By Contributing Fanspeak writer Geoff Nelowet

The Southern California Trojans have won seven straight Pac-10 titles. They hope – and are expected – to continue that streak, but they will have to come from behind this season, which is something they are unaccustomed to. They are also unaccustomed to having a starting freshman quarterback in Matt Barkley, but this season is an adjustment process in which the Trojans will be learning on the fly. Playing Oregon in Eugene is arguably the Trojans’ toughest task of the season, and should they win this game, and win out the rest of the season, they will have earned a Pac-10 title in very impressive fashion.

The Ducks boast a potent offense at 45.7 points per game and 484.7 yards, and this is bad news for USC because over the last few weeks, their defense has been shaky at best. The Trojans have given up 482 and 367 yards the past two weeks to offenses that are arguably inferior to the Ducks’ attack. USC narrowly defeated Notre Dame and Oregon State, so their hands will undoubtedly be full against tenth-ranked, 6-1 Oregon.

Oregon’s lone loss came at Boise State in the first week of the season. Oregon has won six straight – and they have won impressively. On September 26^th, they took down then-ranked No. 6 California 42-3. The week prior, they beat then-ranked No. 18 Utah. In short, USC needs to bring their best performance to take down this flourishing Oregon unit.

Dual-threat quarterback Jeremiah Masoli leads the Ducks this season. He has accounted for 12 touchdowns this season – seven were on the ground. Since the Boise State game, LaMichael James has taken over at running back for the infamously suspended Legarrette Blount. He has rushed for over 700 yards and six touchdowns in his freshman campaign.

Barkley has shown he can lead the Trojans into a hostile environment and come out with a victory. He has done it twice now at Notre Dame a week ago, and at Ohio State early in the season. He will do it again against Oregon, but he will only play a partial role. The Trojan defense will correct its past errors, and they will contain the Oregon attack. Final score: USC 34 Oregon 24

Offensive Tackles:

1. Russell Okung

2. Bryan Bulaga*

3. Charles Brown

4. Bruce Campbell*

5. Trent Williams

Offensive tackle is one of the strongest positions in this draft and Okung is the best of the bunch. He is an all-around great tackle, but really excels in pass protection. Bulaga has the best chance to overtake Okung as the top tackle, but has missed a few games this season due to illness. He is a virtual wall on the left side of the quarterback. Brown is a bit undersized for the next level, but has the skills to be a top flight tackle. No lineman has improved their stock more this season than Campbell. He is rocketing up draft boards and could be the 2nd or 3rd tackle taken. Williams started out the year as the 2nd best tackle, but he’s struggled as he’s trying to transistion to the left side. Overall there is too much natural talent to knock him down below 5th on this list.

Guard:

1. Mike Johnson

2. Mike Iupati

3. Mitch Petrus

4. Jon Asamoah

5. John Jerry

Johnson is the top offensive lineman on one of the top running teams in college football. Iupati is a great run blocker and tough in-line guard. Petrus is a tough blocker, but has a lot of ground to make up after missing all of 2008. Asamoah is a good all around guard and has the potential to be the best of the bunch. He’s tougher to get a read on playing for a weak Illinois team. Jerry is a RT in college, but will need to move inside at the next level. He is a raw talent that needs time before he can be a starter.

Center:

1. Kris O’Dowd*

2. Stefan Wisniewski*

3. John Estes

4. Eric Olsen

5. Matt Tennant

Both O’Dowd or Wisniewski could be 1st round picks if they declare. Estes is a good center prospect that excels with pass blocking. Olsen has taken well to moving to the center spot on the Irish’s line. Tennant is a very good college center prospect, but might be a little light to take on some of the top nose tackles in the league.

QB:

1. Jimmy Clausen*

2. Jake Locker*

3. Sam Bradford*

4. Jevan Snead*

5. Colt McCoy

There has been a lot of movement at the quarterback position this year. Bradford and Snead would have entered the year at the top two spots but have fallen due to ineffectiveness and injury. Clausen has had a meteoric rise this year, and has done it for the most part without his top wide receiver. Locker has shown that he has all the tools needed to be an elite quarterback, but is still raw overall. McCoy doesn’t have the tools the other quarterbacks on this list have, but has the leadership and mentality to play at the next level.

