose Bradley as the number one player in their 2009 high school basketball rankings.

Damion James

Position: Small forward/power forward

Height w/o shoes: 6’ 6.25”

Height w/ shoes: 6’ 7.75”
Weight: 227 lbs

Year: Sr.

Strengths: Nobody plays harder than the Big 12’s all-time leading rebounder. Relentless on the offensive and defensive ends. Very good strength and athleticism. Multifaceted forward who is too fast for big men and too big for perimeter players, making him a nightmare matchup on offense. Has added new skills ever since arriving in college as a raw freshman.

Weaknesses: Like Bradley, doesn’t have a defined position in the NBA. Probably too small to guard NBA power forwards and not quick enough to defend NBA small forwards. Shot is decent, but will have to improve to NBA 3-point range. Handle leaves much to be desired; he frequently loses control of the ball on fast breaks. Though he has improved his catching, still sometimes displays “stone hands.” Has he reached his potential already?

Where will he go: Most mock drafts have James going somewhere in the middle of the first round. What better team to draft him than the home-state San Antonio Spurs? The Spurs love high-character guys who play hard (see DeJuan Blair), and nobody epitomizes that more than James. Also, after the failed Richard Jefferson experiment, San Antonio will be looking for a more hard-nosed player to fill the SF position. James can be brought along slowly and play around established stars Tony Parker, George Hill, Manu Ginóbili, and Tim Duncan.

Did you know: If James is drafted in the first round as expected, he would be the third first-round pick taken in UT’s 2006 recruiting class, joining Kevin Durant and D.J. Augustin.

Dexter Pittman

Position: Center

Height w/o shoes: 6’ 9.5”

Height w/ shoes: 6’ 11.5”

Weight: 303 lbs

Year: Sr.

Strengths: A huge and imposing interior presence, Pittman is nimbler than one would expect for his size. He was absolutely dominant at times in college, especially when he locks into the game. Almost unstoppable once he gets into the deep paint. Not many will push him around inside. Shot-blocking machine Has he even begun to tap into his potential?

Weaknesses: Pittman has had weight problems for as long as anybody has heard about him. Does he have the drive to keep his weight down? Even towards the end of his college, he was starting to put on noticeable “bad weight,” and that was WITH the best strength and conditioning coach in the country. Many question his resolve to be a star player, as he frequently coasted during long stretches of games. Horrific free throw shooter. Doesn’t possess the passing abilities you want to see in a pivot man who’s going to incur repeated double teams. Prone to excessive foul trouble.

Where will he go: Pittman started the year as a potential lottery pick, but has since seen his stock slip continuously over the course of the season. He could go as high as the end of the first round if some team falls in love with his enormous size and potential as a sleeper, but more than likely he goes middle to late second round with a possibility of being undrafted. A team in need of a backup center could take a flier on him. The Atlanta Hawks are extremely undersized and could use some depth and beef off the bench behind Al Horford. They could take Pittman with the 53^rd pick in the draft and hope he can become a solid backup to throw at Dwight Howard for 10 minutes a game.

Did you know: At 10.5’, Pittman has the longest hands in the entire draft!

Link to the story at Austin Examiner: http://www.examiner.com/examiner/x-54233-Texas-Longhorns-Examiner~y2010m6d23-Longhorn-preview-for-NBA-Draft

--Blake Borron

Texas basketball recruits dominate summer camp scene

A brilliant 17-0 start last season en route to a number one national ranking culminated in disbelief for the Texas Longhorns hoops team as they finished 7-10. This included a three-game season sweep by Baylor and an all-too-fitting last second buzzer-beater by Wake Forest in the first round of the NCAA tournament.

After such a yo-yo of a year, Texas fans’ spirits can only be lifted when they hear about the early-summer success of 2011 recruits Myck Kabongo and DeAndre Daniels.

The summer Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) and camp scene is the most important time for the stars of tomorrow to prove themselves to recruiting services, colleges, and, yes, even the NBA.

Kabongo, a 6’2” point guard from Canada who is close friends with 2010 UT commits Tristan Thompson and Cory Joseph, recently took home Most Outstanding Player honors from the prestigious Pangos All-American Camp in Long Beach, CA. Rivals.com rates Kabongo as the second best point guard in the class of 2011 and the 14th best player overall.

Kabongo handles the ball like a puppeteer and his flashy passing ability evokes memories of former Longhorn great T.J. Ford. Also like Ford, Kabongo needs to improve the consistency on his jumper as Rick Barnes’ ball-screen offense relies heavily on a point guard that can shoot over the top of the pick and roll to keep defenses honest.

As Rivals puts it, “He's so quick with the ball that defenders play way off him making it hard for him and teammates to execute a proper pick and roll.”

