Yankee Bowl?: The New York Yankees announced the formation of the “Yankee Bowl” yesterday. Which will pit the 4th place finisher of the Big East against the 7th place team in the Big 12, or potentially Notre Dame if they don’t have a better bowl offer. The game will be played at Yankee Stadium starting in Dec. 2010. If approved by the NCAA (which lets be honest isn’t going to turn down the New York market or the Yankees) the “_____” Yankee Bowl (can’t wait to see who will be the corporate sponsor here), will represent the 35 post season bowl game in college football. I love the idea for two main reasons. One it brings to mind the nostalgia of a time when football and baseball shared stadiums, and it will be interesting to see how they reconfigure Yankee Stadium for the game. The other reason I like the idea, is I’m in the group of people that don’t mind all the bowl games in December/January. Look I want to see the BCS scrapped and replaced with a playoff system as much as the next guy, but that doesn’t mean you have to get rid of all the various bowls to do it. Its a topic for a longer post, but taking the top 8, 12, or 16 teams and separating them out in a playoff to determine the National Champion, should have no impact on all the other bowl games out there. Already these bowl games have no impact on the National Championship and are for league and team pride, which I see nothing wrong with. We still have the NIT and other postseason basketball tournaments that have no impact on the NCAA tournament. I like having a number of bowl games to watch around the holidays, why because I enjoy watching football. Also these bowl games are crucial to a number of programs survival. Plenty of teams really don’t have National Title hopes, but they do have a chance to get a moderate bowl, and that money allows them to recruit better, build a program, and maybe one day be an elite program.

Injuries piling up: Baylor sophomore QB Robert Griffin is now out for the year with a knee injury. Griffin is a dual-threat quarterback that made the Bears a team with upset potential against the big boys in the Big-12. Senior cornerback Walter Thurmond will miss the rest of Oregon’s season with a knee injury as well. Thurmond was the Ducks best defensive player, and one of the best defensive backs in the nation. He was a dangerous return man as well, already returning one punt this season for a touchdown. The Ducks will need some help in the defensive backfield with Washington and USC coming up on the schedule. Speaking of USC their freshman defensive end (sack machine) Nick Perry, who leads the Pac-10 in sacks will likely miss Saturday’s game against the California Golden Bears. Its a huge game for USC on Saturday, if Perry can’t go they will need to find someone else to generate pressure in the Golden Bears backfield. USC’s senior running back Stafon Johnson is communicating after surgery yesterday to repair this throat after a serious weightlifting accident on Monday. Johnson’s playing days at USC are done, but the fact that he is alive and well, and should make a full recovery after the injury that he had, is a great blessing for him, his family and all of USC football.

Heisman Quarterbacks, Coming Back: The last two Heisman winners, Tim Tebow and Sam Bradford should be making their return to the gridiron soon enough. Bradford who has been out since week one, could play in this week’s match up against Miami. He will almost assuredly be back the following week when the Sooners begin their conference schedule against Baylor. Personally I’d give the redshirt freshman Landry Jones a chance to see what he can do against Miami, and have Bradford there in case things go sour quickly. Don’t rush your star QB back when you still have your whole season ahead of you. As for Tebow, he won’t miss any games since Florida is off this week. But it sounds like it was a pretty serious concussion if he is still dealing with headaches and prohibited from watching game film. The Gators face a major challenge in two weeks against LSU, and will need Tebow at 100% to stay undefeated.

1. Indianapolis Colts- I don’t know if anyone can stop Peyton Manning right now. He is playing on a different level than anyone else.

2. Baltimore Ravens- Teams are moving the ball on the Ravens defense, but Baltimore’s offense is playing like one of the elite units in the league this year.

3. New York Giants- The Giants have already taken a two game lead in the division. If they weren’t so banged up with injuries they would be ranked #2.

4. New Orleans Saints- Drew Brees and the Saints are on fire on offense. So far their defense has held up, but they’ve only really be challenged once so far.

5. New York Jets- Mark Sanchez has played like a veteran so far, not like the 5th overall pick. The Jets defense has been unrelenting so far, and is among the top 5 in the league.

