First and Five

Showdown Saturday

2006-09-16T11:21:00.000-04:00

As any college football fan knows by now, this might be the biggest week of the regular season this year. An amazing seven ranked teams play each other, with plenty of rivalries, coaching greats, and Heisman contenders in the spotlight.

Last week: 4-2
This year: 8-4

Clemson at FSU- Florida State's offensive playcalling and atrocity in running the ball is getting rediculous at this point. If it wasn't for Jeff Bowden's last name, he'd be coaching a bad high school team. Clemson 27, Seminoles 14.

Texas Tech at TCU- I like the Horned Frogs, I really do, but Texas Tech just perfects Mike Leach's offense and outscores TCU. Texas Tech 34-31.

Oklahoma at Oregon- The Sooners have had a ton of close calls in the past few weeks against mediocre teams. Oregon is a good team, with a terrific home advantage at Autzen Stadium. Ducks win despite their uniforms, 31-14.

Nebraska at USC- As hard as I've looked for some reason to pick the Huskers in this one, quite frankly there aren't any. I do think Nebraska is a legitimate Big 12 contender right now and a definite top 25 team, but they match up horribly against a very fast and physical USC team. Trojans, 38-20.

Miami at Louisville- I've been riding the Cardinal bandwagon all year, especially with Bobby Petrino at the helm. But without Michael Bush, its not such an easy pick, and it scares me that Louisiville is favored. It seems like everyone always starts coming down on Miami, and they pick up a big win like this to bust everybody and say they're back. Hurricanes, 24-21.

Florida at Tennessee- Two fantastic teams, watch this and Auburn-LSU and you'll see why SEC is the best conference in the nation this year (don't forget about UGA either). It's going to come down to the Vols inconsistent defense attempted to stop a red-hot Chris Leak who is thriving in Urban Meyer's second year. Gators take one in Knoxville, 35-24.

Michigan at Notre Dame- So maybe I'm biased on this one. My instincts say close, close game. These offenses aren't as unequal as many people think- a little improvement on Chad Henne's part and the Wolverine's is almost as dynamic. But the crucial matchup is Mike Hart running the football. The Irish stop the run, they win. Hart runs wild, they lose. My sports gut says he does. However, yesterday a certain man named Jerome Bettis visited and told me they won't. And so did Charlie Weis. I don't know about you, but I count five Super Bowl rings between them, I'll take their word. Irish 30-27.

LSU at Auburn- Maybe its because I'm not that smart, but this one looks simple to me. JaMarcus Russell, while a brilliant talent, is still yet to prove anything in a big game. Auburn is a deeper and much better offensive team, and the defenses, while both amazing, are close enough to equal. Auburns at home, no reason for them to lose. Tigers, 20-9.

Quick Picks

2006-09-09T13:15:00.000-04:00

Quick picks for this weekend in college football:

Last week: (4-2)

Clemson over Boston College

South Carolina over UGA

Oregon over Fresno State

LSU over Arizona

Notre Dame over Penn State (by a bigger margin this week)

Ohio State over Texas in the huge showdown.

NFL preview coming soon...

It's Here

2006-09-02T15:51:00.000-04:00

God bless today, September 2. College football returns once again, and Saturdays from now until January will be filled with incredible game after game.

First and Five's Predictions for the weekend:

Northern Illinois at Ohio State: NIU's Garrett Wolfe will give the Buckeyes a scare, but in the end the Husky defense is simply overmatched again the OSU defense. The #1 team gets off to a solid start, 34-20.

Stanford at Oregon: An underrated Pac-10 matchup this weekend, this should be a great high-scoring affair in Autzen Stadium. The Ducks are favored at home, but I'm taking the Cardinal in an upset, they're a great all-around team that's very underrated coming into this season. Stanford 38-30.

USC at Arkansas: John David Booty has more pressure on him than any player in college football. The Trojans are very vulnerable right now, but the Razorbacks just don't have the weapons to take them down. USC 31-17.

