College Football Top 25-’Bama and Boise Lead The Way

The first week of College Football lived up to the hype with great performances, unbelievable finishes, and of course we had some upsets. The opening weekend was capped off by a classic Boise State/Virginia Tech game that certainly lived up to the hype. Now week two features even more big time match-ups than week one, and is sure to provide a major upset or two. So for now, here is my top 25:

1. (1) Alabama (1-0)
Next Game: Saturday vs. Penn State
The defending champs rolled past San Jose State but now Joe Pa comes to Tuscaloosa. The bad news is that it looks like Alabama will be without Mark Ingram for the second straight week, but the good news is that the Tide rushed for over 250 yards last week without him.

2. (2) Boise State (1-0)
Next Game: 9/18 @ Wyoming
The Broncos did it again, knocking off Virginia Tech in dramatic fashion Monday night. Now Boise has 12 days off before they will face a Wyoming team coming off a trip to Austin against the Longhorns.

3. (3) Ohio State (1-0)
Next Game: Saturday vs. Miami(FL)
Ohio State looked impressive in the opener against Marshall but the real test comes this week. Terrelle Pryor will look to outduel Jacory Harris and Miami in one of the many marquee match-ups on Saturday.

4. (5) Iowa (1-0)
Next Game: Saturday vs. Iowa State
Iowa has won five out of seven against their in-state rivals, Iowa State. The winner of this game is awarded the Cy-Hawk trophy.

5. (13) TCU (1-0)
Next Game: Saturday vs. Tennessee Tech
The Horned Frogs didn’t play their best game Saturday against Oregon State, but it was good enough to get the win. The speed and athleticism on both sides of the ball for TCU showed why this team is so dangerous.

6. (4) Oklahoma (1-0)
Next Game: Saturday vs. Florida State
The Sooners struggled in their opener allowing 421 yards to Utah State in a 31-24 victory. Oklahoma better patch up that defense with Jimbo Fisher and Florida State coming into Norman this week.

7. (6) Florida (1-0)
Next Game: Saturday vs. South Florida
The Gators looked completely out of sync in their first game against Miami(OH). Urban Meyer’s team will have to play better against a tougher test in South Florida this week.

8. (8) Nebraska (1-0)
Next Game: Saturday vs. Idaho
Nebraska starts with a couple cup cake games before we really find out about their offense. Freshman quarterback Taylor Martinez was impressive by throwing for 136 yards while rushing for 127 and three touchdowns.

9. (10) Texas (1-0)
Next Game: Saturday vs. Wyoming
Mack Brown wants to run the football more and that was evident on Saturday as the Longhorns rushed 46 times for 197 yards. Texas looks to go 2-0 before getting into the toughest part of their schedule starting next week.

10. (11) Florida State (1-0)
Next Game: Saturday @ Oklahoma
Oklahoma allowed 341 yards passing to Utah State and you know that has Florida State quarterback Christian Ponder licking his chops. If the ‘Noles can upset the Sooners, watch out.

11. (9) USC (1-0)
Next Game: Saturday vs. Virginia
The Trojans looked great on offense in the opener, especially Matt Barkley who threw for 5 touchdowns. The defense however, was not so great allowing nearly 600 yards of offense to Hawaii.

12. (12) Wisconsin (1-0)
Next Game: Saturday vs. San Jose State
The Badgers rolled past UNLV and will host San Jose State in the home opener. Wisconsin rushed for 278 yards in week one while San Jose State gave up 257 yards on the ground. You do the math.

13. (16) Oregon
Next Game: Saturday @ Tennessee
The Ducks had their fun against New Mexico winning by a score of 72-0 and out gaining the Lobos 720-107. It should be tougher sledding in week 2 when Oregon visits Knoxville to take on the Vols.

14. (17) Miami(FL) (1-0)
Next Game: Saturday @ Ohio State
Miami has not been the same since losing the 2002 title game to Ohio State and hopes with a win on Saturday, they can return to national prominence. If Jacory Harris can get the win on the road, it would go a long way in boasting his Heisman resume.

15. (21) Utah (1-0)
Next Game: Saturday vs. UNLV
The Utes survived in OT against a tough Pittsburgh team and cannot be ignored when it comes to talk about BCS busters. Utah could easily be 8-0 when they take on TCU, November 6th.

16. (7) Virginia Tech (0-1)
Next Game: Saturday vs. James Madison
The Hokies fell short against Boise State but looked liked a team that could be a force in the ACC this year. Virginia Tech will have the support of Bronco fans who will hope that Tyrod Taylor and company can run the table the rest of the way.