6. Minnesota Vikings- Favre still has some magic of old. Combine that with Peterson and a tough defense, and the Vikings are a legit contender.

7. New England Patriots- The Pats have played two bad games, but they looked good Sunday against Atl. If Brady and the Pats are back they will be dangerous for the rest of the season.

8. Cincinnati Bengals- The Bengals are one freak play away from being 3-0, Cincinnati and Palmer could be back in the playoff hunt this year.

9. Philadelphia Eagles- The Eagles have beaten up on a pair of weak teams, and lost to one contender. I wouldn’t be as concerned except I don’t know how long McNabb will be out/ineffective.

10. Atlanta Falcons- The Falcons had a chance to prove they were an elite team Sunday, but they couldn’t keep up with the Pats. They need to play more fundamental football to prove they are a true contender.

11. Green Bay Packers- The Packers offense looks to be back this year, but they can’t afford to get beat like they did by the Bengals two weeks ago again.

12. Denver Broncos- The Broncos may be 3-0, but they beat the Bengals on a lucky play and then beat up on the hapless Raiders and Browns. Not sure if their talent matches their record.

13. San Diego Chargers- They squeaked by Oakland, then split a pair of home games with the Ravens and Dolphins. Until LT and the ground game come back I think the Chargers are in trouble. Also Merriman is banged up as well, leaving some questions on defense.

14. Dallas Cowboys- The Cowboys haven’t really looked to comfortable at home these last two weeks (never a good sign), and the injuries in the backfield are piling up.

15. Chicago Bears- The Bears had an impressive win against the Steelers, but I don’t know if Cutler is going to lead this team to the playoffs.

16. Pittsburgh Steelers- The Steelers haven’t looked good since they lost Polumalu to an injury. Their running game and kicking game have been struggling as well. It could be a long road to repeat as champions in 2009.

17. San Francisco 49ers- The 49ers could easily be 3-0, but with Frank Gore now out for a couple weeks it could be a long October. The defense has been impressive, but Shaun Hill can’t win without a running game.

18. Arizona Cardinals- The Cards need to keep Warner upright, who has been hit more often than not. They haven’t established a running game yet either despite adding Beanie Wells.

19. Houston Texans- The Texans offense is clicking, but their defense is letting lesser offenses control the game.

20. Buffalo Bills- The Bills haven’t been able to close out games, though should get a boost with the return of Marshawn Lynch on offense.

21. Washington Redskins- The Skins have been playing down to their competition and its cost them dearly. They have the talent to compete, but haven’t shown it on the field. They will need to win their next 3 games to get back into contention.

22. Tennessee Titans- Tennessee may be 0-3, but they have been in every game and could just as easily be 3-0. They have a long way to get back into the playoff hunt, but the talent is there.

23. Seattle Seahawks- Seattle is hurting right now with Hasselbeck out, and two of there starting linebackers missing time as well. Their defense isn’t good enough to compete right now.

24. Detroit Lions- The Lions got their first win on Sunday, and showed an impressive defense and running game. If Stafford can eliminate the mistakes they can stay competitive in games.

25. Carolina Panters- Delhomme has been pretty bad so far, and its left the Panthers 0-3. This looks like a completely different team than the one that dominated the NFC in 2008, despite having almost the same starting 22.

26. Jacksonville Jaguars- The Jags got their first win on Sunday, but things look pretty bad in Jacksonville. Garrard isn’t a true NFL quarterback, and with the exception of Jones-Drew the Jaguars don’t have the supporting cast around him. Their pass defense has been their biggest weakness this year.

27. Oakland Raiders- The Raiders already beat the Chiefs, and were two minutes away from knocking off the Chargers as well. They are a bad team overall, but have some talent to catch a team by surprise.

28. Miami Dolphins- The Dolphins would have been a dangerous 0-3 team, if not for the injury to QB Chad Pennington. Backup Chad Henne can’t handle the Dolphins tough schedule.

29. Tampa Bay Buccaneers- The Bucs are starting a brand new quarterback, right now anything could be better than the numbers Leftwich has put up.