Nevertheless, many expect Kabongo to be the best point guard at UT since D.J. Augustin in 2008.

Daniels, a 6’8” small forward who hails from California, is an ideal combination of height, athleticism, and a high skill set, though he does need to add weight and strength to a lanky frame.

Currently rated as the number 35 overall player in 2011, Daniels is “on the quick track to five-star status” according to Rivals, who describes him as a skilled ball handler and passer, active rebounder, and versatile defender.

Texas fans are bound to think of the legendary Kevin Durant when they look at Daniels’ body type and skill set. But while KD was more of a combo forward at UT, Daniels is a perimeter player through and through.

With 2010 Findlay Prep stars Joseph and Thompson coming in for next season, as well as the arrival of Kabongo, Daniels, and fellow 2011 commits Sheldon McClellan and Julien Lewis the following year, don’t expect a dropoff in talent for UT hoops any time soon.

--Blake Borron

Link to the story at Austin Examiner: http://www.examiner.com/x-54233-Texas-Longhorns-Examiner~y2010m6d17-Texas-basketball-recruits-dominate-summer-camp-scene

Way Too Early Top 5 For 2010

I was expecting my first post in far too long to be a victory rant about the Texas Longhorns. In lieu of certain...occurrences, I have instead decided to give a taste of things to come for next season. As much as my heart wants me to crown UT as the preseason #1 team for 2010, my brain and last week's game only allow one team to surface as the king of the first season of the new decade. Roll Tide!


1. Alabama Crimson Tide: Last year's national champs are only getting stronger with monster recruiting class after monster recruiting class. Nick Saban is an arrogant tool who wouldn't smile on his wedding day, but he's one of the best recruiters and X's and O's guys in history.

Strengths: The stars on offense twinkle so brightly you need Oakleys to block out the glare. The running back tandem of Heisman winner Mark Ingram and the possibly even-more-talented Trent Richardson is the best college football has seen since Reggie Bush and LenDale White. Julio Jones will be possibly the nation's most talented wide receiver, but Marquis Maze is the silent assassin that gives the passing game legitimacy.

Weaknesses: The defense loses massive defensive tackle Terrence Cody and playmaking cornerback Javier Arenas to graduation. Expect linebacker Rolando McClain, the leader of the defense, to follow them to the NFL a year early. The greatest deficiency may be the play of quarterback Greg McElroy. After a dismantling of Florida in the SEC Championship game, Texas returned the favor and embarrassed the first year starter in the National Championship. His play, as well as that of an offensive line that needs to give him better pass protection, will be counted on far more next year.

2. Texas Longhorns: All the momentum the Horns had at the beginning of the National Title Game went out the door when Colt McCoy went out of the game after only five offensive plays. Backup Garrett Gilbert, wide receiver Jordan Shipley, and the defense did their best to pull UT out of a big first-half deficit, but fell just short when Gilbert fumbled the ball inside his own ten.

Strengths: After a sluggish start, Gilbert showed flashes of brilliance against a fierce Bama defense in spite of numerous miscues by his wide receivers and no semblance of a rushing attack. He will only get better after an off-season knowing he's THE guy for next year. The team speed on offense, while raw, is matched only by Florida. The UT defense will be one of the best in the country as long as Will Muschamp is in town. The Horns return as much defensive talent as anybody in the country, including freakish lockdown cornerback Aaron Williams and defensive end Sam Acho, who led the team in sacks.

Weaknesses: There are a bunch on offense, most notably the need to improve an offensive line that can only be qualified as one of the worst in UT history. Consequently, that has led to the chronic degeneration of the running game since UT's title in 2005. The graduation of Shipley, arguably the best wide receiver in UT history, leaves a group of young and/or inconsistent receivers that will now be counted on to make plays with regularity instead of deferring to Shipley. If they don't step up, there are even younger guys behind them in what many are calling UT's best receiver recruiting class ever. Injuries have decimated the tight end position the last two years, which has limited Texas's ability to run. Star departing seniors Sergio Kindle, LaMarr Houston, and Rod Muckelroy, as well as early entry Earl Thomas, must be replaced on defense.

3. Ohio State Buckeyes: Few teams have been doubted more the past few seasons than the Buckeyes, but that seems to be a vanishing state of mind. After a dominant performance in the Rose Bowl over a talented Oregon team, tOSU returns all their skill position players and the majority of their offensive line. A home date with the talented and speedy Miami Hurricanes will go a long way to validating or erasing the perception that Ohio State can't handle teams with superior fast-twitch muscles!

