Edsall Leaves UConn For Maryland: Although Maryland had been hunting around a number of big names, Randy Edsall would have to be in the dark horse category. Edsall has gained a lot of coaching hype these past few years as he has developed Connecticut into a quality program in the Big East, including sharing two conference Titles in 2007 and this past season. The move to Maryland is a bit surprising because at best it is a lateral move, and not the big move you’d expect for Edsall to be leaving. The Terps for their part are showing they plan on being successful in the ACC and on the recruiting trail. For Edsall to be successful he will need to ensure that he is locking up the top talents in the state of Maryland instead of letting them go to bigger schools as they have in the past. I think Edsall is a good hire for MD, and if the school is serious about it, he is the perfect coach to reshape that program.

The Vikings and Cowboys Look To Retain Their Interim Coaches: While the Cowboys keeping Jason Garrett isn’t 100% official, I think it is pretty safe to put him down as the head coach next season. With Garrett and Leslie Frazier retaining their current jobs, it makes to less coaching gigs on the open market, but in reality it shouldn’t be a surprise. Both Garrett and Frazier preformed pretty well after taking over as the head coach, and previously had been top head coaching prospects. I think these were very wise signings by the Cowboys and Vikings if they didn’t think they would be able to land Bill Cowher. Now I know there are a number of other former head coaches on the market, but I’m not sure if any of them will be that much better than Garrett or Frazier. And while you could have spent what it took to land a top assistant, it would have been a brand new guy who would be looking to totally revamp the team. In the case of both the Cowboys and Vikings the are quality teams with playoff caliber talent, who fell because of a combination of bad coaching and key injuries. Both teams are only missing a few pieces from being contenders again. The Cowboys need a new offensive line and help in the secondary, while the Vikings need a new quarterback and an offensive lineman or two. To bring in a new head coach could have set them back farther as they look to change the system. Now hopefully both the Vikings and Cowboys can hit the ground running next season, and be right back into the playoff hunt.

Tom Coughlin Will Return As The Giants Coach Next Season: I know there are some Giants fans that thought otherwise, but this is the right move for the Giants. Coughlin has had a lot of success in his time in New York, and while he has missed the playoffs each of the last two years, he has been competitive both of those seasons. While you can point to a frustrating loss to the Eagles a couple of weeks ago that wasn’t entirely Coughlin’s fault (I’m guessing a new Special Teams coach will be there next season). The Giants need to make some tweaks for sure as well as get healthier, but they should be a top contender next season so why would you change that? Now I think Coughlin’s seat is warm heading into next season, and barring even more injuries missing the playoffs won’t be acceptable in 2011. Right now though I don’t think it would have been warranted, even if you could bring in Bill Cowher (whom I think is the best coach out there). Cowher might be great, but Coughlin isn’t to bad himself, meaning I doubt it would have made much of a difference.

A Guest Blog By Fanspeak Contributing Writer Matt (aka Slick)

Welcome back people.  Boy, we just missed a HUGE Sunday didnt we?  Sometimes you have all of the right picks, and they still dont go your way.  NYJ v CLE in OT?  How many overtime games dont end with a FG?  We lost the OVER in MIN/CHI by half of a point, and the UNDER in the JAX v HOU game on a hail mary as time expired.  Tough losses, but we already had 3 wins without sweating.  JAX – 3 (yes it was a last second TD, but JAX had that game in hand most of the day and should have made the GW FG a minute earlier), OVER in DEN/KC (i think we had it by halftime) and OVER in CAR V TB (another easy win).

Ok, Lets get back to what we know…and love.  College football Saturday.  The best part about late season college football is that there is literally a game on every night from Tuesday through Saturday night, and when Hawaii has a home game, we can even watch into Sunday morning.  The NFL takes care of Sunday and Monday (and now even Thursday) so it is understandable why wives has coined the phrase (Football Widow).  Too bad I have to work during the week, or I could be a full time blogger this time of year.

Have I mentioned that I LOVE TOTALS?  Ha.  I found one, I found one!

Take UNDER 58.5  in the UTAH ST V IDAHO game. Im sure you will all be watching, right?  Who doesnt love a good Vandal/Aggie matchup?  Ok, Idaho coming off of their “rivalry” game last week realized that they, well, are just not very good as they too experienced the Boise Beatdown.  time to call the emotional hangover hotline.  Sure, there will be points, just 58 or less.