30. Kansas City Chiefs- The fact that the Chiefs weren’t able to beat Oakland at home doesn’t bode well for the rest of their season.

31. Cleveland Browns- The Browns have no quarterback, running game or defense right now. Things can’t get much worse in Cleveland right now.

32. St. Louis Rams- At least the Rams have Steven Jackson to give their fans something to watch. Right now the Rams are in the lead for the Sam Bradford sweepstakes, which is fun and exciting in April, but depressing in October.

With yesterday’s news that Chad Pennington is out for the year with a shoulder injury, Miami’s season effectively came to an abrupt close. The Dolphins who fell to 0-3 on Sunday, now will have to face perhaps the league’s toughest schedule without their top signal caller. The Dolphins who started out the year at Atlanta, home against the Colts, and then at San Diego, now get a pair of home games against the resurgent Jets and Bills, who are both playing their best football in years. The Dolphins still have the Saints, Texans, Steelers, and Patriots twice on their schedule (not to mention facing the Jets and the Bills on the road). This season is quickly shaping into a disaster. Just one year removed from the postseason, the Dolphins are looking at going back into the AFC East cellar and a potential top-10 draft pick come next April with Chad Henne at the helm.

I know there are those Dolphins/football fans who probably think that losing Pennington isn’t such a big deal. But facts are facts, and the truth of the matter is Chad Pennington is a good quarterback and a proven winner. Any time he starts 10 or more games in a season, his team makes the playoffs. Any time that he hasn’t started at least 10 games (since he became a starter in 2002) his team has finished last or tied for last in the AFC East. Now no one is ever going to mistake Pennington for Manning or Brady, but at the same time they won’t mistake Henne for Pennington as well. I have absolutely no confidence in Chad Henne being the answer in Miami. I know he is a Parcells guy, and the “heir apparent”, but I just don’t see it with Henne. I’ve never thought that he is anything more than a solid back up in this league, and definitely not a starter on a playoff caliber team. Henne just doesn’t seem to make quick reads or good decisions when he has the ball in his hands. And if his performance Sunday against the Chargers was an indication of things to come, its going to be a long season in Miami this year. Unfortunately for Miami fans its going to get much worse before it gets better. I think Miami will finish with a top-10 pick, and will probably be in the market for a new “heir apparent” come next April. 

With that being said, there are a lot of other very surprising 0-3 or 1-2 teams in the NFL right now.  Which teams can turn their season around and which teams should start preparing for the April draft?

It might be September but it is never too early to start looking at next April’s draft. I’ll post a weekly mock draft, based on team needs. Since its still early in the season I’ll base my draft order on last year’s. As we get deeper into the season, I’ll start basing it on actual standings.

* denotes underclassmen

1. Detroit Lions: Gerald McCoy DT*

I don’t think the Lions will be picking first again, but if they are I can’t see them passing up a talent like McCoy. McCoy is a difference maker along the interior and would be the perfect compliment next to Grady Jackson. The Lions focused on offense last year in the first round, so this year they should target defensive players. While their defensive tackles are improved with Jackson in the middle, they need to add another force in the middle. Detroit could go a number of directions here, with Offensive tackle and defensive end the next two likely choices.

2. St. Louis Rams: Sam Bradford QB*

Last year the Rams added their LT, now the Rams need to add someone for him to block for. Marc Bulger’s time in St. Louis is all but over, and the Rams will be quite lucky to replace him with Sam Bradford. Bradford is the best quarterback in the country despite being injured in week one against BYU. Bradford will rejuvenate the Rams offense, and could bring them back to the glory days of ten years ago.

3. Kansas City Chiefs: Russell Okung OT

Safety Eric Berry is the best player on the board right now, but I have a feeling the Chiefs will play it safe here and go with the best OT on the board. Okung will get some competition for that spot, but right now he is the best OT in the nation. Okung is a powerful blocker that is equally talented in run and pass blocking. Kansas City could use some help up front and Okung should give Cassell the kind of protection that he needs.