California at Tennessee: Cal comes in very highly rated with an Heisman contender running back in Marshawn Lynch. Tennessee hopes to rebound from a horrible 5-6 year in front of a huge crowd at Neyland Stadium. Close, close game, but I'll take the Golden Bears over the Vols, 28-27.

Florida State at Miami: This series is usually filled with tremendously talented and athletic players making sloppy plays in the spotlight. I expect the defenses to shine and overshadow the mediocre offenses. Seminoles over 'Canes, 17-10.

Notre Dame at Georgia Tech: The Fighting Irish come into the second season under Charlie Weis with championship aspirations. The Yellow Jacket's stiff defense will be a great proving ground for the best offense in the nation. In the end, the improved Notre Dame defense will force Reggie Ball into turnovers and easy points, and it won't be close. Irish 42-17.

College Football Primer, Part II

2006-08-24T19:24:00.000-04:00

It's been a while, much in part to the craziness of moving into college, but First and Five is back.

The preseason Top 25 concludes with counting down the Top Ten teams:

10. Oklahoma- And even this ranking is generous. The Rhett Bomar scandal diminishes this Sooner team tremendously, leaving the team with no experienced starter at quarterback. Adrian Peterson will star, but defenses will be able to key on the Heisman-contender running back almost every play without a proven threat in the passing game. I wouldn't be shocked if Peterson falls to injury again this season with defenses gunning for him every play.

9. Florida State- The Seminoles boast what may be the best and most athletic defense in the nation. Bobby Bowden returns much of a potent enough offense to make FSU a force to be reckoned with again.

8. West Virginia- Many experts have predicted this Mountaineer team to reach the Fiesta Bowl this year. With tremendous talent at QB and RB with Pat Smith and Steve Slaton, a brilliant head coach in Rich Rodriguez, and a very easy schedule, a BCS title game does seem a viable outcome. However preseason rankings are based upon the strength of a team, not how they might finish. If WVU can escape their tough matchup with Louisville, they'll make an exciting run at the Big East and National Championships.

7. USC- The talent is there, despite all the high-profile losses. The talent is also, however, mostly very young with little game-experience. I'm not a believer in John David Booty, however much practice and bench-riding time he may have had the past three years. I see this team struggling with UCLA, Cal, and Nebraska, and definitely losing its season finale against Notre Dame.

6. Florida- Against what may be the toughest schedule in the nation, Coach Urban Meyer leads his Gators in the second year of his ingenious offense. Meyer's QB's have all fared tremendously well in their second seasons of his system (see: 1st round pick Alex Smith), which should bode well for Chris Leak. If the secondary and running game can step it up, Florida may be headed to Glendale.

5. Louisville- The team is incredibly balanced from top to bottom, and features the best quarterback and running back combo in the nation in Brian Brohm and Michael Bush. The defense is slightly suspect and will miss national sack leader Elvis Dumervil, but I'm picking them to finish atop the Big East.

4. Texas- This Longhorn team excels on both the offensive and defensive lines, and returns a great core from its national championship team. Their matchup with Ohio State in Austin will be the game of the year. However, I'm not sold on the Longhorns as true title contenders. Sure I think they'll win the weak Big 12, but with a first year quarterback, a repeat will be overachieving. First year starting QB's and rotations of two quarterbacks just don't fare well in college football (see last years preseason #'s 3 and 7, Tennesee and Oklahoma).

3. Auburn- I just love what Tommy Tuberville has been able to put together with this team. Kenny Irons will evolve into a national star, and the offensive and defensive balance is better than any other team in the nation. If they want to win it all, they must watch out for the huge rivalry games with Alabama and Florida.

2. Notre Dame- Contrary to what you might have expected, I'm not that much of a homer to rank my school #1. This offense is clearly loaded with standouts Brady Quinn, Jeff Samardzija, Darius Walker, and Charlie Weis calling the plays. The defense must improve on last years trouncing in the Fiesta Bowl at the hands of Ohio State, but I expect them to do so. Tom Zbikowski should have an All-American caliber year.