Strengths: Terrelle Pryor finally seems to be grasping the offense and coming into his own as a playmaker at quarterback. His performance, though far less awe-inspiring, mirrors Vince Young's 2005 Rose Bowl victory. That led to a national title in the subsequent season, and Pryor hopes to mimic Young's success. All his weapons return, including favorite target DeVier Posey. The offensive line mauled Oregon's less talented defensive front and four out of the five starters return. Jim Tressell is still one of the best defensive coaches in college football, so expect to see the usual toughness and strength out of the Buckeye defense.

Weaknesses: Tressell's seeming lack of ingenuity on offense will plague the team until he unleashes Pryor like he did with Troy Smith in 2006. That will come with increased confidence in Pryor's decision making, which was impressive in the Rose Bowl. At times the running backs were underwhelming, they need to be more explosive with such a strong offensive line and dual-threat QB like Pryor to take the pressure off of them. On defense, the line must be rebuilt and both standout safeties graduate. DE Cameron Heyward and CB Chimdi Chekwa are a good place to start, but they will need younger faces to step up and make plays if they are going to maintain the standard of play they've been at the past few years.

4. Florida: Florida looked fantastic in the Sugar Bowl. Funny how much easier it is against a lackluster team like Cincinnati than, say, Alabama. Timothy Christ...err, I mean Tebow has finally graduated, meaning Urban Meyer (assuming he decides to return) will have to find a new boy toy to fawn over. Perhaps that will be likely starter John Brantley, a highly-touted recruit three years ago.

Strengths: As long as Meyer is at Florida, the recruiting juggernaut will be full steam ahead. That means the Gators will consistently have more talent than basically any other team in the nation, which is why I have them rated so highly despite such heavy losses. The offense is led by speedsters Jeff Demps and Chris Rainey at running back. Lightning-fast Deonte Thompson is the only returning receiver with any kind of experience. He will be joined by the also freakishly-fast Andre Debose, who missed last season with an injury. The offensive line is the best in the nation if Maurkice and Mike Pouncey return at guard and center respectively, but the Gators have some work to do if they both choose to enter the draft.

Weaknesses: It obviously starts at QB, where Tebow leaves to the imminent obscurity of his NFL career and whatever other potential football institutions spring up during his tenure as a professional football player. The man nigh unanimously deemed the greatest player in the history of competition by ESPN, CBS, and, of course, Urban Meyer leaves a gaping hole in the Florida backfield with consequent expectations that Peyton Manning, Alexander the Great, Julius Caesar, Jesus Christ, and, certainly John Brantley would not live up to. The defense loses stud linebackers Brandon Spikes and Ryan Stamper to graduation, and shutdown CB Joe Haden to the draft. Freakishly talented defensive end Carlos Dunlap may accompany him. It's not an issue of talent with the Gators, it's an issue of getting that talent ready to play week in and week out in the grueling SEC.

5. Oregon Ducks: The other half of the Rose Bowl game returns all but three starters, including proven stars QB Jeremiah Masoli and RB LaMichael James. Oregon has a rare opportunity--the chance to take over the Pac 10 conference. Pete Carroll is Seattle bound and USC is not the team or program it was over the past decade. West coast primacy is shifting north to Eugene in a hurry!

Strengths: It all starts with the multifaceted attack of Masoli and James. Masoli runs the zone read to perfection, and he has good speed in the open field. James, on the other hand, has elite speed and will be one of the top tailbacks in the country after only his freshman year. Backup Kenjon Barner is another speedster in the same mold as James. Oregon loves to get him on the edge and he is a special teams demon. The defense returns all but two starters from a solid unit. Perhaps Oregon's greatest asset is head coach Chip Kelly, one of the brightest minds in college football.

Weaknesses: Just take a look at the Rose Bowl and you'll see why I was hesitant to put the Ducks this high on my list. Ohio State out-toughed, out-physicaled, and out-hustled Oregon all afternoon. Oregon just didn't have the attitude to play in that game, and it resulted in them getting their butts kicked up and down the field for much of the game. Too much finesse, or, to put it simply, they were "soft." They also don't have the defensive talent that the top three teams possess. Their defensive line loses both the starters on the defensive side of the ball, which may be a positive because they got absolutely worked by the Buckeyes.

--Blake Borron

College Football Top 25, Week of Sept. 27

The upsets continued en masse last week as #4 Ole Miss lost in a flat-out ugly game in South Carolina, #5 Penn State played a nightmarishly bad fourth quarter at home against Iowa and choked for the second year in a row, #6 Cal got crushed by a rejuvenated Oregon (replete with hideous uniforms), and #9 Miami got dismantled by Va Tech (despite "Hurricane" type weather).

Three teams are still shining bright as the poster children of college football's elite, but one took a potentially heavy blow last week.