Ok , I found another one.   Take OVER the 49 in the NORTHWESTERN V ILLINOIS game.  So, we are only allowed to go one way on offense in this game, so what youre saying is we are going to flip the field everytime possession changes?  nice.  What genius forgot the check the dimensions of the football field before they scheduled to play it at Wrigley?  Um, well, uh, they had a hockey game there, right?  IDIOTS!  So, yeah, take the OVER.  Well, I mean isnt it going to be like arena football now?  haha.  As quickly as IVY grows on that unsafe wall out there that seems to be just fine when baseball players go smashing into it while making running catches in the summer, they may just be playing from one side of the 50 by gametime.  They also may even be drawing up plays in the dirt…Look for points, dont be scared.

And yes, I found a few actual teams to pick, just dont count on anything to be on PRIMETIME.  Save that for your token SEC game.

Take CINCY -13 V RUTGERS.  This line is moving like crazy.  Get in before you have to lay even more.  Bearcats dominate early and often.  should be a smooth ride, and over by halftime.

Take RICE +8.5 V ECU.  As much as I wanted to just take the OVER in this game, I am trendy (im not talking about my fashion sense), and RICE is actually planning to show up tomorrow.  Yeah, the Pirates will probably put up 45, but Rice will add 40 themselves, and cover the spread.  Hang around in the game and remember that it is not over until its over.  We may need a late cover here, but if RICE avoids the deadly 14 point swings, they can keep it close enough to make SLICK happy.

Take CENTRAL FLA -18.5 V TULANE – oooohhhhh the green wave.  oooohhhhh, swept right out of the stadium.  Trendy McTrenderson.  Big movement = Big play.  Then I ask myself why I keep throwing units away on a Central Florida V Tulane game?   Lay the points, check the final score later.  Which is why I decided to pick the next one too….

Take ARKANSAS ST +12.5 V NAVY – Could have gotten more earlier this week, up to 16, but the handicappers caught up a litle too quickly for us.  Seriously SLICK?  ARK ST and NAVY?  YES!  You should know by now, I LOVE MY ARMED FORCES GAMES.  Navy a winner, Navy not a winner by very much.

How about a few teams we have actually heard of… OK!   Take MARYLAND +4 V FLA ST. My feel good team of the year, the TERPS.  Always a dog, always behind when the game ends, but always covering.  MARYLAND is GOOD, when you add the spread.  Ill take them again tomorrow, I even think they will win this one.  Man,  these picks are good.

You thought I forgot didnt you?  I could never forget.  Im still on the train, and I am riding it straight to “H-E-double hockey sticks”…ANN ARBOR or BUST.  How could I abandon them now?  MICHIGAN has lost 6 STRAIGHT VS THE SPREAD, they have to cover again dont they?  But, but, but, Wiscy dropped 83 on an Indiana team that took Michigan to the wire in a 42-35 thriller to open the big ten season.  Wisconsin punked the Luckeyes in Madison and were so good that even the refs couldnt bail out OhioSt that night.  And VEGAS has the AUDACITY to set the line at 4!!??  4 POINTS? They do know that WISCONSIN is playing MICHIGAN right?  Its not the Wisconsin-Milwaukees girls basketball team, its the actual WISCONSIN football team.  The only way this game is even close, is if the fix is in…it has to be.  4 points?  I am SHOCKED at how badly the college football world wants OHIO ST in a BCS BOWL.  If Michigan wins this game, its because and only because of the FIX, so Take MICHIGAN +4 v WISCONSIN and get on VEGAS’ side.  I trust VEGAS way more than I trust myself.  and so should you.  Take MICHIGAN, go with the fix.  4 POINTS.  4 MEASLEY POINTS?  for some indescribable reason, i think you may not even need them.  TAKE THAT, VEGAS!

ENJOY…. SLICK loves you…and FANSPEAK, and the Shoups are kind of cool too.  (sorry about the skins – getting UP for a Monday night game is probably starting to get tougher and tougher).