RB:

1. C.J. Spiller

2. Jahvid Best*

3. Jonathan Dwyer*

4. Evan Royster*

5. Toby Gerhart

Spiller has supplanted Best as the top running back in the nation, but it is very close. Both possess world class speed and agility, but so far Spiller has produced more with his talent this season. Dwyer is a great inside runner, but lacks the break away speed of a franchise running back. Gerhart is another pounder, but is often overlooked playing for Stanford. Royster is a very good balanced back, strong enough to run between the tackles, but also has the speed to go outside.

WR:

1. Dez Bryant*

2. Damian Williams*

3. Arrelious Benn*

4. Brandon LaFell

5. Golden Tate*

Dez Bryant won’t play again this season, but already established himself as the top receiver in next year’s draft. Williams is going to give him a run for his money. While not as big and strong as Bryant (or any of the other receivers on this list sans Tate) Williams is a great route runner and an extremely smart receiver. Benn and LaFell have first round talent, but they don’t always produce and sometimes disappear completely from games. They will need strong finishes to their season and good combines to stay in the top 5. Tate is an interesting prospect, though not the fastest player on the field he usually plays like he is. He has done a great job this year being Clausen’s top target with Malcolm Floyd out.

TE:

1. Jermaine Gresham

2. Garrett Graham

3. Ed Dickson

4. Anthony McCoy

5. Dennis Pitta

Gresham is the best tight end in the nation and I don’t think anyone will knock him off that spot (even though he’s out for the season). Graham and Dickson do a little of everything well, but nothing exceptional. McCoy is an interesting case, his talent is there, but the production doesn’t meet up with the ability. Pitta is a guy I love great receiver and all around talent, one knock on him is his age. He lost two years due to his Mormon mission trip and that could cost him a bit on draft day.

Now I think the Yankees can and will win the World Series, but boy did the Phillies put New York on notice last night. Cliff Lee was just dominate, in complete control against the best lineup in baseball. The Yankees managed just one extra base hit and one unearned run in 9 innings against Lee. Lee has been in the zone this entire postseason, but last night’s start was brilliant for many reasons. He out dueled his former Indians teammate, CC Sabathia, who has always been considered the better pitcher. Lee didn’t allow a single walk, and had 10 strikeouts, setting the tone of the game in the very first at bat, striking out Derek Jeter. And the biggest reason Lee’s start was brilliant last night was the attitude he brought to the mound.

Lee was not affected by the history, prestige, or hoopla surrounding the Yankees going for their 27th title, nor was he affected by the 50,000+ screaming New York fans. Instead Lee simply went out there and pitched Game 1 of the World Series like it was any other ball game. And no matter what the pundits or bloggers said, Lee knew that he was the better pitcher last night. Lee made some interesting defensive plays that just showed how much he was in the zone; catching balls behind his back, catching balls without getting under them. It was incredible to see how much Cliff Lee was cool and collected in his first ever World Series game. Lee’s attitude seemed to carry over to the rest of the Phillies as they were able to get Sabathia in some trouble early. While Sabathia got out of the early jam, it showed that he was fallible, and Chase Utley took advantage hitting two big home runs last night off the Yankees starter.  After Sabathia was pulled the Phillies took advantage of the Yankee’s bullpen and took a 6-0 lead that was too much for New York to overcome.

With the Game 1 win, the Phillies took away the Yankees home field advantage and now can wrap up the series at home in either Game 4 or 5. The pressure is now on the Yankees to win Game 2 tonight against Pedro Martinez to even the series before it heads back to Philadelphia. This is a big blow for New York as the Phillies neutralized their best pitcher, Sabathia. Now the pressure is on Burnett tonight and Pettitte on Saturday to right the ship and help the Yankees win number 27. Tonight’s game should be a good matchup for the Phillies since Burnett can be susceptible to the long ball, but I think the Yankees professionalism will come through in the end tonight and get them their much needed first win. Either way the Phillies showed that they will not be walked over in this series and that they are more than capable of beating the vaunted Yankees.

