1. Maryland’s Uniforms Were Awful:

I don’t know how you sugar coat this, those Maryland uniforms were just atrocious, and I’m guessing that at least one person lost their job over them. Come on, I know the new age uniforms are the fad, but that was a big time ‘swing and miss’. You are trying to identify yourself as a major college program, so maybe wearing uniforms that neither the UFL or XFL would have accepted is probably not a good idea. The sad thing is they might even have worse uniforms yet to be unveiled this season.  They need a better fashion designer, and fast!

2. Doing A Trick Shot Video Can Help Your Career:

UConn’s Johnny McEntee most famously known for his trick shot video went from being a 3rd string afterthought to UConn’s starting quarterback. While he is not locked into the job, he had a solid first game against Fordham going 8-12 and 113 yards. Due to McEntee’s fame though he is a UConn crowd favorite, even above more highly recruited (McEntee was a walk-on) quarterbacks.

3. Notre Dame, USC, and Auburn Are Overrated:

Look I know the weather wasn’t favorable to Notre Dame, but they lost to a team that is only getting even moderate consideration in their own conference. Overall South Florida is a good team (and the best team that these three ‘power houses’ faced), but Notre Dame had high expectations and was at home. They just got outplayed by the Bulls and with their next three games against Michigan, Michigan State and Pitt, the Irish could be in big trouble.

Yes USC won their game, but it wasn’t pretty. Minnesota was well in position to win that game and had they not had missed/blocked field goals earlier in the game they would have. What makes it even worse is that USC almost lost despite playing against a QB who had thrown for less than a 100 career yards, knocking that guy out and facing a true freshman quarterback, Max Shortell. Shortell was a two star recruit, essentially saying that he is about half as good as USC’s 4th quarterback, yet he almost led the Golden Gophers to victory on the road. The Trojans were unable to run the ball, and their offensive line gave up a fair amount of pressure. Although Matt Barkley had a good game of 300+ yards and 3 touchdowns, it was really the Robert Woods show. Woods made a number of impressive catches that saved Barkley and USC, and without him that game is in the L column for the Trojans.

The National Champions performance might have been the worst of all. They needed a miracle 4th quarter comeback to beat Utah State, at home. That is just unacceptable. Not only is Utah State not one of the major schools from a non-AQ conference, they aren’t even a mediocre one. This team won just 4 games last season, and had to replace many of their top players. Yes Auburn had to replace a number of key players from their Championship team, but they still returned a good bit, and the ones they replaced were replaced by 4 and 5 star recruits. That should have been a cakewalk game at home, but instead it nearly killed their entire bowl picture. The defense especially was pretty awful, and won’t come close to surviving once the better competition comes to town.

4. The Weather Caused Plenty Of Problems:

I know for safety sake it was the right call, but these 3 hour delays and games that only went three quarters is not good for college football. It really shows a lack of importance of the game. I know teams like Michigan and WVU had their games well in hand, but it wouldn’t have been the first time that there was a ridiculous 4th quarter comeback by some team. What is the cutoff of how many points you are down for this ‘slaughter rule’ to be in effect? That’s my question. Also, I wonder, how inferior of  the competition/weakness of the school do you need to call the game. If similar weather conditions plague the Ohio State vs Miami game next week, but one team is up by 30+ points with a quarter or more to go will they call it?

5. Congrats to Oregon, Georgia and TCU:

I know these three ranked teams lost, but they all get props for losing to quality opponents. Even TCU, who faced an underrated Baylor team on the road. I know Baylor wasn’t ‘ranked’ but they should have been and they were far more of a challenge than Minnesota or Utah State. Oregon and Georgia both lost to National Title contenders, and while both schools suffered a blow, they could still get to the promised land by winning their conference. All three schools rolled the dice in week one and that is impressive.