4. Seattle Seahawks: Eric Berry S *

The Seahawks would have wanted either Bradford or Okung, but with them off the board they will gladly take Berry the best player in this draft. Berry is a ball hawk in the mold of Ed Reed or Bob Sanders. He will fill a big need on defense, and be a cornerstone for Seattle to build around. With two first round picks the Seahawks can ignore their bigger needs on offense and draft the best available player here. Quarterback, running back and offensive tackle are all positions that need addressed as well.

5. Cleveland Browns: Jahvid Best RB*

This is a tough pick for the Browns, they have any number of needs but the three positions that there are plenty of top-10 talent available are, offensive tackle (Joe Thomas), defensive tackle (Shaun Rodgers), and quarterback (Quinn/Anderson) the Browns seem set at. Now Quinn has not looked impressive so far, but I think they will give him one more year after this to prove himself. Maybe they draft a quarterback in the 2nd or 3rd round, but I don’t see them spending a top 5 pick on a QB. The Browns could go after S Taylor Mays here, but running back is the bigger need right now. Best isn’t a top 5 player in the country, and probably is a stretch to say he’s worthy of a top 10 pick, but the Browns running game is so awful they need to upgrade here. Even if that means a bit of an overdraft. Best will give them a playmaker and weapon on offense, but I don’t see him as an every down running back.

6. Cincinnati Bengals: Ndamukong Suh DT

Bengals are another team that could go a number of directions here. They need a running back, but with Best off the board no one is good enough to even over draft at this point. They could use a safety but Mays is a SS and Roy Williams has been working out so far. They need another offensive tackle, but the Bengals aren’t the type of team to spend top-10 money on bookend tackles. I think they grab Suh here, which is an absolute great value. Suh is a force in the middle, which should give Odom even more freedom from his defensive end spot. Suh is a prototypical nosetackle that should occupy a number of blockers to free up the Bengals talented linebacking corps to make plays.

7. Oakland Raiders: Taylor Mays S

The Raiders would have drafted Mays last year at the 7th spot had he entered the draft, so they will be quite happy to take him here this time around. He hits like a linebacker and runs like a corner back, making him one of the best physical specimens in this draft. He doesn’t have great ball skills, leaving some to wonder if he’s more like Roy Williams rather than Sean Taylor. I think there is a big of a risk with Mays, i’m not sold that he is the next Polamalu just because he went to USC (that line of thinking didn’t work out to well for the Raiders when they drafted Bing a few years ago). I would not be shocked if his ultimate position is outside linebacker given his speed and strength. The Raiders will draft him as a safety and he should be an upgrade there, but be wary of considering him a savior.

8. Jacksonville Jaguars: Tim Tebow QB

I’m not sold on Tim Tebow as a quarterback or as a 1st round pick. I think he does a lot of things well, and good things always seem to happen when the ball is in his hand, but its tough to project him as a top-10 pick. While I don’t want to deny the natural talent and leadership that he possesses, I also can’t deny that his success screams “system quarterback”. No one has ever seen what he can do under center in a pro style formation, and until you do see that drafting him early in the 1st round is a major risk. Given all of that I believe the hype I think the Jaguars will take the risk and sign the local hero to market him to their fans. It might not be the smartest pick on the field, but it probably will be at the box office.

9. Green Bay Packers: Trent Williams OT

Its very likely the Packers won’t have a top-10 pick, but regardless of where they pick offensive tackle should be their top priority. It’s simple if they can keep Aaron Rodgers upright they have a chance to win, when he spends most of the afternoon on his back or running for his life, they get upset by the Bengals. Green Bay desperately needs a help along the line so Williams will fill a major void in Wisconsin. If they can’t get good value at OT look for them to turn their attention on the defensive side of the ball.

10. San Fransisco 49ers: Jevan Snead QB*

The 49ers got screwed this year with the Michael Crabtree holdout. Hopefully for their sake they will be able to trade his rights before the draft and maybe get at least a 2nd round pick out of the fiasco. This year I think San Fransisco will target a signal caller to give Singletary a quarterback to build around. Shaun Hill has been nice but he’s taken the 49ers as far as his arm will allow. He is solid enough where he can stick around another year and let Snead learn from the sidelines. Snead is a quality prospect, and I wouldn’t knock him too much for his performance against South Carolina. I think he’ll bounce back and show that he is a Franchise talent.