1) Florida Gators: Florida's game against Kentucky was over by the end of the first quarter, but Urban Meyer might have left Tim Tebow in just a little too long--Jesus got knocked out in the third quarter and sustained a concussion. That may force him to miss the Gators' toughest test of the season, a showdown against a potentially undefeated #4 LSU team in Baton Rouge.

2) Texas Longhorns: Wow. Texas played its most dominating defensive game since the 2005 national championship team whacked Colorado in the Big 12 conference championship. They also garnered the largest yardage differential in school history (639-53).

3) Alabama Crimson Tide: Bama held a very good Arkansas offense to a single touchdown, but this Tide team can score too. The offense, led by quarterback Greg McElroy, racked up 425 yards and 35 points. Things should only be easier against Kentucky this weekend.

4) Boise State Broncos: This is where the rankings get screwy, as my #4-7 teams all fell in a pitiful manner this weekend. The Broncs move up in a war of attrition and look like a lock for the BCS right now.

5) LSU Tigers: Raise your hand if you think LSU deserves to be ranked this highly. Nobody? Yeah, me neither. But winning is more important than looking good (unless you're Oklahoma), and the Tigers have done that so far. That could come to an end this week in Athens against a sporadic Georgia team.

6) Oklahoma Sooners: OU's probably the fourth best team in the country right now, but the horrendous loss to a mediocre BYU team still sits in the back of everybody's mind. Both the Sooners and the U have marred what could have been a top five showdown in Coral Gables this weekend. Landry Jones will start for the Sooners.

7) Houston Cougars: The Cougs proved me wrong against Texas Tech in the best game of last week. If he wasn't before, Case Keenum is certainly on everybody's Heisman watch list now.

8) Cincinnati Bearcats: After a red-hot start, the Bearcats' games keep getting closer and closer. Give these guys some credit, though, they already have three quality wins in Rutgers (road), Oregon State (road), and Fresno State.

9) Virginia Tech Hokies: Now that's the kind of game I've been expecting to see from Virginia Tech for, oh, about four years. The Hokies quickly extinguished whatever talk of a Miami resurgence has been going around the last few weeks. They aren't nearly as good as they played Saturday, but two big wins over Nebraska and Miami cements their spot here.

10) TCU Horned Frogs: Meh, TCU escapes South Carolina with an extremely lackluster 14-10 win over a Clemson team that just isn't very good. Some people have TCU as the best of the three BCS busters (Boise State and Houston being the others), but I just don't see it.

11) USC Trojans: USC's playing a decent opponent in Cal this weekend, so don't expect another Washington-like performance. If Oregon's defense can limit Jahvid Best to less than 60 rushing yards and Cal to three points, USC may shut both of them out.

12) Ohio State Buckeyes: If defense wins championships, then the Buckeyes are back on the right track. Ohio State posted its second straight shutout, this time over supposedly talented Illinois. Jim Tressell still understands less about the offensive side of football than the Midwest does about Mexican food.

13) Oklahoma State Cowboys: OSU has had a bunch of injury problems at key positions, including WR Dez Bryant and RB Kendall Hunter. An easy-going throttling of Grambling State and a week off before Texas A&M is just what the Pokes need.

14) Kansas Jayhawks: As suspected, Southern Miss gave KU a tough game. The Jayhawks should stomp Iowa State and Colorado to start the Big 12 season and head into a huge game against OU at 2-0 in the conference.

15) Iowa Hawkeyes: A huge, albeit ugly, win on the road at Penn State means the Hawkeyes are legitimate players in the Big 10 title race. The Hawkeyes have a terrible offense, but that defense is tough, tough, tough.

16) Miami Hurricanes: So maybe the hype about Miami's return to greatness was a little premature. The U laid a big egg in Blacksburg and the Hokies ran the ball at will. It doesn't get any easier against OU and their two-headed monster of Chris Brown and DeMarco Murray.

17) Nebraska Cornhuskers: The Huskers have a bye to rest up before a huge rivalry game in Missouri one week from today. Roy Helu, Jr. could be the best running back in the conference, but quarterback Zac Lee isn't too shabby either.

18) Penn State Nittany Lions: Kirk Ferentz and the Hawkeyes really have JoePa's number. Iowa has now won seven out of eight over the Nittany Lions, and, for the second straight year, done college football fans a big favor by putting an end to Penn State's shot at the national championship game.

19) Michigan Wolverines: Big Blue nation is still undefeated, but a close win at home to a poor Indiana team doesn't bode well for the Wolverines. Freshman QB Tate Forcier is playing at an extremely high level. The same can't be said for the UM defense...

20) Oregon Ducks: A highly criticized Jeremiah Masoli threw his first touchdown pass of the season against Cal last weekend. He tossed in numbers two and three for good measure in leading the fighting Phil Knights in a romp over the Golden Bears.