1. Ohio State- As much as I hate doing it, I can't deny Troy Smith, Ted Ginn Jr., and the underrated Antonio Pittman. The linebacking corps are clearly the defense's weak point, but the offense should outscore almost anyone. Jim Tressel also has highly touted freshman bruiser Chris Wells waiting in the wings to carry some of the rushing load.

So that's it folks, enjoy this season of the greatest sport around. First and Five will have game summaries, on-site reports, and running diaries from some of the biggest games of the year, stay tuned and thanks for reading (and commenting!).

Facing Failure

2006-08-16T16:36:00.000-04:00

This season will be a failure for the Atlanta Braves.

Yes, there will have been great breakouts and emergences of young players, and some great individual performances. And just maybe the Braves will even make a small run and put a scare into the Wild Card race.

But the reality of it is, the team is 8 games under .500, 16 games back of the NL East leading Mets (which will likely end up a victory margin as large as 20 games), and out of the playoffs picture. Yet there are the perennial optimists in Atlanta who are still waiting for Bobby Cox to pull the rabbit out of the hat- some unwilling to believe the streak of division titles or playoff appearances can possibly end.

5.5 games out, its over. Five and a half games out appears surmountable at a glance, until you realize that there eight teams in front of the Braves, many more talented and consistent. So in my book, its time to look back on what has made this season a failure.

Oh wait, it's not a failure, you say? Ask any Braves fan if anything less than a 15th straight division title and playoff berth would have been acceptable during the season, and you would have heard a resounding "NO".

The reasons for this year's failure are easily identified, but hardly simple to remedy. The fact is, the weaknesses in the Braves this year extend far beyond the no-name bullpen (who had you ever heard of before this season in the Braves current bullpen, aside from Baez and Wickman, both acquisitions?), the untimely injuries, the woes of the starting pitching (having to start Jason Shiell, Kevin Barry, and Lance Cormier in the past week took at least another year off of Bobby Cox's life).

But one culpable player in particular that is a large contributor to this years failure has somehow seemingly escaped criticism or blame.

Call it blasphemous, but you're killing the team Jeff Francoeur.

After attending last Friday's Brewers-Braves game at the Ted, I was outraged at the support Francoeur received from the crowd. During the pregame introductions, he easily received the most cheers. I wondered to myself, 'What has he done to deserve this?' And any way you look at it, the answer is hardly anything. For three months last summer he electrified a mediocre Braves team into the playoffs. Unfortunately, at the end of that season he began to morph from the .300 hitting, Atlanta's savior Jeff Francoeur, into the never on base, most overrated Brave Jeff Francoeur.

The young right fielder has done one thing well this season for the Braves, and I will give him his due for that: he is clutch. He's top 3 in the majors in 2-out hits, and at the game I attended he actually hit a walkoff double to win it in the ninth.

However, over the course of a 162 game season, Jeff Francoeur is absolutely crushing the Braves. He has the 4th worst on base percentage in all of baseball at .281. That's right, out of players qualified with enough at-bats (and Francoeur has the most of any Brave) he has the 168th best OBP out of 171. To that in perspective, .281 is more than 70 points lower than Eric Chavez (.354), who is having one of the worst seasons of his long career.

To put that further in perspective, he's almost 50 point behind Seattle's Yuniesky Betancourt? 'Who the hell is Yuniesky Betancourt?', you may ask. My answer? Probably not the most popular player on the Mariners.

In a lot of ways, it's not Jeff Francoeur's fault. He was hyped into the Brave's present and future star during a freakish debut last year. He's a home-town hero who would get a lot of support even if he struggled. He's a very attractive man that encourages cheers from every woman at the ballpark. But as they say, "with great power comes great responsibility", and right now Francoeur isn't living up to the cheers.