By Fanspeak Contributing Writer Geoff Nelowet:

The Maryland Terrapins will travel to Durham on Saturday for a meeting with the seventh-ranked Duke Blue Devils. Maryland is 16-6 on the season and one game behind Duke for tops in the ACC. Duke is coming off a decisive road victory over the struggling North Carolina Tar Heels – with whom the Blue Devils share a long and storied rivalry. The Duke-Maryland match-up, though, takes center stage, as both teams are posturing for the ACC title, and the Tar Heels will likely fail to reach the NIT (which is an embarrassment to say the least). The Duke-Maryland rivalry is back in full-gear with this game bearing such major conference implications.

All-ACC guard Greivis Vasquez leads Maryland, and Vasquez has been a stalwart for the terrapins averaging 18 points and 6 assists per game. Senior guard Eric Hayes complements Vasquez’s aggressive, penetrating style with his steady play and his ability to knock down the three. Senior Forward Landon Milbourne has been another key contributor averaging nearly 15 points per game. Gary Williams’ team is lead by a triad of seniors, so their time to make a conference statement will have to come now at Cameron Indoor.

Duke, like Maryland, lives by their guard play. In fact, Duke’s only scorers in double-figures are guards. Jon Scheyer, Nolan Smith and Kyle Singler each average over 16 points a game, but beyond those three, not one player on the roster averages more than 6 points per contest. This is troubling for Duke because it signifies that they lack depth, but fortunately, shutting down Duke’s three stars is difficult – if not impossible – to accomplish.

Unlike past years, Duke is beatable – but not at home. The Blue Devils are a perfect 17-0 on home court, and even with Duke being a hair below a top-five caliber team, it is still difficult to see Maryland pulling out a road victory. Maryland will play tough for the first half, but Duke will pull away late in a similar fashion as they did against UNC. Final Score: Duke 84 Maryland 72

By Fanspeak Contributing Writer Geoff Nelowet:

The Atlantic Coast Conference has been known as a basketball power for decades, and year after year, Duke and North Carolina take center stage. Either the Blue Devils or Tar Heels has won the ACC regular season title over the last six seasons, but this could be the first year in a long time that neither of the perennial powers wins the conference.

This year, parity is abundant, as Maryland, Virginia Tech and bottom-feeder Virginia are in the top four of the conference with Duke in second. Maryland is now 4-1 in conference play, and they have won against ACC foes by an average of over 17 points.

Senior guard Greivis Vasquez, who is averaging 17.8 points and 6.2 assists per game, leads Maryland. He is a frontrunner for ACC player of the year, and he is a shoe-in for the All-ACC team. Senior forward Landon Milbourne has also chipped in scoring almost 15 points per contest.

The Terps got off to a shaky start this season in non-conference play. Although four of their five losses came against proven opponents in Cincinnati, Wisconsin, Villanova and Wake forest, they also have a home loss to William & Mary, which instilled a lack of confidence of the team’s potential early in the season. Maryland has bounced back winning four of five conference games to sit alone in first place in the ACC.

The Virginia Cavaliers have also found good fortune this season, as they won their first three conference games – a feat UVA has not accomplished in 15 years. The Cavaliers are led by sophomore shooting guard Sylven Landesberg, who is averaging over 17 points a game. Junior forward Mike Scott has also played a major role averaging over 13 points and 7 rebounds per game.

The Cavaliers rely on their strong defense to win games, and at times their scoring ability can be problematic. When Landesberg is on the bench, the Cavs lose a noticeable dimension to their attack, and they have gone long stretches appearing inept with the ball in their hands with Landesberg off the court.  Virginia has now lost two straight ACC games. They are still fourth in the conference – just behind Virginia Tech, who they lost to at home this past Thursday night. The young Cavs will have to prove that their wins over ranked and ACC opponents were not a fluke.

Virginia Tech, now third in the ACC, is 16-3, and they have won three ACC games. They have played a relatively weak non-conference schedule, which brings into question how they will fair as they get into the thick of their conference schedule, as they are still virtually unproven. Junior guard Malcolm Delaney has dominated this season, and he leads the ACC in scoring at 19.9 points per game.

This may be an anomaly of a year in the ACC with surprises atop the conference and UNC falling back to the middle of the pack. Teams such as Virginia, Virginia Tech Maryland should look to take advantage of essentially a down year in the ACC with the conference title open to all takers.

