Vince Mullins joins Matt McCluskey on WNER 1410 ESPN Radio Watertown to learn more about our newest rankings – Talent Excess Budgeted Over Walkon (TEBOW) to help you with value based drafting for fantasy college football. Read the rest of this entry →
Will QB Zach Collaros be able to lift Cincy back to national prominence? (Icon SMI)
On July 1, college football’s ‘seismic geographic shift’ took place. The Big 10 added Nebraska becoming a league of 12 teams, while the Pac 10 shifted to the Pac 12 with the addition of Colorado and Utah. The Mountain West has made significant changes as well. Major changes across the board except for in the little ole Big East (at least until 2012 when TCU joins the league). It seems that the conference is constantly trying to avoid being raided or downplaying rumors that it will be raided. The end may be near for the Big East, but the league continues to chug along. The theme for this season is change – new coaches at power programs and big stars onto the NFL – and how teams deal with that change could shape the final standings. Here is a look at the offensive side of the fantasy ball for the Big East in 2011:
Cincinnati – The Bearcats took a major step backwards as a program last season. Coming off back to back BCS bowl appearances, Butch Taylor‘s first year produced a 4-8 record and no bowl in 2010. Despite the change from Brian Kelly to Taylor, the offense was fairly productive. That is do in large part to QB Zach Collaros. The six foot senior is poised to improve on his huge 2010 season. Collaros led the Big East in passing yards and touchdowns thrown and showed that he isn’t afraid to get out of the pocket and run as well. His height and the amount of picks he throws (14 in 2010) may hurt his draft stock with NFL scouts, but he should be considered a top tier target by fantasy scouts. For Collaros to rack up big numbers again, he’ll need help from WR DJ Woods and RB Isiah Pead. Woods has some issues with fumbles and drops, but as a junior he caught 57 balls for just under 900 yards. The six foot senior should be the top target for Collaros and should be back on special teams as a returner. Pead, on the other hand, came out of nowhere in 2010 to rush for over 1,000 yards. Expect that number, and his touchdowns, to increase. Read the rest of this entry →
Beef O’Brady’s Bowl – St. Petersburg, Fl – Tuesday Dec 21, 8pm on ESPN
- Louisville (6-6) v. Southern Miss (8-4)
RB Bilal Powell ranked tenth in country with 121 run ypg, so expect a large game from the senior (Icon SMI)
Louisville Cardinals
- Impact Player - RB Bilal Powell – Powell (right) is the biggest reason as to why first year head coach Charlie Strong was able to take his red birds to a bowl game. The senior rushed for 1330 yards and 10 TDs all while missing a complete game and a good portion of two others. The Louisville offense is effectively summed up as ‘run Powell.’
- Biggest Weakness – Passing Game – Although senior QB Adam Froman had himself a good year, over 1,600 yards passing with 11 TDs, he had little help from his receivers. The Cardinals leading receiver in terms of yardage was tight end Cameron Graham. If Southern Miss is able to stop the run and get a lead early, even a quick seven point lead, U of L could be in trouble. FCB ranks the Louisville offense at 60 and the Southern Miss defense at 89th, so expect sloppiness on both sides. Read the rest of this entry →
Jordan Todman stiff-armed many defenders, not just the Orange, on his way to a Big Eastie Nomination (Icon SMI)
In awards handed out earlier in the evening…
Special Teams Player of the Year Big Easties -
Returns – Lindsey Lamar – South Florida – Lamar returned two kickoffs for touchdowns this season and in 24 returns he averaged 29.0 yards per.
Kicker – Dave Teggart – Connecticut – Kickers are weekly waiver wire pick up plays, but Teggart at least gave his new team points each week. With Connecticut loving to run the ball, their red zone offense usually consisted of; run, run, run, and then kick. Teggart averaged, averaged, 9 points per game.
Punter – Psyche! - In fantasy terms punters are like the ‘Vice Presidents to Football Operations’ people in the NFL. They are apart of football, and even matter from time to time, but you still don’t understand why the game needs them.
On to tonight’s awards, including Offensive Player of the Year Big Easties!
With one more week to go in the regular season, the Big East is Connecticut’s to lose.
Jordan Todman stiff-armed many defenders, not just the Orange, on his way to a Doak Walker Award snub (Icon SMI)
The Huskies need a win at South Florida this weekend and Connecticut, only a few short years removed from D-1AA (now known as FCS) competition, will head to a BCS Bowl.
Say what they will, and they will say a lot, Connecticut has a lot of talent and the Huskies are rolling. Let’s take a look at the make up of the likely 2010 Big East Champion (Is this a reverse jinx? Do I put a lot of parentheses in a paragraph?)