17. (18) Arkansas (1-0)
Next Game: Saturday vs. Louisiana-Monroe
This Arkansas team is intriguing but we won’t know more about them until next week when they play at Georgia. Until then, have fun padding your stats Ryan Mallet.

18. (14) LSU (1-0)
Next Game: Saturday @ Vanderbilt
The Tigers didn’t impress many people in their victory over a half strength North Carolina team. But a win is a win and just think of how bad it would have been if the Tar Heels had completed the comeback Saturday night.

19. (19) Auburn (1-0)
Next Game: Thursday @ Mississippi State
Quarterback Cameron Newton shined in his first start, throwing for three touchdowns while running for two more. That was at home though, and his first road start will be a tough one against the Bulldogs in Starkville.

20. (20) Georgia Tech (1-0)
Next Game: Saturday @ Kansas
The Yellow Jackets rushed for 372 yards in Saturday’s victory over South Carolina State. Tech will now take on Kansas, who is coming off of an embarrassing 6-3 loss to North Dakota State.

21. (22) Georgia (1-0)
Next Game: Saturday @ South Carolina
Georgia looks like they have some talent and will compete in the SEC this year. The big question is, can the bulldogs survive three more games without their suspended star wide receiver A.J. Green?

22. (23) Stanford (1-0)
Next Game: Saturday @ UCLA
The Cardinal will go on the road to start Pac-10 play this weekend and starting strong in conference will be key for Jim Harbaugh’s team. Stanford will play their next five all against quality opponents on national television.

23. (NR) Arizona (1-0)
Next Game: Saturday vs. The Citadel
The Wildcats looked impressive against Toledo in the opener, especially on defense. Arizona fans are already looking forward to next week, when Iowa comes to town.

24. (NR) BYU (1-0)
Next Game: Saturday @ Air Force
The Cougars found a way to knock off Jake Locker and Washington and now go on the road to face Air Force and Florida State in consecutive weeks. A tough schedule for a program looking to get national recognition.

25. (24)Penn State (1-0)
Next Game: Saturday @ Alabama
Penn State features some promising young players and that was evident in their opening win over Youngstown State. But this week’s game is a different animal as the Nittany Lions travel to Alabama where it might get ugly.

Lanetrain’s Pre-Season Rankings

Some people have iPods, other’s have iPads. I sport an iThink, which I submit to you.

Here is the inaugural Lanetrain Pre-season College Football iThink

National Top-10

These are who I think are the ten best teams, not who I think have the best schedules to finish in the top-ten like AP Voter Jon Wilner.

1. Ohio State – The Buckeyes return a ton of talent, even accounting for losses to the NFL they have stars along every unit of the defense including studs at linebacker. Their top skill-position guys are back, and there’s that Pryor kid under center.

2. Alabama – Sure, the defending national champs probably deserve the top-spot from the Lanetrain, except for the fact they lost emotional leader LB Rolando McClain from a defense that also has huge losses all over the line. Along with that, Alabama is looking at inexperienced sophomores and freshmen to man the majority of their secondary.

3. Boise State – My temptation was to not go this high for the Broncos, however they do return nearly everybody from a team that squarely beat very talented Oregon and TCU squads last year. Kellen Moore might be the most capable college quarterback we’ve seen in a long time. There’s also this: no coach has been able to overcome a perceived gap in talent like Chris Petersen has.

4. Oklahoma – After an injury riddled career, RB DeMarco Murray is finally healthy and teams with a now-experienced QB Landry Jones and WR Ryan Broyles. Also, the offensive line should know what it’s doing this year.

5. TCU – 16 starters are back, including quarterback Andy Dalton from a team that was very young last year in sweeping the surprisingly strong Mountain West Conference.

6. Florida – Florida A.T. (After Tebow) Aside from saying goodbye to one of the most dominant players in college football history, Florida also lost studs like Joe Haden in the secondary and Aaron Hernandez at TE. Regardless, plenty remains, including RB’s Emmanuel Moody and Jeff Demps in the backfield and Deonte Thompson at receiver to help new QB John Brantley. As always, the defense should be very talented yet again.

7. Oregon – The Ducks may have the best linebacking corps in the Pac-10. They headline a very fast defense that might be the most talented the school has ever fielded. Chip Kelly has the entire offensive line back to help RB LaMichael James, WR Jeff Maehl, all-purpose back Kenjon Barner, and co. Now can that strong OL make new QB Darron Thomas look good?

8. Miami – QB Jacory Harris has tremendous experience after two seasons as the triggerman for the Canes, and there’s now a speedy defense to help out.