By contributing Fanspeak writer Geoff Nelowet

1. North Carolina (6)

The Tar Heels do not rebuild – they reload, and that is what they are doing after winning a national title a season ago. Sophomore forward Ed Davis is a pre-season All-American pick, and he will undoubtedly be North Carolina’s best player. Sophomore PF/C Tyler Zeller, a McDonald’s All-American, will also have a big role this season, as he backed up Tyler Hansborough a year ago before suffering a major wrist injury that kept him off the court for 13 weeks. Senior forward Deon Thompson will get his shot at leading the Tar Heels. He is also a top-notch talent that would start on any team. The question marks come in the backcourt for the Tar Heels, as they are lacking experience aside from senior Marcus Ginyard, who is also coming off a major injury. Ginyard, though, will be a great asset because his defensive skills are among the best in the ACC. If Ginyard stays healthy, he could push UNC as a top-five team.

2. Duke (9)

Kyle Singler is arguably the best player in the ACC, and he is one of the best in the nation. He averaged 16.5 points and 7.7 boards a year ago, and he will improve on those numbers. He has both an inside and outside game, and he is very versatile as both a scorer and rebounder. Jon Scheyer, at point guard, is also one of the best in the ACC. His length and skills make him hard to guard, and his decision-making is nearly flawless. Duke plays very sound, fundamental basketball, but to be a one-seed come March, they will need players such as junior guard Nolan Smith and freshman Mason Plumlee to play at a very high level. Unfortunately, Plumlee recently hurt his wrist, and he will be out for the next few weeks. Smith, though, has made major strides this offseason, and his coaches and teammates expect him to have a breakout year. Should this happen, Duke could win the ACC.

3. Clemson (22)

I hesitate to rank Clemson this high because they always seem to fade at the end of the season. Last year was the only time they maintained strong play over the last few weeks. Oliver Purnell is a good coach, though, and he will have this talented team ready to play consistently. Trevor Booker at power forward is the Tigers’ best player, and he is a definite all-ACC prospect. Booker is the center of the Tigers’ success after averaging over 15 points and 10 rebounds last season. His younger brother Devin Booker has joined the Clemson roster, and he could be a contributor this year. Heralded freshman Milton Jennings will decide how far Clemson will go this year. He is a McDonald’s All-American, and he could be a big threat on the offensive end at the forward position. Clemson has an abundance of talent this year, and it will fall on Purnell to make everything work. I would expect big things from Clemson this year, and a two or three-seed in March would not be out of the question.

4. Maryland (25)

Greivis Vasquez is familiar name around the ACC, and his senior campaign comes with high expectations. After averaging over 17 points per game over the last two years, it will be hard to statistically top his past years, but he could improve in the assist category. He averaged nearly 7 assists two seasons ago, but last year that number took a dive to 5 per game. Getting his teammates involved should be a major priority. Also, Vasquez has worked on his outside shot this off-season, which has been a major weakness. Senior guard Eric Hayes is essentially the antithesis of Vasquez, as his game is based on his outside shot. He will have to become a bigger factor in the offense to push the Terps to the next level. It is important to note that Vasquez led the team in rebounding a year ago, which is problematic. Maryland lacks an inside presence, and that equates to very few easy baskets. This team will go as far as players other than Vasquez will take them. Expect a 6-8 seed in the NCAA tournament.

5. Georgia Tech (21)

Gani Lawal and Derrick Favors are the center of this team.  Forward Gani Lawal averaged over 15 points and 9 rebounds last season, and Derrick Favors is coming in as one of the most highly touted freshman in the nation. The Yellow Jackets will hard to match up with down low, and they will be the best rebounding team in the conference. Their backcourt is solid with Iman Shumpert returning after a strong freshman year averaging 10 points 5 assists and just over 2 steals per game. Those three players could all be first round NBA draft prospects next summer. It is hard to tell just how good Georgia Tech is, as one of their primary players is a freshman, but they are definitely one of the most talented teams in the conference, and they can contend with any team. They will make the NCAA tournament.

6. Wake Forest 7. Virginia Tech 8. Florida State

It would not be a big surprise if one or two of these teams made the tournament. Virginia Tech has one of the best players in the conference in point guard Malcolm Delaney.

9. Miami 10. Boston College 11. Virginia 12.  N.C. State

These are the bottom feeders of the conference. I wouldn’t be surprised if more than one of these teams has an overall losing record. The one intriguing team is Virginia. They have a first-year head coach, and they have some talent. Returning ACC freshman of the year Sylven Landesberg makes things interesting in Charlottesville.