11. Buffalo Bills: Brian Bulaga OT*

When your bookend tackles are Demetrius Bell and Jonathan Scott offensive line help is a must in the first round. The Bills might have needs on defense or at wide reciever, but they just can’t afford to pass up Bulaga at this point. Bulaga would be best suited to start out at RT and move over to the blindside after a couple of years, but I don’t think Buffalo can wait, and will stick him in their opening day line up at LT. Bulaga is a mauler though and should be able to handle the tougher position with ease.

12. Seattle Seahawks (from the Broncos): C. J. Spiller RB

Quarterback is a STONG possibility here Hasselbeck is near the end of his career and Wallace isn’t the heir apparent, but I think Seattle goes in a different direction here. The NFC West is a poachable division and if the Seahawks add another playmaker they could make a pretty good run if Hasselbeck stays healthy. Julius Jones has been solid so far this year, but he needs another back to compliment him and that back’s name isn’t Edgerrin James. Spiller would be a nice upgrade at running back, and give Seattle a ground attack that can keep the chains moving.

13. Washington Redskins: Colt McCoy QB

Their is little doubt in my mind that Jim Zorn and Jason Campbell are out in Washington after this year. Offensive tackle is a priority as well, but I think they will look for their franchise signal caller in the first round. Jimmy Clausen is an option here as well, but I’d like to see if he can keep up his early success as the competition gets tougher, and with his top receiver out for the year. McCoy worries me given his lack of arm strength, but I think he is a leader and a winner overall, and is worth the risk. He reminds me of Mark Brunell (Jaguars years, not his time with the Skins) as a quarterback with a weaker arm, but his leadership and athleticism wins through in the end.

14. New Orleans Saints: Sean Weatherspoon LB

The Saints have one of the best offenses in the league, now they need to build a defense that is comparable. There are more talented defensive linemen available, but the Saints biggest need is at linebacker. Weatherspoon is always around the football, and unlike many college linebackers he his a complete player, that has the ability to drop back into coverage. New Orleans will likely address their defensive line and secondary in the next two rounds.

15. Houston Texans: Carlos Dunlap DE*

Dunlap has the physical talent to be the best defensive player in the country, he just hasn’t shown it so far on the football field. He is a Mario Williams clone at defensive end, and bookending him with Williams should jump start a pass rush that has disappeared this season. The Antonio Smith signing has been a bust so far, even if he starts producing I don’t see the Texans letting Dunlap fall any further in the draft. Even though it would be yet another 1st round pick used on the defensive line, the Texans need to start putting more pressure on the quarterback, and Dunlap fits the bill perfectly.

16. San Diego Chargers: Terrence Cody DT

Cody is a monster in the middle and a pure nose tackle prospect. He needs to be blocked by at least two players and clogs up the interior with the best of them. He is a perfect fit for San Diego, as good as the Chargers defense is they don’t really have a quality NT. Drafting Cody will allow their linebackers to get more freedom to get after the quarterback.

By contributing writer Megan Shoup:

Well, after a few hours after the game, I know I’m not the only person in the DC area asking this question.   We know the media is going to be covering this story like crazy as well!  But after losing to the Lions (their first win in nearly 2 years) and playing VERY mediocre thus far, it’s a fair question to ask…Should the Redskins fire Jim Zorn? 

I for one, liked him a lot last year and thought we may have a long term coach on our hands.  But after 3 games of incredibly poor play calling (especially in the red zone) and pretty bad decisions (going for 4th down in the first quarter, etc.), I no longer want to purchase a “Horny for Zorny” tshirt. 

But I see both sides of this decision.  What’s firing going to do now?  We’re only 1-2, are we pushing the panic button too early?  Has that ever worked for a team and the team seen success THAT season?  BUT…if you’re ultimately going to fire him at the end of season, why prolong the inveitable?  I don’t think he’ll be with the Redskins next year, unless a miracle happens and they win almost all the rest of the games.  There’s going to be GREAT coaches available next season and I hope the Redskins get Bill Cowher! 