Cavs-Celtics:  This was the premier matchup last night, and the fans weren’t disappointed in the game (except for those in Cleveland). It was a great all-around game against two teams that should be playing well into the summer. The Celtics were too much for the hometown Cavs, and showed a balanced attack last night. Boston dominated the boards and shot the ball better than Cleveland. That has to be frustrating with the Cavs, especially the part of losing the battle on the glass, considering they have the two biggest guys on the floor in Big-Z and Shaq. The most promising thing for the Celtics was the play of Rasheed Wallace, showing that he can fit in with the other veterans and stars in Boston. For the Cavs, they need to get more balance on offense, and find a way to get their big men better opportunities.

Lakers-Clippers:  The Lakers showed that they are still and elite team last night, but you have to be impressed with the way the Clippers played. Both teams were without a star player last night, Pau Gasol for the Lakers, and Blake Griffin for the Clippers, so this wasn’t the “A game” for either team. The Clippers showed something special last night, not only were they without Griffin, but they also had to deal with the mental aspect of that loss. No one thought the Clippers could respond, but they did last night even in the loss. The fact that they only loss by 7 to the reigning champs is pretty good. And in many ways the Clippers gave that game away last night. They had nearly twice as many fouls as their LA counterparts, not to mention turning the ball over four more times. Also two of their best players, Baron Davis and Al Thornton went a combined 5 for 21. If you eliminate the disastrous 1st quarter, then the Clippers would have won this game. For the Lakers outside of relying too much on their starters it was business as usual. They capitalized on the Clippers mistakes, and forced them into situations where they had to foul. One area of concern was their free-throw shooting, where they only shot 67% from the line. They will need to improve there if they want to close out games against the Western Conference’s tougher opponents.

At some point you have to just feel sorry for the Los Angeles Clippers. Not only are they one of losingest franchise’s in all of sports, and they play in the shadow of the Lakers, but now when they make the right decision, bad luck interferes. Blake Griffin was by far the best player in last summer’s draft, and was a true no brainer at the top spot for Los Angeles. Now Griffin may miss up to six weeks of his rookie season with a broken left kneecap.

The move is disastrous for the Clippers on many levels, not only will they be without their potential young superstar, but he will also be missing crucial developmental time. When he is ready to play again, it will take him awhile to get into game shape, and even longer to adjust to the speed and style of the NBA. On top of that, Griffin was the Clippers biggest draw at the box office, and now won’t see the floor for at least a month and a half.

Its also disheartening for the Clippers and their fans, because contrary to popular belief, the Clippers have a good team this year. They have the talent to compete for a playoff spot, and if Griffin had an immediate impact like many top picks, than Los Angeles would have been a dangerous team this year. The Clippers have a nice mix of budding young stars, good veterans, and solid role players. Now without Griffin, the Clippers are in a bit of trouble. They have the depth to handle him being out for a while, but their front court is a little thin. They already had Chris Kamen and Marcus Camby in the front court with injury issues, now losing Griffin means that any injury to Kamen or Camby would be a huge blow to LA. There is also now more pressure on every player to step up, and ensure the Clippers don’t get off to another bad start without their star player. Hopefully for Griffin’s sake and the health of Clippers fans, he can come back sooner than expected, and help the Clippers raise their own banner in the Staples Center in the near future.

When this game was originally scheduled for Monday Night Football, I’m sure ESPN thought they were getting an NFC East showdown that would have a lasting impact on the NFC playoff race. I’m sure ESPN was also happy with the return of Michael Vick to an area where almost a decade ago he was considered a hero for returning Virginia Tech to college football prominence. These were going to be the major storylines of the week, and the hype leading up to the game. Neither of these predictions came close to coming true. Vick was supposed to cause a quarterback controversy in Philadelphia, instead the team is already considering ways to cut ties with him after the season. Vick couldn’t even take advantage of a injured/ineffective Donovan McNabb, (who could have a coming out party tonight against the Skins) and overtake him in practice. Vick has been a complete bust anytime he is on the field (which has been getting more and more infrequent).