21) Georgia Bulldogs: UGA has been living on the edge every game this season, and generally seems to be a team without much direction or leadership. They certainly aren't consistent. The Dawgs need to put it together this week with LSU coming Between the Hedges.

22) California Golden Bears: Cal lost a whole lot in not a lot of time after their blowout to Oregon. A good shot at the Pac 10 title, Jahvid Best's chance at a Heisman trophy, and, of course, a shot at the national championship game. Any remaining chance at the Pac 10 title evaporates if the Bears lose to USC this weekend.

23) BYU Cougars: The Cougs are still trying to get back on track after the devastating defeat at the hands of Florida State (who's not looking so good right now) a couple weeks back. Brigham Young can hang around this area in the rankings for a while until they face off against TCU in a few weeks.

24) Ole Miss Rebels: So...the Rebs were an utter sham. Jevan Snead has looked terrible so far this season and Mississippi's offense can't get off the ground. All the hype from last season's impressive wins over Florida and Texas Tech is a distant memory.

25) Missouri Tigers: Blaine Gabbert has been sensational for the Tigers--he's yet to throw an interception in four games. Like Nebraska, Mizzou has an extra week to prepare for their big game next week.

--Blake Borron

College Football Top 25, Week of Sept. 20

The rankings are back again this week! Revenge week definitely had a few interesting games, but not the ones anybody expected from its title. Florida and Texas both played poorly and beat their number 3 rivals by only 10 points at home--two inspired performances by Tennessee and Texas Tech for sure. The shocker of the week was USC losing to a Washington team that went defeated all last season. Va Tech was outplayed the entire game against Nebraska, but got lucky at the end of the game to win on a last second touchdown.

1) Florida Gators: Props to Lane Kiffin for only giving up 23 points when most of the nation expected them to lose by however many Urban Meyer wanted. Tim Tebow yet again shows he just can't play well against solid defenses.

2) Texas Longhorns: Colt McCoy looked even shakier against Texas Tech than he has the rest of the season. Sure he had the flu, but overthrowing receivers by more than a foot means a QB isn't confident with the team around him.

3) Alabama Crimson Tide: Bama's played as well as anybody in the country so far and the running game looks like the best in the country. Another mediocre game from Texas against UTEP and the Tide are moving up to number two.

4) Penn State Nittany Lions: It's hard to fault the Nittany Lions for being a defense-based team; three single-digit performances to open the season is certainly impressive. But PSU has yet to break 31 points on the scoreboard against a trio of teams that have a combined two wins.

5) California Golden Bears: Cal proved who was the better golden mammal on the road against the Golden Gophers of Minnesota. Jahvid Best is the undisputed Heisman leader right now with 412 yards rushing and nine total touchdowns already.

6) Ole Miss Rebels: If the Rebels want to survive and thrive in a brutal SEC West and get to the BCS, they have to get by defensive-minded South Carolina. Jevan Snead and Ole Miss have the nation's attention all to themselves Thursday night, like Miami did last week. The Rebs are looking for a similar result as the Canes had.

7) Miami Hurricanes: If it seems like I've fallen in love with Miami rather quickly, you're right. FSU's brutalization of BYU only makes Miami look better, but the Canes still have plenty of haters out there. They'll have their chance to prove themselves to the doubters in the next two weeks at Va Tech and home against OU.

8) Boise State Broncos: Boise State gave up a whopping 507 yards to Fresno State, but still somehow won by 17. Whatever. Even with their joke of a schedule, as long as the Broncs take care of business the rest of the way they're a lock for the BCS.

9) LSU Tigers: It would be great if the Tigers would put together a single impressive game on the season, considering they're on everybody's top 10 list. They won't be able to sleepwalk through the season like Boise State, though. Check this out. The Tigers three highest ranked opponents in the AP top 25 poll? Home against #1 Florida and on the road against #3 Alabama and #4 Mississippi...ouch.

10) Oklahoma Sooners: All Landry Jones did against Tulsa was set an OU record for passing touchdowns in a single game with six. The defense wasn't bad either, shutting out a Tulsa team that led the nation in offense the past two years. Whoa.

11) TCU Horned Frogs: What's that smell? Kinda smells like opportunity. BYU and Utah both got knocked off this weekend, ending their BCS hopes. All that talk about the Mountain West replacing the Big East as a Big Six conference sure has died down over the last week...

12) Houston Cougars: Inexplicably, in both polls the Cougs are ranked below a team they beat on the road by 10 points (jeez that sounds familiar, huh UT fans?). Houston can prove their mettle against a tougher-than-nails Texas Tech club this week. If the Cougars win by more than 10 points (Texas' margin of victory this year), they are for real.