I'm sure down the road Jeff Francoeur will prosper. He'll become an All-Star, maybe even an MVP candidate, and continue to be adored in Atlanta. But this season, he's a large part of why the Braves are failing.

As fans, let's stop worshipping a player who is underperforming (at least according to his popularity) and give praise to Bobby Cox, Andruw and Chipper Jones, Brian McCann, Adam LaRoche, and the other deserving Braves who have helped keep the club alive during this painful year.

When It's Not Everything

2006-08-15T10:36:00.000-04:00

Winning is everything, or so the oft-quoted platitude goes. But when is the line crossed, and winning become all-consuming goal at which we care about too much?

I am one of the most competitive people you will ever meet. There’s just an innate feeling inside me that craves and will stop at almost nothing to achieve victory. I’ll play Monopoly down to my last thin dollar until 2 a.m. and not quit until you surrender or concede. I got into fights in elementary school over playground basketball, and the legitimacy of spin serves in the annual four-square tournament. I will pick my girlfriend last (and other girls before her) on my pick-up Ultimate Frisbee team because I know she can’t catch. Sure I’ll pay the price later, but it would be worth it for the triumph.

However, as competitive as I may be, I know where to draw the line. When feelings get hurt, when the game turns dirty, I’ve learned how to take a step back, put pride and selfishness on the backburner and do the right thing. Unfortunately, as a debate that has risen to national prominence from Bountiful, Utah, has evidenced, many people as competitive as myself do not.

It was the bottom of the last inning in a nine and ten-year-old Little League game, the Yankees clinging to a one run lead over the Red Sox in the championship game. At the plate with the tying run on third and two outs was the Red Sox best hitter, a player named Jordan Bleak, up to bat.

It was a thrilling situation- parents standing in the crowded bleachers, anticipating baseball drama. It looked to be as good as it gets for a Little League game, one almost as fun to watch as it is to play. Then the unthinkable happened, and turned the game sour.

The Yankees coach, Bob Farley, decided to intentionally walk Jordan, bringing up the Red Sox worst player, Romney Oaks.

Romney Oaks had his growth stunted by a malignant brain tumor at the age of 4. After many painful years of chemotherapy and radiation, and with a shunt in his brain, Romney has recovered and loves playing baseball. He had managed only two hits in twelve games, but kept an uplifting attitude and love for the game.

As boos cascaded from the stands, Romney stood trembling at home plate. By strike two tears were rolling down his cheeks. Strike three was conceded, and Romney cried himself to sleep that night.

After the game, the coaching staffs of each team nearly came to blows over the move. The town was split, newspaper articles attacking and defending the move. Bob Farley later claimed he had no idea the child was a cancer survivor. Really? The child that has to wear a helmet in the outfield? That made the papers during his struggle with his brain tumor and became so weak the Make-A-Wish foundation granted his wish to meet President Bush? Farley claimed he would have done it even if he had known, because “it’s a good baseball move.”

And so the line was crossed, without shame or regret, but ending in heartbreak and disrespect. I hope the Yankees coaches really enjoyed their championship, however much it cost anyone else. Sadly, its just one of many cases in youth sports where coaches put their selfish motives and insatiable desire to win over the respect for their competitors and sometimes even their own players.

In a recent CNNSI.com poll, 63% of voters said they would not intentionally walk the slugger, even if it meant losing the game. I would hope that the actual percentage would be more than that.

So to all players, coaches, and fans out there- do the right thing. Play to win, but do what’s right- you know when it's not everything, and you know where the line is.

Factual information for this article was found at CNNSI.com (Rick Reilly's August 8th article) and ESPN.com (Greg Garber's great front-page article 'Should Winning Be Everything When You're Nine?')

