MMC FBS Top 25 Rankings

Led by Heisman hopeful RB Trent Richardson on offense and LB Courtney Upshaw, CB Dre Kirkpatrick and S Mark Barron, Alabama fields the most talented roster in the nation.  If I had to bet, I’d take the Tide over the Buffalo Bills in a game by a TD, in Buffalo.  Alabama is that talented.

Florida State is on a resurgence in Jimbo Fisher’s second season.  EJ Manuel quarterbacks a very talented roster that features impressive speed across the board.  The Seminoles should walk through the ACC Atlantic and with Miami and North Carolina facing varying levels of uncertainty around their programs, Florida State could find itself in a January bowl if Virginia Tech falters at all.

1.       Alabama: The Tide is simply loaded on both sides of the ball and enters the season as the favourite to get to the championship game.  They can hide any growing pains at QB with such a talented crew.

2.       Florida State: With Miami caught in a scandal and Florida rebuilding, the Seminoles are The Man in the Sunshine State.  Look for a breakout year from Manuel in his first season as a starter.  He has some good weapons around him and a mostly veteran o-line protecting him.  D is stocked.

3.       Nebraska:  Nebraska should dominate in their first year in the Big Ten.  They return talent at all levels of the defence in NFL prospects Jared Crick (DT), Lavonte David (OLB) and Alfonzo Dennard (CB).  Taylor Martinez will improve as a sophomore.

4.       Texas A&M: If the Aggies can handle the high expectations and Ryan Tannehill continues his impressive end to the 2010 season, A&M should be one of the nation’s top teams in 2011. 

5.       Oregon: The Ducks are still dangerous despite having their own scandal to deal with.  QB Derron Thomas is not expected to miss any time and having him and LaMichael James will keep Oregon dangerous.  Could still go to title game.

6.       Boise State: Boise can really turn CFB on its ear if they knock off Georgia in Week 1 in Atlanta.  It would put the rest of the nation on notice and vault QB Kellen Moore to the forefront of the Heisman discussion.

7.       Virginia Tech: Always tough, always competitive, Tech returns four starters along the o-line, two top receivers and will pair Soph QB Logan Thomas with the very talented David Wilson at RB.  Defence could be great if James Gayle breaks out.

8.       Georgia:  Can Aaron Murray follow in Matt Stafford’s shoes?  The Dawg faithful sure hope so and Murray has given no reason to believe otherwise.  Another season like 2010 (24 TD – 8 INT) and Murray will be getting Heisman talk.

9.       Stanford: With Andrew Luck manning things, the sky is the limit for Stanford.  It’s not just Luck that has this team thinking big, RB Stepfon Taylor, WR Chris Owusu, OT Jonathon Martin and LB’s Shayne Skov and Chase Thomas and CB Delano Howell have big things in store.

10.   Oklahoma: I’m not as excited about Oklahoma as the rest of the nation as I think Texas A&M will get them this year in the Big 12 before leaving the conference, but by no means will the Sooners drop off the map.  Not with QB Landry Jones coming into his own.

11.   Notre Dame: A talented roster, the Irish seem cursed when dealing with high expectations.  Will have to start strong against South Florida, a top 25 team this year, Michigan and Michigan State.  Should get by USC but will need some luck to get by Stanford to end the regular season.

12.   Oklahoma State: Always explosive, OSU will give the Big 12 all it can handle this year, part of why I think Oklahoma won’t be as high as expected.  The Sooners have a giant target on their back and the Cowboys and Aggies are lining up their sights on them.

13.   Michigan State: If they can get a win in South Bend in Week 3, they get Ohio State in the final game of their suspensions and get Michigan and Wisconsin at home before having to manage road games in Nebraska and Iowa.

14.   TCU: Major losses mean the Horned Frogs won’t go undefeated again this year but they will still be a major player in the MWC.  They start off with their hands full against Heisman sleeper/longshot Robert Griffin and Baylor and will travel to San Diego State and Boise this year.

15.   South Carolina: SC could end the year much higher if they can get above average production from the wildly inconsistent and frequently suspended Stephen Garcia at QB.  Otherwise, one of the nation’s most talented team.  They just need to put it all together finally.