13) Cincinnati Bearcats: It wasn't as flashy as the Bearcats' opening two wins, but they still looked damn good on the road against a solid Oregon State team. The defense held Jacquizz Rodgers in check and OSU to only 18 total points.

14) USC Trojans: We all knew USC was bound to implode against some terrible Pac 10 team at some time this season, but I didn't think it would come this early. The Trojans managed to lose to a team that couldn't win a game last season. Are former USC coordinators Steve Sarkisian and Nick Holt that good, or is USC just that bad?

15) Ohio State Buckeyes: The Buckeyes get the nod over the other OSU because Jim Tressell finally seems to have gotten the memo that Terrelle Pryor is the most talented athlete in college sports not named John Wall. Pryor went nuts against Toledo, but he still threw two picks. He'll get better as long as Sweatervest keeps the reins loose.

16) Oklahoma State Cowboys: I thought the Cowboys would throttle a hapless Rice team, but they just don't appear to be in sync. Kendall Hunter's absence may have hurt. He should be back against Grambling State this week. If OSU can't dominate this one, they're in for a long season.

17) Virginia Tech Hokies: It's hard to envision a team being more unimpressive than Va Tech this season. They accumulated a whopping 433 yards against Alabama and Nebraska and have one of the worst offenses in the country. Pollsters still have them near the top ten--do these guys even watch the games? The scoreboard this weekend against Miami will be enough to show these guys are pretenders.

18) Kansas Jayhawks: Another seemingly easy game versus Southern Miss at home may actually be the Jayhawks' first real test. The Golden Eagles have talent at RB and WR with Damion Fletcher and DeAndre Brown, respectively.

19) Michigan Wolverines: Michigan technically opens up the Big 10 season in the Big House against Indiana. The Hoosiers haven't won there in 42 years, a streak that doesn't look likely to end any time this millennium.

20) Nebraska Cornhuskers: No reason to move the Huskers down too much, they outplayed Va Tech the entire game in Blacksburg. But finishing is part of the game in more ways than just not giving up 80-yard bombs from one of the worst passing QBs in the nation. Nebraska had five field goals and never made it into the end zone.

21) Florida State Seminoles: The Seminoles get back in the rankings with a walk-in-the-park 54-28 blowout in Provo over a slow, slow, slow BYU team that somehow beat Oklahoma. I'm still a believer that FSU will meet Miami in a rematch for the ACC championship.

22) North Carolina Tar Heels: The Heels are just a weird team. They play differently every week of the year, and their offense is about as consistent as Shaq's freethrow shooting. They better play well this weekend on the road against Georgia Tech. The Yellow Jackets should be plenty mad after an embarrassing loss to Miami on national TV.

23) Georgia Bulldogs: What is going on with Georgia? After scoring a measly 10 points against Oklahoma State, the Dawgs have responded with consecutive 41 and 52-point performances. A.J. Green is on fire at WR for the Bulldogs, who will get a test on offense against an Arizona State team that boasts the top defense in the nation.

24) BYU Cougars: Ahah! We finally get to see the real BYU. The Cougars were exposed for what they are--slow, unathletic, and, well, white. FSU is not the team you want to go up against with those weaknesses on your team.

25) Texas Tech Red Raiders: Mike Leach just keeps on churning out QB after QB for his system, but this guy could be legit. Taylor Potts has a huge arm, sick pre-snap reads, and poise for days. The guy is just nails on the football field, and he doesn't have the douchey qualities that Tech quarterbacks often display *cough* Graham Harrell *cough*. Expect one of the most exciting games of the year this weekend against Houston.

--Blake Borron

College Football Top 25, Week of Sept. 13

Well, my rankings were essentially crap last week. A thrilling, upset-filled weekend made up for a mediocre slate of games, basically the opposite of week 1. But let's keep it rolling this week!

Note: I was lazy this week and didn't manage to get these ranking up until Friday, so the Miami and GT game will be reflected in them...

1) Florida Gators: Check this stat out: Jeffery Demps and Chris Rainey are averaging 14.7 and 12.4 yards per carry respectively. Jesus Tebow Christ! Lane Kiffin and the Vols better pray to, well, Tim Tebow himself if they hope to stay in this game.

2) Texas Longhorns: The Longhorns played their worst half of football since the first two quarters of that Texas Tech game you might remember from last year. Then they remembered they're Texas and they're playing Wyoming and went 28 points to zero after the break.

3) USC Trojans: Yeah, yeah, they beat Ohio State...in The Shoe...AT NIGHT! But let's not go anointing this team or ESPN lovechild Matt Barkley just yet. Their vaunted offensive line got manhandled by the Buckeye front four and Barkley hardly looked impressive dumping the ball off to wunderkind tailback Joe McKnight.