6. Why Do We Have Preseason Rankings?

Actually the real question is why do these rankings matter? Until we get to about week 4 or 5 these rankings are meaningless. These rankings right now are inflated right now based on a schools prestige, how they finished last year, and their recent recruiting rankings. Voters couldn’t leave Auburn outside the top 25 in the AP poll, yet they looked pretty awful. Sure they have some potential and I think they will have a winning season, but right now who can say this is a top 25 team? If they faced anybody but a cupcake on Saturday, they would have lost. They might slide down a spot, but will probably stay in the Top 25, when in reality they shouldn’t be in the top 50. Also, in a week or two whenever they get beat, some team will get credit for beating a ‘top 25 team’. A team like Georgia might end up ranked below Auburn and even USC, just because Georgia lost to a great team, while they only squeaked by awful teams. Oregon went to a ‘neutral’ site game and lost to another top 5 team. I mean that was essentially a BCS Bowl game right there. Maybe they should get knocked down a few spots, but if they fall more than two something is wrong. These rankings should be eliminated until after we get a couple looks at each team to see what is what.

I found this today as I was cruising around the web today checking out top stories when I saw this football trick shot video (Hat tip to National Football Post). Redshirt Junior quarterback Johnny McEntee. McEntee has yet to really see the field for the Huskies, but I’d consider this video to be a great first salvo for his campaign to be the Huskies new starter. Even if he never makes it as UConn’s QB, this video is impressive, and quite fun to watch.  I hope the camera man didn’t use film school techniques to make it look like he was actually making all these shots. Enjoy!

1. Florida State:

Doesn’t have the biggest names, but the depth of of this class is unreal. The Seminoles also got top players in key positions which is a huge bonus.

2. Georgia:

The Bulldogs landed the top running back in the nation and one of the top defensive linemen. Around them they added a number of other top recruits at key positions. I see a bright future with this class, and think they have a good balance of 1st year and developmental talent.

3. Texas:

The Longhorns were thought to be one team that could challenge for the top spot, but lack the number of overall scholarships this year, keep them from the top. Next to Florida St. no school has as many elite players as Texas, but could use a little better depth. Great job by Texas who lost a number of their assistant coaches to keep together a great recruiting class.

4. Auburn:

The Tigers would probably be higher if the top offensive tackle in the nation (Cyrus Kouandjio), formally declares (earlier he announced for Auburn, but hasn’t signed his letter of intent. Outside of that the Tigers have put together a fantastic class, including a 4 quality offensive linemen (would be 5 with Kouandjio).

5. Alabama:

The Crimson Tide put together a very good class, but they have the best chance to move up these rankings. They are likely on the short list of the two best players who remain unsigned, DE Jadeveon Clowney and OT Cyrus Kouandjio. If the Tide land either one of these players it will give them a truely elite prospect, if somehow they manage to land both, they could supplant FSU as the top class (I don’t see that happening).

6. Ohio State:

The Buckeyes put together a very strong balanced class, with a focus on defense, but also a good young quarterback and receiver that can help stem the tide from the upcoming suspensions. Great job by Jim Tressel who really dominated the state of Ohio.

7. Clemson:

I’m very bullish on Clemson’s class, but I just love how they closed with landing two stud LB’s (Steward and Anthony), as well as 3 top receivers and a very good running back. It’s not a perfect class, but I love the potential. The Tigers are also still in the mix for Clowney that could bump their rankings even higher.

8. Florida:

The Gators don’t have the numbers as they look to hold on to some scholarships, but they did land some talent. Anytime you have the top quarterback in the nation, that is a pretty good start to a recruiting class. You got to like the Gators future and considering they did endure a late coaching change, it’s pretty impressive they put together this type of class.

9. USC:

The Trojans are likely to lose one of their top recruits in RB Deanthony Smith, but still put together a deep class. I like what they did along the defensive line, but if they lose out on Smith I can’t put them higher than 9th. I also thought the Trojans needed to add more talent along the offensive line with Smith declaring for the draft and Henderson transferring. It is a good class, but I have some questions about just how much impact they will have.

10. Notre Dame:

The Fighting Irish went out and decided to put the ‘Fight’ back into their defense. This was a huge defensive recruiting class with a number of front 7 players. The Irish also landed a top OT, WR, TE and an a quarterback who could project at WR as well. I love the general balance, but also the recognition that building up front is most important.