I know its early in the season, and I hope the rest of the season isn’t as painful as today. But the big question is, if you were Snyder (I know a lot of us think we could do his job better), would you fire Coach Zorn tomorrow?   Tell us what you think!

Week four of the college football season will go down as the week where National Championship dreams, and hopes for BCS Bowl bids were shattered. Seven of the Top 25 teams lost this week, and four others (Michigan, Houston, Georgia, and LSU) barely escaped with a victory. Of the seven teams that lost, four were top 10 teams that lost crucial conference games. Only one of the seven teams lost to another top 25 team (Miami to Virginia Tech). Now the Top 25 is a complete mess and no one has any answers as to why.

Some might say that the quality of college football is down this season compared to years past, but I’m not buying that. This is probably the deepest that college football has been in talented quarterbacks in quite some time. Not only do you have the big name returners (Tebow, McCoy, and Bradford) and the future first rounders like Jevan Snead, Jimmy Claussen, Terrell Pryor, and Matt Barkley (last two based on hype and potential), but there are plenty of other quality quarterbacks. Guys like Max Hall (BYU), Zac Robinson (OKST), Jake Locker (Wash), Kevin Riley (Cal), Tony Pike (Cinn) also are great college quarterbacks with some pro prospects. That doesn’t even include the dozen or so other quality college quarterbacks, capable of leading their team to victory any given week. That’s just the talent at the quarterback position. The talent level at running back and receiver, is just as good. On the defensive side of the ball the talent level might even be better. While their is plenty of talent at every position around the country, the talent along the defensive line is particularly exceptional. The the 2010 NFL Draft should have at least 10 defensive linemen taken in the first round.

With all this talent across college football the logical answer for why seven ranked teams lost this week would be that there is so much parity between the teams. Parity would make sense if it was just the Top-25 upsetting each other, but with the exception of Miami parity isn’t a good excuse as to why these teams lost this weekend. Parity or even bad luck could explain if these Top 25 teams were losing close games on last second field goals or fluke plays.  Only Ole Miss lost by less than seven points, and they were lucky it was that close considering how bad they played. Every other team simply got beat, no chance for a last second comeback or a miracle, they just got outplayed. Now I realize teams like Oregon, South Florida, and Iowa are quality college teams, but they had no business winning on Saturday. Cal went into Oregon ranked 6th in the nation, and had a firm control of the Pac-10 with USC’s loss the week before. The Golden Bears have a very good team, with the best running back in the nation in Jahvid Best leading the offense. Oregon held their “high-powered” offense to just 3 points, and a 42-3 shellacking. The Ducks embarrassed Cal despite having their best boxer running back, LeGarrete Blount, suspended for the season. There is no reason why Cal’s team but up as many points as the Ducks second stringers yesterday. South Florida is a good program, but their senior quarterback Matt Grothe is out for the season. Grothe was a very good college quarterback, and always made the Bulls a tough team to play, without him in the game Florida State should have been able to walk all over USF. In the end though it was Florida State who looked unprepared for the game, and now leaves them with two losses on the year. Iowa is a spoiler, they upset a top ranked Penn State team last year at home with a last second field goal to win 24-23. Yesterday in Happy Valley, they trounced the Nittany Lions 21-10. Penn State was a team that was supposed to compete for the Big Ten title and even the National Championship coming into this season. You can’t do either if you lose to inferior opponents at home. There is no reason why Penn State should have lost that game last night. Parity can’t be the answer as to why any of these teams lost yesterday, there was nothing equal in any of these matchups.

The real reason I think why we are seeing more and more upsets like this comes down to the coaching and systems. I think the level of coaching has gone down in college football, and we are seeing more of a utilization of special systems and athletes over fundamentals and football players. Every year teams like USC, Florida State, Penn State (and plenty more) recruit the best players in the country, and are loaded with talent. But that “talent” isn’t showing up on the field this season. I think there has been a new ‘fad’ to recruit 40 times, and size, instead of actual football skills. Instead of showing these prospects how to run perfect routes, or find the hole, these teams just game plan on getting these athletes the ball in space. Now that works against inferior opponents, but when you go up against smarter coaches who play fundamental football, they can find a way to stop it. Its also a reason why these storied football programs, have produced a dearth of NFL talent in recent years. USC is the best example, of all the 4 and 5 star recruits they have on their offense, there best player is actually a transfer from Arkansas, WR Damian Williams. I think until teams start going back to basics in college football, we will continue to see a higher number of major upsets.