9. Wisconsin – Like Oregon, the Badgers went 10-3 last, year, and return nearly everyone from their offense including RB John Clay, the entire offensive line, and QB Scott Tolzien. If the defense can keep up with the offense, watch out.

10. Texas – QB Garrett Gilbert got valuable experience in just the biggest game a college football player can ask to play in. The offensive system will change to more emphasis on the running game, and the secondary is still great even after losing safety Earl Thomas. Along the defensive front, linemen Sam Acho and Kheeston Randall look ready to dominate.

10 More Worthy of Worthiness:

Arkansas, Auburn, Florida State, Georgia Tech, Iowa, Nebraska, Oregon State, Pitt, Stanford, Virginia Tech

Pac-10 Power Rankings

1. Oregon – Returns nearly everyone from last year’s Rose Bowl team, the defense is ready to be dominant, and there’s depth at every position. Questions: how well will Darron Thomas play as the new QB, how will the cornerbacks hold up in a pass-happy Pac-10, and will the kicking game be improved over last year’s mediocre effort?

2. Stanford – Sorry Washington fans, but Andrew Luck is the best quarterback in the Pac-10, and he’s got a dominant offensive line and good receivers to throw to. However, the defense is not great on paper – that’s how much I like Luck. Questions: running back, linebackers, and how well do the coaches install the 3-4 defensive scheme.

3. Oregon State – Arguably the best running back and receiver in the league are RB Jacquizz and his brother WR James Rodgers. Stephen Paea is a beast at defensive tackle, and the corners have plenty of experience. Questions: pass-rush and linebacker, new QB Ryan Katz, depth at receiver.

4. USC – The Trojans will never lack for talent, but the same can’t be said for scholarships unless their appeal of NCAA sanctions is successful (it will fail). Add to that no bowl prospects, offseason transfers, and a new coaching staff that wasn’t hired by the new athletic director, and that’s just too much to overcome to win the Pac-10. Questions: Lane Kiffin’s leadership, running back, defensive end, the secondary.

5. Washington – Jake Locker has no chance of winning the Heisman unless the Husky defense can help the team win more games this year: Washingon lost six of their last nine games last year after they beat USC at home. They do have Chris Polk running the ball, and James Johnson and D’Andre Goodwin are a nice duo at receiver. Questions: defensive line, safety, improvement of the offensive line, and will Sarkisian “unleash” Jake Locker by letting him run more.

6. Arizona – Nic Foles was a revelation at QB last year, and Juron Criner is ready to haul in his passes while Nic Grigsby will run the ball behind a strong offensive line. Like Stanford however, the defense is a point of concern. Questions: tight end, linebacker, safety, new offensive and defensive co-coordinators.

7. California – Kevin Riley has one final year to prove himself, and RB Shane Voreen will help take pressure off the passing game. The defensive line and linebackers have experience (Mike Mohamed led the league in tackles last year). Questions: wide receiver, the maturity of the offensive line, the secondary.

8. Arizona State – Like last year, defense should be a gaian be a strength with DL Lawrence Guy up front and Vontaze Berfict causing havoc at linebacker. Regardless, the offense again is a weakness, starting with a porous offensive line and poor quarterback play. Questions: offensive line, quarterback, running back, new offensive coordinator.

9. UCLA – Rick Neuheisel has recruited well, but injuries have devastated the offensive line this fall, which doesn’t help QB Kevin Prince after he already lost his top receiver last year and didn’t have much of a running game to help. The linebackers and safeties should be good. Questions: running back, QB, offensive line, the new pistol-offense, defensive line.

10. Washington State – The Cougars finished amongst the worst in college football last year in most offensive and defensive statistics. I wouldn’t look for much improvement in the wins/losses columns this year. Questions: depth and talent almost everywhere.

Games This Week That Aren’t Getting The Hype:

From “Intriguing” to “Can’t Miss”

1. Pitt at Utah (Thursday, 8pm EST): Pitt could be very good this year led by Heisman candidate RB Dion Lewis, but traveling to Salt Lake City to open the season on Thursday night against an underrated Utah team isn’t easy by any means. This is the first of two big games in Utah with Heisman contenders, followed by…

2. Washington at BYU (Saturday, 7pm EST): BYU is breaking in a new QB which will open the season as a rotation between junior Riley Nelson and hyped true freshman Jake Heaps, who chose BYU over his hometown Huskies. Meanwhile, Jake Locker’s Heisman hopes could dissolve with a loss and No. 8 Nebraska coming to Seattle next week. Keep in mind, UW hasn’t won an away-game since 2007.

