Birds of a Feather Flop Together

lilapplehead — Tue, 12 Feb 2008 23:29:09 +0000

As the 2007 NFL season finally closes, and ESPN stories about spygate, perfection, and how “cute” Tom Brady is even when his face is buried in the turf for 4 quarters disappear, questions arise on how the 2008 season will pan out. Anyone can predict who will win the Super Bowl 11 months from now and have a lucky guess, but who can predict who will have the first pick in the 2009 draft? The dolphins may seem like a safe pick with the only thing to remember them by is a one win season, but they’re headed in the right direction, and with a good draft this year have a chance at winning six games. St. Louis is another terrible 2007 team, but playing in the weakest division in the NFL give them a shot at six wins as well. Instead, the fight for number one (pick) will come down to two contenders. The Atlanta Falcons were once a decent franchise, with playoff berths every other year. But with the loss Michael Vick, coaches who quit mid-season, and an owner who acquires players according to personality instead of ability (see Vick above), the Falcons are as hopeless as it gets. On the other hand, The Baltimore Ravens managed to turn a 13-3 season the year before into one of the saddest excuses of an offense anyone has ever seen. Why on earth would you want replace an overrated, ancient quarterback who couldn’t scramble from the pocket with eight legs (Steve McNair) with another ovverrated, old quarterback cast from the same mold (Donovan McNabb). For the sake of Baltimore fans, I pray that McNabb doesn’t end up a Raven and the offense can manage to keep an old defense off the field for more than three plays. With that in mind, there is a sliver of hope the Ravens can gut out a few pathetically ugly wins.

Bottom line: 1. Atlanta (0-16); 2. Baltimore (3-13); 3. St. Louis (4-12); 4. Oakland (4-12); 5. Miami (5-11)

2008 COLLEGE FOOTBALL PREVIEW

lilapplehead — Mon, 11 Feb 2008 23:35:09 +0000

A few predictions for the 2008 CF season:

5. Kansas will not finish the season in the top 25

-As big a surprise as Kansas was last year, this year will not be the same feel good story. They did not have a top 25 recruiting class, so impact freshman will be few and far between. Although they only graduated 13 seniors, underclassmen like Todd Reesing will get a wake up call in a rising Big 12. A weak schedule is out of the question as well, with games at Oklahoma (10/16), Texas (11/15) at home, and Missouri in Kansas City (11/29).

4. 2008 recruiting classes will not resemble 2008 rankings

– Let’s face it, Alabama will not be number one at any point, nor in the top 10 during the season. Teams like Notre Dame and Miami, even with great recruiting classes, are still at least a year away. And teams like Minnesota, Colorado, and Washington will be lucky to finish above .500.

3. Ohio State @ USC on Sept. 13 will determine who plays for the national championship.

– Although OSU may be the Buffalo Bills of the NCAA, they are no doubt a contender again in 2008. USC, with another golden recruiting class and several starters returning, will also be in the top 5 when the showdown erupts in LA. Whoever wins this game will have the inside tract at a title shot, and most likely be number 1 the rest of the year.

2. Rich Rodriguez will have zero impact at Michigan…this year.

– It will take at least two years for Rodriguez’s system to take hold in Ann Arbor, and even then may not be as effecient as expected. Although similar systems are already in place in the Big 10 (i.e. Illinois, Northwestern), programs running these offenses have not endured any success to the level expected at Michigan. And if Terrell Pryor doesn’t commit to the wolverines, they won’t have a quarterback worth sniffing at until 2009. As bleak as the near future sounds, Michigan will again be a perennial power by 2011, and perhaps bring a title to Ann Arbor within…nevermind.

1. Oklahoma will play for the national title…and lose.

-The Sooners will no doubt be a top 10 team throughout 2008, but the question is whether or not they can win the games they are supposed to. (i.e. Colorado 2007, TCU 2005, Texas A&M 2002) If and when they complete the season in the top 2, they will inevitabley lose another BCS game. (i.e. WVU 2008, Boise State 2007, USC 2005, LSU 2004) The only thing they have going for them is a trip to the BCS title game will keep them out of the deathly desert of Arizona and save them the embarassment of another disaster in Glendale.

Lilapplehead's Weblog

Birds of a Feather Flop Together

2008 COLLEGE FOOTBALL PREVIEW