If anyone has bigger problems right now than Michael Vick, it’s the Washington Redskins. The Redskins were supposed to be a team on the rise, they had a great offseason in free agency and the NFL Draft. In fact the Redskins were so well thought of, that tonight is just the first of three (bad call schedulers) prime time games they have. In their spending and drafting they forgot one crucial issue, the offensive line. They came into the season strong at four of the five offensive line positions, with good veteran starters. The problem with veterans is that collectively they have a lot of years of wear and tear, as well as a pretty extensive injury history. The Redskins needed some competent backups, but didn’t sign any big names or draft any additional lineman. Now the Redskins have their two best offensive lineman out for the year, including Pro Bowl tackle Chris Samuels.  The scary thing is that even losing two offensive lineman for the year and having no depth to turn to, is not the worst thing about the Washington offensive line. The fifth starter among the original five, Stephon Heyer, (was at right tackle now moved to the blindside) has been absolutely awful. He is dominated by the pass rush, and routinely whiffs at blocks in the open field. Unfortunately he still has a starting position for the Skins and as long as he does the offense will grind to a halt. As bad as some other team’s offensive lines are, I really don’t know if he could start for any other team in this league. Now you can’t blame everything that’s going wrong with this team on roster construction or the offensive line. Lame duck coach Jim Zorn has had some very questionable play calling, especially in the red zone. Also quarterback Jason Campbell, who once showed so much promise, has looked like a shell of his former self (or maybe he’s just shell-shocked). Whatever the reason the Redskins are one of this season’s biggest disappointments, and are headed to an offseason with a lot of overhaul and turmoil. In the meantime the Eagles will feast on the Redskins’ mistakes Stephon Heyer, and come away with a convincing victory 23-13.

While there may be a few fun storylines to watch this weekend; how the Giants rebound from their loss, can the Saints and Colts stay undefeated against weaker opponents, what coaches are coaching for their jobs, the biggest story is the Vikings-Steelers matchup. The undefeated Minnesota Vikings head to Pittsburgh to take on the defending champion Steelers.

This game is a great matchup as both teams are evenly matched. The Vikings on offense have the best running back in the league, a top notch offensive line, a number of offensive weapons, and Brett Favre. The Steelers feature one of the league’s best defenses, that is extremely stingy against the run. Pittsburgh also faces a punishing pass rush that should give the Vikings o-line a number of problems. The biggest factor in the Steelers favor is the return of safety Troy Polumalu, who is one of the league’s elite playmakers. So far no defense or secondary has been able to stop the Favre onslaught this year, but the Steelers are tougher than any defense they’ve faced all season. I think while the Steelers won’t be able to fully shutdown the Vikings offense, I think their defense can slow them enough to put their offense in a position to win the game.

The Steelers offense so far this season has struggled to run the ball effectively, but has opened up their passing game to compensate. The Vikings have a stellar rush defense, but have been susceptible to big pass plays. While it looks like this matchup is in the Steelers favor, Minnesota does have one ace up their sleeve, Jared Allen. Allen has been a force at defensive end all season, getting pressure on the quarterback, forcing fumbles and getting big sacks. The Steelers biggest weakness is along their offensive line, which could be a field day for Allen and company. The good news for Pittsburgh is that quarterback Ben Roethlisberger is best in the league in feeling pressure and escaping sacks. At the end of the day, I think the Steelers come out ahead at home, but to win their offense will need to find away to keep Brett Favre off the field in the 4th quarter to take away any last second heroics. Steelers win 27-24.