4) Alabama Crimson Tide: Bama found yet another great tailback in blue chip recruit Trent Richardson. Interesting game this week as the Tide host North Texas and Head Coach Todd Dodge, who also coached Alabama signal caller Greg McElroy and Mean Green QB Riley Dodge (who's out with a separated shoulder) at Texas high school juggernaut Southlake Carroll.

5) Penn State Nittany Lions: 28 points was all the Nittany Lions needed to get by still-struggling Syracuse. Daryll Clark keeps his under-the-radar Heisman campaign on track with 240 passing yards and three TDs.

6) California Golden Bears: Jahvid Best is averaging 10.4 yards per carry and so far looks damn near unstoppable. Cal is looking more and more like a team that could end USC's seven year run as Pac 10 champions.

7) Ole Miss Rebels: The Rebs were one of the few top-ranked teams with a bye last week. Mississippi has one more chance to tighten up their spotty opening-game play when they take on Southeastern Louisiana this weekend. The season begins in earnest the following week at South Carolina.

8) Boise State Broncos: The Smurfs will quietly keep moving up the rankings as long as they continue taking care of business throughout the season. On the road against Pat Hill's Fresno State giant killers looks intimidating, but this isn't the team that nearly knocked off USC four years ago.

9) BYU Cougars: The Fighting Mormons' brutal non-conference schedule continues with a home game against Florida State. BYU looked SHARP in their 54-3 blowout of Tulane.

10) LSU Tigers: Another ho hum win for the Bayou Bengals shows once again that nobody does less with more than LSU coach Les Miles. The mediocre performances the Tigers have put on the past two weeks won't cut it against SEC powers Florida, Georgia, Bama, and Ole Miss, nor resurgent Arkansas and Auburn.

11) Miami Hurricanes: The Canes' 33-17 shellacking of Georgia Tech wasn't as close as the score indicated. Jacory Harris has star written all over him after completing 80% of his passes for 270 yards and 3 TDs, most of which came in the first half.

12) Oklahoma Sooners: OU blew out a terrible Idaho State team last week. Tulsa and their high-powered offense will provide a stiffer test for the Sooners before they travel to Coral Gables to take on a scorching-hot Miami team.

13) TCU Horned Frogs: Yeah, yeah, they only beat possibly the worst ACC team of all time (Virginia) by 16 points. But the Frogs are a defensive team and they let up in the second half--not good for the BCS aspirations though...

14) Houston Cougars: It remains to be seen whether Houston is ready for the big time, but beating the number five ranked team in the nation on the road is a good start. QB Case Keenum is one to watch for week in and week out.

15) Oklahoma State Cowboys: Don't say I didn't warn you. The Pokes looked lackluster on both sides of the ball against a mediocre Georgia team. No surprise they got manhandled on offense by Houston, but the offense isn't clicking like usual either.

16) Cincinnati Bearcats: Tony Pike and Cincy just went bananas on Southeast Missouri State. I know it's Southeast Missouri State, but 70-3? These guys are clicking.

17) Ohio State Buckeyes: The front seven dominated a USC O Line that gored them last year, but dinosaur Jim Tressel's miserably simple offensive scheme left the Buckeyes high and dry.

18) Virginia Tech Hokies: The Hokies might have rediscovered themselves against Marshall last weekend as both Ryan Williams and David Wilson ran for 160+ yards. We'll see if they can run on a tough Nebraska defensive front led by All-American tackle Ndamukong Suh.

19) Nebraska Cornhuskers: The Huskers get their first real test of the year in Blacksburg this Saturday in what's probably the game of the week. Nebraska's offense has looked sprightly so far, but the Hokies defense is just a tad better than the ones NU has seen from the Sun Belt.

20) Kansas Jayhawks: Kansas and Duke historically makes for an excellent basketball matchup, but in football not so much. Whatever the prognosticators set the line at for KU to win, I'll take the over.

21) Michigan Wolverines: Don't look now, but after a thrilling victory over arch rival Notre Dame, Rich Rod and the Wolverines are on a roll. Sports writers are already starting to pimp true freshman quarterback Tate Forcier for the Heisman. It may be a little early for that, but make no mistake, Big Blue is back, baby!

22) Texas Tech Red Raiders: I don't expect Tech to last in the rankings too long with a revenge game in Austin coming up, but the Raiders are better than all the teams that are about to be listed below them.

23) North Carolina Tar Heels: After an embarrassing 12-10 win over Connecticut (another game that should have been played on the hardwood), UNC doesn't really deserve to be ranked. But this part of the top 25 is just SOOO weak. Defense wins championships...I guess?