By contributing Fanspeak writer Geoff Nelowet:

11^th-ranked Virginia Tech travels to Dolphin stadium this weekend to take on the 9^th-ranked Miami Hurricanes. The Hokies are coming off a come-from-behind home victory over Nebraska in which they extended their non-conference home winning streak to 32 games. The ‘Canes made a statement last week in handling then-ranked (14) Georgia Tech. Miami is 2-0, and both wins have come against ranked opponents.

As Techsideline.com points out, this rivalry could not be any more even. Since 1987 the teams are 9-9, and they have both scored 391 points against one another. With that in mind, this should be a very close game. Both teams are extremely talented on both sides of the ball. At this point I would give the edge to Miami. They’ve simply been more impressive than Virginia Tech this season.

Miami is led by Jacory Harris – a bona fide Heisman Trophy candidate. He embarrassed Florida State and Georgia Tech, whose defenses are not necessarily inferior to Virginia Tech’s. The Miami offense should find its stride against a physical defense, and they will put up a surprising number of points.

The biggest question mark heading into the game is Virginia Tech’s offense. The Hokies can run the ball, and they have a tandem of talented running backs in Ryan Williams and David Wilson. Tyrod Taylor is also a dynamic runner from the quarterback position, but his arm could be what dictates the game. His paltry 444 passing yards this season are nearly eclipsed by Harris’ 386 yards just against Florida State. In short, Miami can put eight men in the box because they are confident that Taylor won’t beat them with his arm. If Taylor finds a way to make big plays in the passing game, the Hokies have a much better chance in this game.

Miami’s explosive passing game is what separates these two teams: Miami can set up the run with the pass, whereas Virginia Tech maintains predictability in their run game. The key to this game, like every game for Virginia Tech, is the play of Tyrod Taylor. Taylor needs to step up and lead his team, and he will have to do it through the air. Miami is absolutely talented enough to score in excess against a stout Hokie defense, and they are good enough on defense to keep Virginia Tech in check. Based on the last few weeks – both will happen.

Final score: Miami 28 Virginia Tech 16

Last night’s upset of the South Carolina Gamecocks over the 4th ranked Mississippi Rebels has implications that will last for sometime. Ole Miss was in a prime position to do some real damage this year in the SEC. They avoided Georgia and Florida from the East this year, and three of their toughest West division opponents (Alabama, Arkansas and LSU) were home games this season. Ole Miss had a chance this season to put themselves on the map, and be a force to be reckoned with in the SEC. Now the Rebels can’t afford another loss this season, and what national championship dreams they may have had are just about over.

The bigger issue with last night’s embarrassing loss to was the play of the Rebels offense, in particular junior quarterback Jevan Snead. Snead coming into this year might not have gotten the hype of a Tim Tebow or Colt McCoy, but was widely considered a better pro prospect. Snead was considered the second best quarterback, after Sam Bradford in the 2010 draft class (if he declares), and a surefire top-10 pick. Last night Snead looked like anything but a Franchise quarterback prospect. He could not figure out the Gamecocks defense, and only completed 33% of his passes. Now one game shouldn’t eliminate Snead’s draft prospects, but it is pretty disconcerting to see a top quarterback have just 30 yards in the first half. I still think Snead is a great quarterback prospect, but he’ll have to earn his way back into top-1o contention.

Yesterday was quite a shock for Atlanta Brave fans as their long time manager Bobby Cox announced that he will retire after the 2010 season. Cox who has managed for 28 years, (24 with the Braves, 20 of which have come in his current stint) will go down as one of the greatest managers of all time and a surefire first ballot Hall of Famer. From 1991-2005 the Braves “finished” worse than 1st just one time, the strike-shortened season of 1994 (which didn’t have a postseason). He led Atlanta to 14 playoff appearances, five National League Pennants, and one World Series title (1995).