16.   Iowa: The Hawkeyes were in every game as they lost by no more than 7 points in any of their losses.  No Ricky Stanzi, no problem.  Iowa wins with sophomore RB Marcus Coker and a couple talented pieces on defence.  MLB James Morris is a star-in-waiting.  CB Shaun Prater already is.

17.   Florida: The chances South Carolina can get higher in the standings will have a lot to do with the development of Gators QB Jeff Brantley, who had a rocky year as Tebow’s replacement.  Defence features many freshman and sophomores in key spots.  A lot must go right for Florida.

18.   Wisconsin: The Badgers lost a ton of talent including QB Scott Tolzien, the Unitas Award winner.  Wisconsin goes back to their Badger ways behind Montee Ball and James White toting the rock.  D returns six starters and guys stepping in have experience.

19.   West Virginia: The heck ever happened to the Big East?  WVU will rock their conference behind QB Geno Smith and offensive guru Dana Holgorsen.  Smith has a couple talented receivers to toss to and a vet o-line.  Bruce Irvin must repeat his 2010 performance as a starter (14 sacks).

20.   Arkansas: No Mallett, no problem.  The big guys gone but the weapons that helped Mallett and the Razorbacks win 10 games last year are back.  Greg Childs is coming back from knee surgery and will team with Joe Adams and Jarius Wright.  Knile Davis no slouch at RB either.

21.   Mississippi State: A chic pick as the Bulldogs return 15 starters including QB Chris Relf and a talented receiving corps.  Should build on last year’s successful season and be a steady bowl team for a few more years.  Dan Mullen has done a great job here.

22.   Missouri: 10 wins will be a monumental achievement but James Franklin and Tyler Gabbert have star potential at QB, especially with the quality and quantity of talent around them. 

23.   Ohio State: Ohio State could find some consistency in the passing game with senior Joe Bauserman taking over at QB.  Defence may need to carry things for a while but won’t be truly dominant until next year. 

24.   Air Force: AF will have an improved aerial attack this year and will run the ball down everyone’s throat as usual.  They’ll give Boise State and Notre Dame a tough day and beat TCU, enough to get to 10 wins and reach a much better bowl.

25.   Miami (Fla): Not sure what to think with these guys.  Would have put them higher because this is the most talented Hurricanes squad in a couple years but all of their best players, including QB Jacory Harris and LB Sean Spence, have other problems on their minds right now.

Top 10 Draft Eligible by Position: Defence

* indicates eligible underclassman

Defensive End:

1.       Quinton Coples (North Carolina)

2.       Jared Crick (Nebraska)

3.       Billy Winn (Boise State)

4.       Andre Branch (Clemson)

5.       Alex Okafor (Texas)*

6.       Brad Madison (Missouri)*

7.       Vinny Curry (Marshall)

8.       Jake Bequette (Arkansas)

9.       Devin Taylor (South Carolina)

10.   Jacquies Smith (Missouri)

Defensive Tackle:

1.       Alameda Ta’amu (Washington)

2.       Jerel Worthy (Michigan State)*

3.       Kheeston Randall (Texas)

4.       Josh Chapman (Alabama)

5.       Kawaan Short (Purdue)*

6.       Renard Williams (Eastern Washington)

7.       Mike Daniels (Iowa)

8.       Brandon Thompson (Clemson)

9.       Devon Still (Penn State)

10.   Dontari Poe (Memphis)*

Inside LB:

1.       Manti Te`o (Notre Dame)*

2.       Courtney Upshaw (Alabama)

3.       Vontaze Burfict (Arizona State)*

4.       Dont`a Hightower (Alabama)*

5.       Luke Kuechly (Boston College)*

6.       Etienne Sabino (Ohio State)*

7.       James-Michael Johnson (Nevada)

8.       Chris Galippo (USC)

9.       Mychal Kendricks (Cal)

10.   Max Gruder (Pittsburgh)

Outside LB:

1.       Zach Brown (North Carolina)

2.       Jonathon Massaquoi  (Troy)*

3.       Bruce Irvin (West Virginia)

4.       Brandon Lindsey (Pittsburgh)

5.       Tyler Nielson (Nebraska)

6.       Brandon Jenkins (Florida State)*

7.       Nico Johnson (Alabama)*

8.       Tank Carder (TCU)

9.       Donte Paige-Moss (North Carolina)*

10.   Ronnell Lewis (Oklahoma)

Cornerback:

1.       Dre Kirkpatrick (Alabama)*

2.       Chase Minnifield (Virginia)

3.       Stephon Gilmore (South Carolina)*

4.       Josh Robinson (Central Florida)*

5.       Janoris Jenkins (North Alabama)

6.       Morris Claiborne (LSU)*

7.       Alfonzo Dennard (Nebraska)

8.       Cliff Harris (Oregon)*

9.       Brandon Boykin (Georgia)

10.   Donnie Fletcher (Boston College)*

Free Safety:

1.       Robert Lester (Alabama)*

2.       Markelle Martin (Oklahoma State)

3.       Trenton Robinson (Michigan State)

4.       TJ McDonald (USC)*

5.       Vaughn Telemaque (Miami)*

Strong Safety:

1.       Ray Ray Armstrong (Miami)*

2.       Tony Dye (UCLA)

3.       Harrison Smith (Notre Dame)

4.       Mark Barron (Alabama)

5.       Matt Daniels (Duke)

Punter:

1.       Brad Nortman (Wisconsin)

2.       Drew Butler (Georgia)

3.       Jackson Rice (Oregon)*

4.       Bryan Anger (Cal)

5.       Tim Edger (Rhode Island)

2012 Mock Draft

                The start of the 2011 CFB season is just a week away!  Are you ready for some football?!?  Stanford passer Andrew Luck is the front runner for the top pick and unless he falls completely flat on his face or a crazy ass fan from UCLA or USC kneecaps him after a game or something he should stay that way.  Circle October 29 draftniks, that’s when the two top quarterbacks in college square off, Luck and USC’s Matt Barkley.  If Barkley wins and plays better than Luck we could have an interesting race at the top of the 2012 draft.  Let’s jump into some picks...

#1- Buffalo: Andrew Luck, QB, Stanford*

This should be pretty simple for Nix and Gailey, they can’t mess it up, right?  Maybe they go with Quinton Coples to pair with Marcel Dareus for a formidable d-line.  But they couldn’t possibly pass on Luck, could they?  If Fitzpatrick puts up 30 TD and looks franchise-ish, maybe, but if not Luck is the guy.

#2- San Francisco: Matt Barkley, QB, USC*

It’ll be time to start over unless Harbaugh really can work magic with Alex Smith.  That’s doubtful.  Which means they will likely be picking top 5 and in good position to nab a QB.  They can’t go wrong with either Luck or Barkley and should just be happy to move on from Smith. 

#3- Carolina: Justin Blackmon, WR, Oklahoma State*

With Cam Newton in the fold, the Panthers look to give him a new target with Steve Smith nearing the end.  Newton is in for some major lumps this year and the Panthers will be just as bad as last year.  Adding Blackmon gives the Panthers a pair to grow with.

#4- Cleveland: Quinton Coples, DE, North Carolina

Cleveland should be pleased to see the draft’s top defender still available.  They drafted d-line with their first two picks last year and should target the front seven once again.  Browns DE have combined for a total of 18 career sacks, 11 from Marcus Bernard.

#5- Denver: Jonathon Martin, OT, Stanford*

Says a lot about how far the Stanford program has risen in recent years as Luck and Martin could both be top 5 picks.  Martin runs 6-6 305lbs with the frame to add 10-12lbs.  Looks like a prototype LT and should establish himself quickly along the Broncos’ front line.

#6- Seattle: Dre Kirkpatrick, CB, Alabama*

Kirkpatrick is right on par with Patrick Peterson and Joe Haden as elite corners who go top 10.  Kirkpatrick is still developing his ball skills but has all of the athletic talent you could want in a cover guy.  The 4.3 speed, the 6-3 height, long arms, great hops, Fitzpatrick is the top defensive back available.