11.LSU

12. Tennessee

13. North Carolina

14. Oregon

15. Oklahoma

16. Virginia

17. Nebraska

18. California

19. Arkansas

20. South Carolina

21. Stanford

22. Washington

23. Mississippi

24. Oklahoma State

25. Iowa

Clemson Lands A Stud In Steward: Top inside linebacker recruit Tony Steward made the biggest surprise announcement today when he choose Clemson over his home state FSU Seminoles. Stewart had long been tied to FSU, as he was considered the icing on the cake of their impressive class, (not to mention the instate factor). In the past week though Clemson has been moving up the rumor mill (with UCLA close behind) for Steward’s services. Steward should get early playing time in Clemson, and has all the makings of an elite linebacker.

Volunteers Land Two; LB Maggitt and OT Richardson: Both players are 4-star recruits and big names for the Volunteer program. Richardson is an instate product and one of the top targets for Tennessee. By his 2nd year he projects as a starting left tackle, and he has big time potential. Landing Richardson reaffirms just how much the Volunteers have locked up the talent in the state of Tennessee, including the top three offensive linemen in the state. Maggitt was a defensive end in high school, but he projects to stand up at Tennessee. He’ll need to bulk up some, some training from a professional sports trainer should fix that issue.  He is likely to not be much of a factor this season, but he has an extremely bright future. He is insanely fast rushing off the edge and should be a real disruptive force on that Tennessee defense for years to come.

Lafayette Pitts Chooses Pitt: Defensive back Lafayette Pitts, had been a strong Panther recruit until the Dave Wannstedt/ Mike Haywood debacle earlier this season. In January he gave a verbal commitment to Rutgers (which had become a home of a couple former Pitt coaches), but was never out of the Panthers sites. With new coach Todd Graham and his staff in place they have gone about trying to rebuild a depleted recruiting class and kept Pitts as one of their top targets. They got a verbal commitment from his cousin Jevonte this past week and were going to put on a full court press to keep the local product at Pittsburgh. Their work paid off this morning as Pitts made it official that he would be a Panther. He is a big addition to the Panthers class, that very well could end up almost as good as what it was before all the coaching issues this season.

UVA Lands WR Jennings: The Virginia Cavaliers landed one of their top targets today as they signed Maryland product WR Darius Jennings. Jennings who was recruited at other schools as a quarterback, running back, and corner back, is a big addition to their class. He might not start right away, but if they do go use him as a freshman he can be a significant contributor early on.

Where Will Tate Forcier End Up?: Former Michigan quarterback, Tate Forcier is finalizing his transfer options, but his choices seem to be all over the place. He has a mix of Division I schools as well as a few I-AA choices. While most of Forcier’s Division I choices are second tier schools, (New Mexico, San Diego State, Middle Tennessee), he does have Miami and Washington on his list. He has about zero chance of ever starting at either one of those schools, and might not even be the third string quarterback at Miami. If Forcier goes to any Division I school he will have to redshirt for a year, making the I-AA options a bit more appealing. While a Montana might not be on the same level as a Michigan or a Miami, it basically is on the same level as a New Mexico or San Diego State. And if you can get a pretty solid guarantee at the starting job and you don’t have to sit out a year, that makes a lot of sense for Forcier. Regardless this has been a long road for Forcier, from Michigan’s starter two years ago to now almost an after thought. I would recommend that Forcier not sit out a year and rededicate himself to football. Forcier can’t afford to become irrelevant. And the best way to do that is to start next season.

Paea Suffers A Big Injury At The Senior Bowl: Defensive tackle Stephen Paea suffered a damaged lateral meniscus in his right knee during his first practice on Monday at the Senior Bowl.  Those of you who have been to sports medicine school know the severity of the injury.  Paea will have surgery to repair the damage, but it could have serious implications for his draft stock. The recovery time for this type of surgery is at least 5 weeks, which means it is almost a given that he can’t workout at the Combine next month. And he also likely won’t be up to full strength for an individual workout as well. Paea is ranked as a 1st round defensive tackle right now, but could slide into the 2nd round or later depending on how he heals. Even if he is 100% for a workout in April, missing out on the Senior Bowl and Combine will be hard to overcome.