Sweeps Weekend

2006-08-14T17:20:00.000-04:00

Tigers in Trouble

The White Sox swept a crucial series with the Tigers in Chicago, winning the Sunday finale 7-3. With Chicago's pitching coming together again, and Detroit's fifth loss in a row (their biggest losing streak thus far this season), is the AL Central no longer a lock? Absolutely. The Tiger's MLB best pitching staff is fading fast- Justin Verlander gave up 13 hits in five innings Friday, and missed the start prior to that bashing with arm fatigue. For a young pitcher in his first full season, being on pace for 192 innings can do that to you. The best thing the Tigers can do is give him a long rest- they have the depth to let him rest a few starts- and hope to have him back in form in time for the pennant race and hopefully postseason. Kenny Rogers, meanwhile, has completely lost his All-Star form (0-3, 5.61 ERA in the past month), not a complete surprise for the 41-year-old lefty (Detroit city cameramen- this is your warning).

The bottom line: Detroit fans, its time to worry about that 5.5 game lead. Jim Leyland should be more worried about his Tigers than Roy Horn.

1. Sweeps Weekend- In addition to the White Sox's critical sweep, two other sweeps this weekend changed the landscape of baseball's standings.

The last place Pirates wrecked the Redbirds, outscoring the Cardinals 17-3 while sweeping the three game series. St. Louis has now lost 13 of 17, their lead in the NL Central plummeting to 1.5 games over the latest version of the Big Red Machine. If they aren't careful, they'll soon be fighting for the Wild Card as well as the pennant.

The Red Sox also capped off a three game sweep of the Orioles with a dramatic 11-7 win. Mike Lowell has a spectacular game, with a grand slam Sunday and a game-saving back handed stab with the bases loaded in the ninth. However, the most impressive game of his weekend might have been Friday, when Lowell was drilled by an Adam Loewen fastball. However, the veteran third baseman refused to be removed from the game, and recovered the make an amazing catch diving into the stands in the third inning. He's emerged as a critical leader of this Boston team, especially in Jason Varitek's absence. With the Yankees losing two of three to the Angels, the BoSox are just one game back in the AL East.

2. 'Get me out of that game'- Washington Redskin's running back Clinton Portis dislocated his shoulder in the team's first preseason game Sunday night.

On the team's first series, Bengal's cornerback Keiwan Ratliff intercepted an errant Mark Brunell throw, and Portis attempted to stop Ratliff's return. The running back made a bone-jarring tackle, unfortunately extending his left arm out of its socket in the process.

As Portis noted after the game, "After that 8-yard run, I was like, 'Get me out of that game.' That's what I was thinking. It's football. It can happen to anyone. It happened to me."

"For whoever's watching: Let's get rid of some of these games," Portis said. "Four games is ridiculous. Then you play a 16-game season and the playoffs behind that."

Maybe new commish Roger Goodell and the NFL will finally listen to the players, fans, and coaches, and cut down the preseason. As a Falcons fan who lost Michael Vick in a meaningless game, 'Skins fans, I feel your pain.

Also, a few sources have speculated that Jet's QB Chad Pennington was injured in the team's first preseason game against Tampa Bay. Pennington claimed to be alright after taking a few hits on the previously injured shoulder, but I'd keep an eye on how to Jets handle him the next few weeks to make sure. An injury would be devastating- neither draft pick Kellen Clemens nor free agent acquisition Patrick Ramsey have enough experience in the team's system to start effectively. Then again, the Jets didn't have an effective starter last year either, so what else is new.

3. Weekend Warriors on the Diamond- Around baseball this weekend there were several outstanding games and performances, one of which included history in the making in Cleveland.

Travis Hafner, the Indian's star designated hitter, hit his sixth grand slam of the year Sunday night, tying Don Mattingly's single season record. It was the Cleveland slugger's 35th of the year, and RBI's 100-104, party of an eleven run first inning for the Tribe in a 13-0 victory over the Royals.

Greg Maddux and Jason Schmidt lived up to their billing as a classic pitcher's duel in Los Angeles, neither ace allowing a run and pitching eight innings each. And just for everyone who thought the four-time Cy Young award winner was over the hill, here's Maddux's stats in two games with the Dodgers: 14 innings, no runs, TWO hits.