#7- Tennessee: Jerel Worthy, DT, Michigan State*

The Titans are in for a down year (http://mondaymorningcanuck.blogspot.com/2011/08/trade-cj-now.html) and need to put some focus on their lines.  Derrick Morgan could be a stud at DE, but after that they’re just average up front and Morgan is coming off an ACL tear.

#8- Oakland: Landry Jones, QB, Oklahoma*

Jason Campbell is not the answer and neither is Terrelle Pryor.  The Raiders are poised for a big step back from last year but a big step forward in 2012... with Jones at the helm.  Has a good blend of size, running ability and arm strength.

#9- Cincinnati: Alshon Jeffrey, WR, South Carolina*

Bengals go with BPA and here that should be Jeffrey, a huge athlete who should test much better than one would expect from someone 6-4 230lbs.  Jeffrey caught 88 passes for 1,517 yards last year despite working with Stephen Garcia.  Imagine if he had a consistent QB?  Yikes.

#10- Washington: Courtney Upshaw, ILB, Alabama

Another Bama defender with serious pro potential.  Running 6-2 and around 260lbs, Upshaw is a force and could get a year as a backup behind London Fletcher and Rocky McIntosh before taking over for Fletcher in 2013.

#11- Detroit: Manti Te’o, ILB, Notre Dame*

The 2012 crop of ILB features 5 guys with first round potential and they could go off the board in any order.  Te'o may not necessarily be the best of the bunch but he seems the best fit for the Lions.  Of the five, he has the best combination of size, speed, athleticism and smarts.

#12- Miami: Brandon Weeden, QB, Oklahoma State

Weeden has one of the best arms in college right now as a former pitcher in the Yankees and Dodgers systems.  He’s brought his fast ball from the diamond to the gridiron, putting up sick numbers as a junior (34 TD and 4,277 yards), his first year as a starter.  Still very raw and likely will require some time.

Vote Now!

Who is your Super Bowl pick?  Can Green Bay or Pittsburgh get back to the big game?  Will the Pats win a play-off game?  Is this the year the Jets get over the hump?  Or is it someone else?

Vote now on our inaugural poll. 

If you pick other, tell us who and why!

Top 10 Draft Eligible by Position: Offense

* indicates underclassman

Quarterback:

1.       Andrew Luck (Stanford)*

2.       Matt Barkley (USC)*

3.       Landry Jones (Oklahoma)*

4.       Brandon Weeden (Oklahoma State)

5.       EJ Manuel (Florida State)*

6.       Kirk Cousins (Michigan State)

7.       Chandler Harnish (Northern Illinois)

8.       Jeff Tuehl (Washington State)*

9.       Nick Foles (Arizona)

10.   Brock Osweiler (Arizona State)*

Runningback:

1.       Trent Richardson (Alabama)*

2.       Johnathon Franklin (UCLA)*

3.       David Wilson (Virginia Tech)*

4.       Ed Wesley (TCU)*

5.       Andre Ellington (Clemson)*

6.       Montel Harris (Boston College)

7.       Chris Polk (Washington)*

8.       LaMichael James (Oregon)*

9.       Cyrus Grey (Texas A&M)

10.   Doug Martin (Boise State)

Fullback:

1.       Evan Rodriguez (Temple)

2.       Zach Boren (Ohio State)*

3.       Devon Ramsey (North Carolina)

4.       Jermaine Robertson (Arkansas State)

5.       Cody Johnson (Texas)

Wide Receiver:

1.       Justin Blackmon (Oklahoma State)*

2.       Alshon Jeffrey (South Carolina)*

3.       Jeff Fuller (Texas A&M)

4.       Michael Floyd (Notre Dame)

5.       Mohamed Sanu (Rutgers)*

6.       Jermaine Kearse (Washington)

7.       Duron Carter (Alabama)*

8.       Nick Toon (Wisconsin)

9.       Greg Childs (Arkansas)

10.   Denard Robinson (Michigan)*

Tight End:

1.       Orson Charles (Georgia)*

2.       Ladarius Green (Louisiana-Lafayette)

3.       Michael Egnew (Missouri)

4.       Rhett Ellison (USC)

5.       Kavario Middleton (Montana)

6.       Michael Williams (Alabama)*

7.       Kevin Koger (Michigan)

8.       Coby Fleener (Standford)

9.       Philip Lutzenkirchen (Auburn)*

10.   Brian Linthicum (Michigan State)

Tackle:

1.       Jonathon Martin (Stanford)*

2.       Andrew Gatko (Florida State)

3.       Riley Reiff (Iowa)*

4.       Matt Kalil (USC)*

5.       Matt Reynolds (BYU)

6.       Levy Adcock (Oklahoma State)

7.       Marcel Jones (Nebraska)

8.       Mike Adams (Ohio State)

9.       Xavier Nixon (Florida)*

10.   Brandon Mosley (Auburn)

Guard:

1.       Kelechi Osemele (Iowa State)

2.       Cordy Glenn (Georgia)

3.       Amini Silatolu (Midwestern State)

4.       Kevin Zeitler (Wisconsin)

5.       Brandon Washington (Miami)*

6.       Lucas Nix (Pittsburgh)

7.       Rokevious Watkins (South Carolina)

8.       David DeCastro (Stanford)*

9.       Michael Philippe (Oregon State)*

10.   Senio Kelemete (Washington)

Center:

1.       Mike Brewster (Ohio State)

2.       Peter Konz (Wisconsin)*

3.       Philip Blake (Baylor)

4.       Graham Pocic (Illinois)*

5.       Ben Jones (Georgia)

6.       William Vlachos (Alabama)

7.       Moe Petrus (Connecticut)

8.       Khaled Holmes (USC)*

9.       P.J. Lonergan (LSU)*

10.   Quinton Saulsberry (Mississippi State)

Kicker:

1.       Don Conroy (Michigan State)*

2.       David Ruffer (Notre Dame)

3.       Abel Perez (San Diego State)

4.       Blair Walsh (Georgia)

5.       Philip Welch (Wisconsin)

Trade CJ Now!

                The Tennessee Titans will not be very good this year, with or without Chris Johnson.  They feel like a team in between, not quite a play-off team but not quite ready for a wrecking ball either, average, mediocre, falsely hopeful of success they are not good enough to grasp.

                They have some good, young, developing talent.  Jake Locker is, right or wrong, the long-term solution at QB.  He’ll come along slowly this year thanks to the presence of veteran Matt Hasselbeck.  Jared Cook has all the attributes of a big play TE, if his brain ever matches his brawn.  Kenny Britt is similar, great athlete, potential star, crazy person.  Last year’s first round pick, Derrick Morgan, returns from a torn ACL and has the potential to be a difference maker as a pass rusher.  At LB the Titans boost some impressive talent in Gerald McRath (another crazy person, no wonder Jeff Fisher left), and rookies Akeem Ayers and Colin McCarthy.  They have to solid CB’s in Alterraun Verner and Jason McCourty.  Neither may be #1 material but both should enjoy solid careers at least as the #2 and #3 corners.  Safety Michael Griffin is still young enough (26) to be a long-term fixture in the Titans secondary.  Rob Bironas is 33 but still one of the league’s most accurate kickers.

                On the flip side, the Titans have Matt Hasselbeck and Jake Locker under center.  Hasselbeck is a quality vet but hasn’t been a good QB in like 3 years.  Locker is soooo overrated.  Cook and Britt could be really great, the most explosive duo in recent Titans history.  Or they could be idiots, as Britt has been during the lockout/pissing match.  The o-line is average, at best, the d-line not much better.  It would be shocking to see any Titan post 10 sacks and the guy who has made juice from spit for years is gone as Jim Washburn left for Philly.  After their young trio, the Titans are not very talented at LB and while Barrett Ruud is a decent player on a great contract, he proved in Tampa that he couldn’t be the main guy.  Cortland Finnegan is just not Cortland Finnegan anymore or at least hasn’t been.  Griffin is incredibly gifted but incredibly inconsistent and fellow backender Chris Hope is 33 years old and has lost a step. 