Some people try to discredit Cox because of his lone World Series title, compared to contemporaries like Tony LaRussa, Joe Torre, and Terry Francona who all have multiple rings. Winning one world series shouldn’t be considered a negative mark against Cox, only 68 managers have ever won a WS, and of those only 24 have won two or more, and just 8 men have won as many as three. Cox’s 15 career (one during his time with the Blue Jays) playoff appearances, are the highest all-time. While that might not be the fairest of comparisons since, obviously there weren’t always playoffs, and with the advent of the divisional era, and now the Wild Card its easier to make the postseason, it still carries a lot of merit. No Bobby Cox team ever made the playoffs from the Wild Card, and in 10 of Cox’s 15 playoff seasons his team had the league’s best record. So not only would Cox have made the postseason he would have won the pennant if not for the divisional system. Cox’s five pennants (which tie him for 8th all-time, with LaRussa, and Torre among others) would double to 10 which would place him second to John McGraw in career pennants.

Cox will go down as a great manager, but I think the case could be made that he is the greatest in the last 50 years. Players came and went from Atlanta, but Bobby Cox kept them winning and contending year in year out. Now the Braves will begin there search for his replacement, and if they can find someone who can be 1/4 as successful as Cox they will have found a very talented manager. I hope that Cox gets one more shot at World Series glory next season during his swan song. Regardless, baseball will lose a legend in 2010, as no one will ever come close to the 14 straight division titles that Cox gave Atlanta.

Peter Gammons of ESPN had an interesting take today when he suggested expanding the number of teams that make the playoffs in baseball. His idea is one that hopefully gains some traction, because it is long overdue. Gammons suggests that they have a second Wild Card team and there is a three game “play-in” series in each league. I think it is highly intriguing, but say why stop there, and why limit it to a three game series?

The fact that only four teams in each league make the postseason is ridiculous (while we are at it can we expand by two teams so both leagues are even, and go to 4 divisions like the NFL). The NBA and NHL both have 30 teams like baseball and they have 16 teams make the playoffs, they also have ‘best of series’ showing its possible for baseball to expand as well. Now 8 teams per league would be too much, but going to an NFL format, where six teams (per league) make it and the top two division leaders get a bye in round one, makes a lot of sense. I would like to see the battle for three Wild Card spots (two if they did move to four 4-team divisions per league, but I shouldn’t get too greedy) opposed to what we have this year, when the playoffs are predetermined with 10 days to go (with the exception of the AL Central).

When you think about it an MLB season is twice as long as the NHL’s or NBA’s (in games played), and 10 times as long as the NFL, yet 22 teams don’t have a chance to win the World Series. I think we should expand the number of teams, not just to benefit the fans interest in the waning months of the season, or to help small market teams compete, but to add another incentive for teams to compete all they way to the end. Teams like the Tampa Bay Rays and Texas Rangers might have acquired talent at the trade deadline this year, if their playoff chances were that much better. Its not just small to mid-market teams that would change their strategy, look at the New York Mets, their season went off the tracks early with a number of big injuries. By the time the trade deadline rolled around the Phillies were entrenched in first, which left the Mets competing with about 7 other teams for the NL’s one Wild Card spot. They decided, and rightly so, that with little chance of making the playoffs they would essentially ’punt’ on the rest of the season, and not give up any prospects in trades. Now if their post season chances were higher, they might have made some moves and been in the chase. The one detractor that most people say is that by extending the post season, baseball will go on until mid-November. I don’t think that has to be true, and with a few simple changes the problem can be solved. First I think you do what Gammons suggested and start the season half a week earlier. Next you eliminate at least two of the off days that teams get in April. Then you eliminate some of the off days that are already built into the playoff schedule. Right now there is only one ‘travel’ day built into the World Series, yet there are 3-4 built into the Divisional and Championship Series. Eliminate those and you have plenty of time for an extra round of playoffs. Which among other reasons to sell owners on expanding, will add millions of dollars in national television and radio money, to all baseball teams, not just the 12 in the playoffs.