3. Connecticut at Michigan (Saturday, 3pm EST): Randy Edsall’s team is a Big East contender as he leads the Huskies into the Big House, where Rich Rodriguez is under severe scrutiny in his third season. UConn has been a D1A football member since only 2000, and Big East member since 2004; Michigan is the winningest program in D1A history. Look for a possible three-quarterback rotation for the maize and blue, which could cause even more controversy for Rodriguez if the Wolverines can’t win this one.

4. LSU vs. North Carolina (Saturday, 8pm EST): Les Miles won a national championship in 2008, but you wouldn’t know it based on recent ire from LSU fans. Meanwhile, Butch Davis’ Tar Heels have been carrying the weight of on-going NCAA investigations that have opened further this week into possible academic fraud. UNC has received plenty of pre-season hype, but will the NCAA shadow cast distractions and uncertainty on the Heels? Will the Tigers find an offense after two anemic seasons?

5. Oregon State vs. TCU (Saturday, 7:45pm EST): While all the hype surrounds the Boise State/Va. Tech game on Monday, TCU is poised to carry the mantle for ‘BCS-Busters’ if they can get by the Beavers. TCU returns 16 starters, including their QB Casey Pachall, from a team that swept the Mountain West last year and only lost to Boise State in a close Fiesta Bowl. The Beavers have three legitimate first-team All American candidates in WR/special team’s dynamo James Rodgers, his brother and Heisman contending RB Jacquizz, and impressive DT Stephen Paea. OSU tends to start the season slowly, and Quizz Rodgers needs a good start to bolster his Heisman campaign as he and his brother return to their home-state of Texas. If TCU wins they could go undefeated and challenge once more for the national title game.

By: Ryan Lane

NCAA Power Rankings – Week 3

The end of pitiful non-conference games is upon us!

Some of our top 25 teams used this last game to schedule their very first division I college football opponent of the season, while others got one more high-school varsity team on their schedule to ensure themselves a bowl game come the holiday season.  I feel like the first few weeks of every college football season should be a must watch for every high school senior, as nothing more than a learning experience.  Think of all the schools that have come across your ESPN Bottom Line you’ve never heard of before!  Louisiana Lafayette? North Texas? Texas State? South Eastern Louisiana? Charleston Southern? Northwestern State? Think of how many of these would have rung a bell without college football season! Thank you SEC!

But onto this weekends games.  Florida and Texas established themselves as the real deal with big wins over conference rivals Tennessee and Texas Tech.  USC suffered a tough loss to the Huskies up in Seattle, despite the fact that every sports writer in the nation told the Trojans that Washington was going “sneak up” on them.  I don’t understand how USC didn’t see this coming, but maybe it just goes to show how bad their quarterback problem is this season.  There were also three match-ups featuring two ranked teams this weekend, and all three seemed to live up to expectations.  Virginia Tech secured a crucial win to hold-off their second loss of the season in beating Nebraska 16-15, while Cincinnati went into Corvallis and beat the Oregon State Beavers by 10 points.  My biggest mover of the weekend belongs to Miami, who has moved all the way up to tenth in the rankings with their second consecutive victory against a ranked opponent.  The Hurricanes seem to be sneaking up on a lot of people, but seem to be showing that they’re the real deal, with a unique blend of youth and athleticism that has caught everyone off guard.  Florida State and Oregon both moved back into the rankings with bounce-back victories.  Oregon, of course, had beaten a poor Purdue team last week, but in beating Utah seemed to show this season is still salvagable despite the early loss to Boise State.  The Seminoles on the other hand, rebounded from a close call last weekend against Jacksonville State, to destroy a BYU team that seemed to have a BCS bowl locked up with a cupcake schedule the rest of the way.

Dropped: Arizona, Oregon State

By Jeff Spiegel

Scouting The Sports Contributor

The Siedler’s 2009 NFL Power Rankings – Week 1

Welcome back STS football fans. The smell of grid iron and grass is back, the calendar reads September and the autumn wind is blowing in the distance which only means one thing…. IT’S FOOTBALL SEASON!

So far we have witnessed many preseason headlines… Jay Cutler is a Bear, Michael Vick is an Eagle, and of course Brett Favre is a Viking. But more importantly, what have we all learned from Week 1 of the 2009 season? As always that we do not know jack!

We saw a rookie QB looked poise on the road in Houston…

We witnessed the best running back in football tear up the Browns…

We watched as Tom Brady led the Pats into the end zone to pull one out…

We laughed as Jake Delhomme picked up where he left off in the playoffs…

We took in how a head coach can alter the football culture in San Fran…

We were reminded how dominant the Steel Curtain really is…

But most of all, we were just happy to sit back and relax on the couch and watch meaningful NFL football, AMEN. Thus, let us get to what matters on Tuesday…

The Siedler’s 2009 Week 1

Power Rankings

1. Pittsburgh Steelers [ (1-0), (0-0) AFC North]

We will see about a repeat championship… However the defense will repeat as best in the league across the board!