By Guest Blogger Geoff Newolet:

(13) Penn State at Michigan:

 Michigan has won nine straight meetings versus Penn State, and Saturday’s contest should be another rivalry-inducing game. Penn State is 6-1 on the season, and Michigan is 5-2. Michigan won last season’s contest by the score of 14-9, and Penn State is probably a better all around team this season, but they were a much better team last season, and they still continued their losing streak to the Wolverines.

Michigan has made huge strides this season after a dismal 3-9 campaign a year ago. Michigan is led by a freshman sensation at quarterback in Tate Forcier. Forcier has led a formidable offense attack that has averaged just over 38 points a game this season. The Penn State defense will have a large task in front of them.

Penn State’s defense, though, is one of the best in the nation. They have two of the best defensive tackles in the country in Jared Odrick and Ollie Ogbu. Penn State has the personnel to hold Michigan under 38 points, and they will do so.

Preseason Heisman Tropy candidate Daryll Clark runs Penn State’s offense, and he will play a great role in keeping Michigan’s offense off the field. Running back Evan Royster averages 5.8 yards per carry this season, which is actually down from 6.5 a year ago. Penn State runs one of the most balanced attacks in the country, which is what makes them effective.

After starting the season undefeated, Michigan has lost two straight. They will right the ship this weekend against a strong Penn State team. It is going to be a tight game, and home field advantage will go a long way. Final score: Michigan 28 Penn State 24

South Florida at (20) Pittsburgh:

South Florida will head into Pittsburgh after being handed their first loss of the season from Big East rival Cincinnati. South Florida is 5-1 on the season, and this weekend’s match up against 6-1 Pittsburgh will not be any easier. Pittsburgh’s lone loss on the season came against NC State by the score of 38-31, and they have defeated three straight Big East opponents.

Pittsburgh has one of the most potent offensive attacks in the country, and they are led by freshman Dion Lewis who is third in the nation in rushing yards per game (131.1).  The Panthers run a balanced attack, and senior Quarterback Bill Stull has played the best football of his career. He has thrown 14 touchdowns this season to only 3 interceptions.

South Florida is led by redshirt freshman B.J. Daniels. Daniels had a poor performance a week ago, but he has been consistent otherwise. Daniels had led his team in both rushing and passing. South Florida’s defense is their strength, though, with two-time All-American defensive end George Selvie. South Florida has shut down their opponents this season, and most notably, they held Florida State to seven points.

In this match up, a top-tier offense is facing off against a top-tier defense, which makes it an intriguing game. A week ago, Cincinnati proved that an elite offense can move the ball against South Florida. B.J. Daniels does not command the fire power to keep up with a potent Panther attack. South Florida will keep it close, but Pittsburgh will win. Final score: Pittsburgh 27 South Florida 17

By Guest Blogger Bill Shoup:

Even though the final matchup isn’t set yet for the World Series, (although I think the Angels just delayed the inevitable with that dramatic win last night) and since we have to wait 5 more days for this Series to begin, I thought it might be interesting to take a look at the World Series histories of the three franchises.  Why?  Well, because I like living in the past.  Speaking of which, being an old-school guy, it bothers me that the World Series isn’t set to begin until October 28^th and if it goes 7 games, will finish up on November 5^th – or possibly even later if foul weather intervenes. Given the location of the two most likely cities to be participating, one or two rainouts (or even snow outs) are entirely possible.  There’s just something not right about baseball in November.  But anyway, I digress.  Back to the World Series histories of the Yankees, Phillies and Angels.