24) Georgia Bulldogs: Will the real Georgia Bulldogs team please stand up? They limit offensive juggernaut Oklahoma State to 24 points, but only score 10. Then they give up 37 to anemic South Carolina, but drop 41. The Dawgs better find a happy medium soon--they travel to Fayettville to face an Arkansas team led by talented QB Ryan Mallett.

25) Notre Dame Fighting Irish: The Domers suffered a heart-breaking loss to Michigan, but quarterback Jimmy Clausen is for real. Notre Dame lost its chance to woo the nation for a BCS game, though.

--Blake Borron

Implications of Oklahoma State's Victory

Everybody seems to be all a-fuss over Okie Lite's 24-10 victory over Georgia on Saturday. But let's delve deeper into both how the game looked to me personally and what it means for college football as a whole.

First, let me be honest with you and vehemently state that I was NOT at all impressed with OSU's win over Georgia. I expected a good deal out of the Pokes' most talented team since the late '80s, when Thurman Thomas, Barry Sanders, Hart Lee Dykes, and, yes, even a non-40-year-old Mike Gundy were terrorizing Big Eight defenses.

They have Dez Bryant, likely the best and most talented wide receiver in all of college football, a solid, if not spectacular quarterback in Zac Robinson, two top tier running backs in Kendall Hunter and Keith Toston, and maybe the best offensive lineman in the country in Russell Okung.

Georgia is a mid-level SEC team at best this year, but supposedly they had the speed on defense that could shut down OSU's high powered offense. Well, turns out they basically did just that. Georgia limited the Cowboys to just 24 points on 307 total yards, 16 points and 180 yards below their season averages from last year--approximately 3/5 of Georgia's average production from the year before. This includes a 46 yard bomb to Dez Bryant that accounted for about a third of Robinson's paltry 135 passing yards.

Defensively, the Pokes have been lauded all week for finally turning the corner under new defensive coordinator Bill Young, who left Miami to return to his alma mater after more than four decades. Anybody who watched the game saw Oklahoma State getting scorched up the middle by basic Georgia running plays on the first few drives. Then something miraculous happened. Mark Richt completely forgot how to coach. He started throwing the ball with career backup Joe Cox like he was the new Mike Leach, except without a modicum of success. A.J. Green is a nice receiver and all, but they were throwing to him like they were trying to win him the Heisman in a video game.

Yes, technically the Cowboys defense did surrender a stingy 257 total yards, but what do you expect when the offense they're facing is:

1. Not calling plays to their strength
2. Less complex than many A-team middle school offenses

I guarantee you, if Georgia continues with their original gameplan of running the football down Okie Lite's throat, you see a completely different score--something along the lines of 31-17 in Georgia's favor. Not only does the rushing attack bruise and beat up Oklahoma State's smallish front seven, but it keeps their offense off the field and disallows them from wearing down the Bulldog defense like you saw at the end of the game.

Time and time again I used to see the same completely lost playcalling scheme from Greg Davis at UT, so it's refreshing to see it happen to somebody else. My oh my, how Mark Richt has fallen since his days as the hotshot, air-it-out, wizard at Florida State.

The second part of this article, and what you really should take away from Oklahoma State's victory, is the immediate implications for the Cowpokes themselves and the rest of the Big 12.

First, Oklahoma State is firmly thrust into the limelight as a legitimate national title contender. OU has, astonishingly, already fallen off the map after the first week of the season. OSU is on the road for the Bedlam series this year, so that's never a gimme, but certainly easier now that Oklahoma is missing multiple key components to their team. More importantly, they get Texas in Stillwater, a game that should ultimately decide the Big 12 champion.

For the Big 12, simply a huge win. The conference (especially OU in BCS championship games) has struggled chronically with SEC teams and their speedy, hard-hitting defenses. Tech got embarrassed against Ole Miss last season, leaving a sour taste in the mouths of prognosticators for the opening weekend game between the Cowboys and the Bulldogs. The Big 12 gets a lot of flack for having mediocre to terrible defenses; OSU's defense's holding Georgia to only 10 points goes a long way to restoring the tougher image the Big 12 had when physical teams like Nebraska and A&M were shutting down opponents in the late '90s and early 2000s.

It will be interesting to see whether Oklahoma State can sustain the momentum from a big early win this year, unlike last season when they beat a higher-rated Missouri team in Columbia early in the Big 12 season and ended up losing four games over the course of the season. My guess is that they lose two games this year, one being Texas and the other being some shocker that they shouldn't lose where it's just not their day and they aren't used to being in that situation. Texas Tech at home fits the bill. The Pokes don't rate to shut down Tech's offense, and if Robinson and the rest of the O struggle, look for a potential upset there.

-Blake Borron