                This is a 6-10 team with Johnson and a 6-10 team without him.  They don’t need to pay Chris Johnson $13 million to win 6 games.  Yes, CJ is only 25 years old.  A sharp decline or sudden loss of speed is not expected.  He’s a star and Tennessee needs star players.  But if they’re not better with him then they can do without him during a transition year.

RB is replaceable: An undrafted free agent making around $450,000 led the league in rushing.  The Browns got 11 TD from a 6^th round afterthought.  The Titans probably won’t replace Johnson’s production with what they have and it’s way too late in the game to get anything else of note.  But, that shouldn’t be a huge concern this year.  If the Titans get just average production from their backfield and average play from Hasselbeck and Locker, they can win 6 games just as easily without Johnson as they would with him.  Keeping Johnson does not make them a play-off team.

The short haul: The return from a trade for CJ should be pretty substantial.  Like 2 first-round picks substantial.  Two first round picks, another late pick or two, maybe a player in there, that’s a heck of a haul for the Titans.  Too much?  How about a 1^st and 2 seconds’ as a start?  Has there been a better player up for auction in the last 10 years than an in-his-prime Chris Johnson?  He’ll bring a big return.    They think they have their QB so with the extra picks they can start revamping the front five on offense and look for a pass rusher on defence, two things they need more than Chris Johnson and his big contract.

The long haul: The Titans have some major work to do.  They have some young (and immature) pieces on offense.  The defence is void of proven impact players but has that aforementioned young talent.  Unless this team gets significantly better in the next couple years, they could potentially waste Johnson’s best years.  Maybe Locker is the guy.  Maybe Britt gets his head straight and maybe Cook puts it all together.  They could be explosive throwing the ball.  In 3-4 years the defence could be very, very good.  But right now it’s too young and needs more at some key positions first.  They’re not ready to contend.  CJ will be most valuable to the team as a trade chip, a highly lucrative chip that could set the team up for greater success.

He’s a bit of a dink: He’s not a troublemaker and never had a problem with the law.  He doesn’t make really outlandish statements or demand attention.  He’s probably not a bad teammate.  But management must get heartburn thinking about him and these contract negotiations.  This is the second year in a row the Titans have had to deal with CJ drama and the only way to please him is to pay him.  Just trade him and let someone else deal with paying him. 

2011 Predictions

NFC

NFC East: NY Giants (11-5), Philadelphia (11-5), Dallas (9-7), Washington (5-11)

NFC North: Green Bay (13-3), Chicago (10-6), Minnesota (7-9), Detroit (5-11)

NFC South: New Orleans (10-6), Atlanta (10-6), Tampa Bay (8-8), Carolina (3-13)

NFC West: Arizona (9-7), St. Louis (8-8), Seattle (4-12), San Francisco (3-13)

Wildcard Round: Philadelphia over Arizona; New Orleans over Atlanta

Division Round: Philadelphia over NY Giants; New Orleans over Green Bay

Conference Champ: New Orleans over Philadelphia

AFC

AFC East: NY Jets (12-4), New England (10-6), Miami (6-10), Buffalo (1-15)

AFC North: Pittsburgh (14-2), Baltimore (11-5), Cincinnati (4-12), Cleveland (3-13)

AFC South: Houston (10-6), Indianapolis (10-6), Jacksonville (6-10), Tennessee (4-12)

AFC West: San Diego (10-6), Kansas City (6-10), Oakland (4-12), Denver (4-12)

Wildcard Round: New England over Houston; San Diego over Baltimore

Division Round: NY Jets over San Diego; Pittsburgh over New England

Conference Champ: NY Jets over Pittsburgh

Super Bowl

New Orleans over New York Jets

MVP: Aaron Rodgers, QB, Green Bay

OPOY: Jamaal Charles, RB, Kansas City
DPOY: Lawrence Timmons, LB, Pittsburgh
OROY: Daniel Thomas, RB, Miami
DROY: Patrick Peterson, CB, Arizona

Coach: Mike Tomlin, Pittsburgh