 The Yankees of course have by far the most impressive history of any major league franchise.  They have won 39 pennants and an astounding 26 World Championships.  Only one other franchise, the St. Louis Cardinals with 10, has double digit World Series wins!  It’s true that the vast majority of those Yankees championships were won before many of you were born (some even pre-date me!).  Nonetheless, you have to wonder how they did what they did.  During a 29 year stretch from 1936 through 1964, there were only 7 years that the Yankees did not appear in the Fall Classic.  They won 16 of their World Championships during that time frame, winning 4 in-a-row at the beginning of that stretch and later running off with 5 in-a-row.  Many people, when they think of the Yankees dominance, assume that Babe Ruth had something to do with many of their World Championships.  But the truth is he wasn’t even a Yankee during that 29 year stretch when the bulk of the championships were won.  There is no question though that the Yankees “mystique” began with the arrival of Ruth in 1920.  In 1921 they made their first of 7 World Series appearances during the Ruth era, winning 4 of those championships.  After the 1964 season, the Yankees had a rough stretch until 1976 when they returned for 3 consecutive appearances, winning the last two of those.  Again, they experienced a long stretch of futility until Joe Torre led them back to the Series in 1996.  They won it that year and then again three years in-a-row starting in 1998.  While the Yankees last championship was in 2000, they did appear in the Series two more times under Torre and made the playoffs in every one of his 12 years with the team. 

 Clearly, the Phillies’ World Series history is not nearly as impressive as the Yankees.  They have only appeared in the Series a total of 6 times and have only won the Series 2 times.  In fact, their first World Championship didn’t come until 1980, led by Mike Schmidt, Steve Carlton and Pete Rose.  The Phillies first appeared in the World Series in 1915 and their fans then had to wait 35 years before Robin Roberts and the 1950 Whiz Kids got them back into the Series.  Interestingly, they were swept in that Series by the Yankees.  It would be another 30 years before the Phils showed up in the World Series again.  At least that wait was rewarded with that first Championship ring.  In 1983 the Phillies again made it into the World Series, losing in 5 games to the Baltimore Orioles who were led by Eddie Murray and a young Cal Ripken.  The Phillies next appearance 10 years later also left their fans disappointed when they lost the Series to the Toronto Blue Jays in 6 games, highlighted of course by the dramatic walk-off homerun by Joe Carter in that 6^th game.  The Phils next appeared in the Series last year, getting their second World Championship by defeating the Tampa Bay Rays in 5 games.

 The Angels’ World Series “history” consists of one appearance, in 2002, coming 41 years after the franchise was established.  They won the Series that year, beating the San Francisco Giants in 7 games.  They have appeared in the playoffs 9 times over the years.  Of course the one that haunts Angels’ fans is the 1986 League Championship Series.  Up 3 games to 1 against the Boston Red Sox, the Angels were one pitch away from closing out that series and heading to the World Series.  Red Sox outfielder Dave Henderson, batting in the top of the ninth inning with a 2-2 count on him, hit a two-run homer to give the Red Sox a 6-5 lead.  The Angels tied it up in the bottom of the ninth but the Red Sox won it in the eleventh on a Henderson sacrifice fly.  The series then moved back to Boston where the Red Sox took the last two games to move on to the World Series against the Mets.

 So, what do these histories mean as far as this year’s World Series?  Probably nothing.  But for lots of fans, maybe a little something, depending on the matchups.  The Yankees, with their history of excellence and accomplishment, have a fan following that transcends generations and geography.  But that success and the organizational and fan arrogance that evolved from it, also has engendered a large anti-Yankee sentiment.  So there will be those who want the Yankees to lose, in-part because of their storied history.  The Phillies’ history of spotty success could work in their favor in a matchup with the Yankees.  They could be viewed as the underdog, even though they are the reigning World Champs and have what I believe to be the stronger team on paper.  So I could see fans rooting for the Phillies during the Series based on the perceived underdog role.  Of course the flip side of that could occur if, in the unlikely event, the Angels end up coming back to beat the Yankees in the ALCS.  The reigning Champs taking on the franchise that has won only one World Championship in their 48 years of existence.  What better scenario for those that love to root for the underdog?  That’s the matchup that would actually be of any interest to me.  I tend to pull for the underdog if my favorite teams aren’t involved.  Since I’ve never cared for the Yankees and pretty much despise any team from Philly, a Yankees-Phillies matchup would be boring to me since I know that BOTH teams can’t lose.  Oh well, there’s always next year.  Here’s hoping for an Orioles- Nationals World Series in 2010!!