The deadline deals have made the Dodger's the team to beat in the NL West, regardless of the current cluttered standings.

4. Preseason Performers- All news out of the NFL preseason was not gloomy, however. A few of the top rookie draft picks and new acquisitions showed their potential value over the weekend. One such player was new Raven Steve McNair. The veteran QB led a spectacular touchdown drive, culminating in a gutsy dive into the endzone. "He's just an incredible competitor" quipped Baltimore head coach Brian Billick.

Highly touted first round picks Jay Cutler, Reggie Bush, and Vince Young also had great efforts over the weekend. Cutler put up perhaps the best individual performance of the weekend in the Broncos 20-13 loss to Detroit, completing 16 of 22 passes for 197 yards and a touchdown. Last year’s Heisman winner showed he can be just as electrifying in the NFL, lighting up the Titans for a 44 yard highlight run en route to a solid 59 yards rushing on six carries. Vince Young had an overall average performance, passing for 56 yards and rushing for 28. Bush's Saints, however, won this rematch, 19-16 over the Titans.

5. Monday Night Football Returns- But Different- Tonight Monday Night Football debuts not only for the 2006-2007 season, but for the first time ever on ESPN. The new broadcast team features Mike Tirico, Joe Theismann, and Tony Kornheiser.

Personally, I love the new broadcast team. Al Michaels will be sorely missed, but it's worth it not to have to deal with John Madden's ramblings and poor coverage. Mike Tirico is a great play by play choice, and will definitely excel in his role. Theismann is a little below average in the booth, but I really love Kornheiser's selection. He's insightful without trying to sound overly intelligent, has a great sense of humor, and provides a great connection with viewers. I look forward to watching a little of Randy Moss's return to Minnesota in a Raider's uniform tonight.

That's all for today, thanks for reading, and comment like you need it.

College Football Primer, Part I

2006-08-13T23:11:00.000-04:00

As autumn breezes begin to stir in the air and students journey back to college to resume their studies, the glorious time that is the college football season is almost here. Although according to most the official year is yet to begin, for the players and coaches the season has been months in the making. From hard-fought battles in the blazing summer heat to sleepless nights scheming new plays and intently studying monotonous film, its time to pay our respect to the teams of 2006 with the First and Five season preview.

Seeing as every "expert" has weighed their obligatory predictions on the season, here is 1st and Five's preseason Top 25- and unlike the experts, check back after the season to see how these predictions fare, and feel free to blast my incorrect picks and weigh in with your thoughts.

Here are teams 11-25, with the top 10 to follow soon:

11. Michigan- The offense should be deadly, with great returning talent at the skill positions in Chad Henne, Mike Hart, and Steve Breaston. The keys to success this year are without doubt defense and staying healthy, both of which have plagued the Wolverines in recent years. Lloyd Carr better hope for a strong season, or he can bid adieu to Ann Arbor with more than 3 losses.

12. LSU- Two problems keep them from cracking the top 10- the quarterback position, and the schedule. JaMarcus Russell is a solid QB, but not an accurate enough passer or consistent enough performer to lead the Tigers to victory in the SEC. The Tigers also must travel away to Auburn, Florida, and Tennessee, and they'll be lucky to escape those road games with two wins.

13. Miami- This Miami team actually reminds me of FSU a few years back- tenacious defense, speed virtually everywhere on offense at the skill positions, and a QB with some experience but inconsistencies throughout his career behind the snap. While I hope Kyle Wright has more success than Chris Rix had in those seasons, I wouldn't count on it.

14. Georgia- Many people like UGA to win the SEC East this year. While I don't see them making it quite that far with Joe Tereshinski at the helm, the defense and solid running game should lead this team. Quentin Moses might be the best DE in the country (and a top 5 draft pick, seen at right), and junior Charles Johnson looks to be almost as good across the line. Mark Richt needs to give Matthew Stafford a year to gain experience and watch from the bench before he can emerge as a much better player next year.