2. Philadelphia Eagles [(1-0), (0-0) NFC East]

The defense played great for their late defensive coordinator Jim Johnson, RIP.

3. New York Giants [(1-0), (1-0) NFC East]

The defensive line is that much better with a fresh and healthy Osi Umenyoria.

4. Minnesota Vikings [(1-0), (0-0) NFC North]

Forget Favre… just hand the ball off to ALL DAY Peterson!

5. New England Patriots [(1-0), (1-0) AFC East]

Brady turned it on late to his credit, but this does not look like a Super Bowl just yet.

6. Indianapolis Colts [(1-0), (1-0) AFC South]

Good start for new head coach Jim Caldwell, despite losing Anthony Gonzalez.

7. New Orleans Saints [(1-0), (0-0) NFC South]

Drew Brees is scary good right now, and makes the Saints an NFC powerhouse team.

8. San Diego Chargers [(1-0), (1-0) AFC West]

Divisional road games are the hardest to win… great clutch game for Rivers.

9. Dallas Cowboys [(1-0), (0-0) NFC East]

No Owens, No Problem! Romo may finally be able to relax and focus on playing solid quarterback.

10. Baltimore Ravens [(1-0), (0-0) AFC North]

Offense looked better than the defense… let me say that again…

11. Tennessee Titans [(0-1), (0-0) AFC South]

Tough loss but the team will be stronger for it going toe to toe with the defending champs.

12. Atlanta Falcons [(1-0), (0-0) NFC South]

13. Green Bay Packers [(1-0), (1-0) NFC North]

14. New York Jets [(1-0), (0-0) AFC East]

15. San Francisco 49ers [(1-0), (1-0) NFC West]

16. Seattle Seahawks [(1-0), (1-0) NFC West]

17. Denver Broncos [(1-0), (0-0) AFC West]

18. Washington Redskins [(0-1), (0-1) NFC East]

19. Buffalo Bills [(0-1), (0-1) AFC East]

20. Jacksonville Jaguars [(0-1), (0-0) AFC South]

21. Arizona Cardinals [(0-1), (0-1) NFC West]

22. Chicago Bears [(0-1), (0-1) NFC North]

23. Miami Dolphins [(0-1), (0-0) AFC East]

24. Tampa Bay Buccaneers [(0-1), (0-0) NFC South]

25. Oakland Raiders [(0-1), (0-1) AFC West]

26. Cincinnati Bengals [(0-1), (0-0) AFC North]

27. Houston Texans [(0-1), (0-0) AFC South]

28. Cleveland Browns [(0-1), (0-0) NFC North]

29. Kansas City Chiefs [(0-1), (0-0) AFC West]

30. Carolina Panthers [(0-1), (0-0) NFC South]

31. Detroit Lions [(0-1), (0-0) NFC North]

32. St. Louis Rams [(0-1), (0-1) NFC West]

By Nathan Einsiedler

Lead NFL Analyst For Scouting The Sports

This is an exclusive ScoutingTheSports.com Article

NCAA Power Rankings – Week 2

Another wild week in college football has come to a close, and five of my top 25 teams suffered losses this past weekend, as we begin to work out the kinks in our rankings.  At this point in the season, so much of the rankings are based on projections rather than actual experience, so I am extremely flexible in my rankings.  That being said, I dropped five teams from my rankings and added two new ones, so here is a quick recap of some key games and movers.

USC had the biggest win of the weekend with a win over Ohio State, a team I still consider overrated, but a big win nonetheless.  LSU defeated SEC sleeper Vanderbilt in typical SEC fashion with a 23-9 victory, making them the fourth of four SEC teams in my top ten.  Oklahoma St. sustained a crushing blow from the newly ranked Houston Cougars.  Oklahoma State rallied from an 18 point halftime deficit to score three unanswered touchdowns, but the Cougars refused to lose in a thrilling come from behind victory behind Heisman darkhorse Case Keenum.  Oklahoma was able to put their fans at ease by scoring 64 on the mighty Bengals of Idaho State, leaving Sooner fans confident their team can weather the storm until Sam Bradford returns from injury.

Dropped from rankings: Florida State, Tennessee, Vanderbilt, North Carolina

By Jeff Spiegel

Scouting The Sports Contributor

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