15. California- Two words: Marshawn Lynch. I don't think Jeff Tedford will have much aerial success with Nate Longshore, but if he doesn't force the passing game with less talent at QB (like last year with Joe Ayoob) the Golden Bears should be a force to be reckoned with.

16. Iowa- Why Kirk Ferentz doesn't pack up and head to an elite program, I don't know, but one of the best and certainly the most underrated coach in college football should guide the Hawkeyes into Big Ten contention. Ohio State better watch out come September 30, the game in Iowa could be just as tough as the visit to Texas.

17. Clemson- My pick to win the ACC this year. I realize I've ranked them behind Miami and FSU (who both have more talent and better coaching) but unlike those two teams, I believe Clemson can play to its full potential, execute in the fourth quarter, and has a very favorable schedule after tough games Week 2 and 3 at FSU and Boston College.

18. Arizona State- The Sam Keller- Rudy Carpenter rotation at QB will be as lethal as any one quarterback in the nation. Look for the Sun Devils to put up a ton of points, and to give up almost as many to solids offenses.

19. Virginia Tech- Last season couldn't have ended much worse for Frank Beamer's Hokies, with the Marcus Vick incidents and losing 7 seniors from a dominating defense. However, never count this team out, they've been in the final Top 25 poll many years in a row and I expect that to continue.

20. Tennessee- Although last year was a major disappointment, I expect Phillip Fulmer and the Volunteers to rebound with a solid season this year. I really like Erik Ainge (shown at left) going into his third year, look for him to break out and put up some big numbers and clutch performances.

21. Nebraska- After a dismal first two seasons in Lincoln, will Bill Callahan's third year as the Cornhusker's head coach be the charm? The team has raised hopes for the third year in Callahan's West Coast Offense, and after finishing last season with wins over Colorado and Michigan in the Alamo Bowl, they should be the favorite to win the Big 12 North.

22. Boise State- A team that always seems to crack the rankings with a sterling record midway through the year, the Broncos return nine starters on offense and should be the class of the WAC. Also, the team has been simply unbeatable at home (25-0 the past four seasons) in Boise (maybe it's the blue field?). A pretty easy non-conference schedule will help their chances of making a run at the top.

23. Utah- After a 7-5 season highlighted by a bowl win over Georgia Tech, the Utes should be hungry for more with some gained experience this season. The far and away most talented team in the Mountain West, look for a great matchup with UCLA on September 2 to be a good measuring stick for this season's success.

24. South Carolina- The Sidney Rice-Blake Mitchell connection should continue to shred opposing defenses, and they finally have a legitimate running threat in Cory Boyd they lacked in 2005 (finishing 108th in rushing). The defense is again the question mark, but the old-ball coach will put a scare into plenty in the SEC.

25. Georgia Tech- see below

Calvin Johnson, All American Video

2006-08-13T00:34:00.000-04:00

Calvin Johnson, All-American

#25- A deep, talented defense, a senior QB, workhorse running back and this monster? That's why they crack my preseason top 25.

Introduction

2006-08-12T23:32:00.000-04:00

Hey everybody, welcome to First and Five.

My name is Michael Bryan, and I'll be updating this blog frequently and hopefully providing some solid analysis and interesting insight into the world of sports. So spread the word, check frequently for updates, and I'll do my best to make this good.

I am a student at the University of Notre Dame. The purpose of this blog is pure and simple: entertainment for sports fans. I have aspirations to one day venture into the world of sports writing, and I hope to attract and maintain a reader base and active community to discuss sports. But for now this will mainly be sports commentary read by friends and family so once again- please spread the word and comment!!!

Also, please check out the pop-up ads from the sponsors. I'm not exactly sure how it works, but somehow I can potentially get money if you click on them enough times, so please support the 'Money for Michael Bryan So He's Not Paying Off Student Loans for the Rest of His Life Fund' and check that out.