http://www.yardbarker.com/content/team/628 Recent articles about the Arkansas Razorbacks en-us FIO staff writer Dan Mesday's 2008 preview of the SEC... included for each team in the conference are: key returning players, key losses, best h.s. signings, must-see games, and a 2008 outlook. Also check out Mesday's year-end standings predictions. Wed, 27 Aug 2008 07:36:36 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/313651 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/313651 Southeastern The early favorite is Georgia, which finished 2007 ranked No. 2. With quarterback Matthew Stafford ready to challenge Florida???s Tim Tebow for the title of best quarterback in the Football Bowl Subdivision, the hype surrounding the Bulldogs is justified. Georgia should take the East. But are the Gators ready to take back the SEC? To do so, they will have to overcome a rash of injuries. Rounding out the SEC East, Tennessee looks to the junior quarterback Jonathan Crompton to lead a senior-laden offense. Steve Spurrier???s South Carolina Gamecocks welcome back linebacker Jasper Brinkley from injury and quarterback Stephen Garcia from suspension. In the West, Louisiana State remains talented enough to hold off all challengers but needs to find a quarterback. Auburn breaks in a new offensive philosophy the spread. Alabama enters the second year of the Nick Saban era ready to make some noise. And don???t sleep on Sylvester Croom???s Mississippi State Bulldogs, coming off their best season this decade. DARK HORSE Despite the change in offensive philosophy, Auburn has all the necessary pieces ??? including one of the most talented offensive lines in the nation ??? to sneak into a Bowl Championship Series game. PLAYERS YOU SHOULD KNOW Though Stafford and running back Knowshon Moreno get all the attention, Georgia linebacker Dannell Ellerbe leads a tough and opportunistic defense. Mississippi State running back Anthony Dixon had 14 touchdowns last fall. Tennessee safety Eric Berry, just a sophomore, is one of the nation???s best defensive backs. Arkansas quarterback Casey Dick, who threw for 18 touchdowns, will lead the new-look Razorbacks for their new coach, Bobby Petrino. GAME TO WATCH Florida at Georgia (Nov. 1 in Jacksonville, Fla.) The World???s Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party will have implications beyond the SEC East. Sun, 24 Aug 2008 15:02:12 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/311912 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/311912 Every year the SEC is one of, if not the best, conferences in the nation. This year is no different. The question is, can a team survive the gauntlet of the conference season and still be able to reach the national championship game? Wed, 20 Aug 2008 16:51:12 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/309806 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/309806 Guest writer Joey Kaufman of the SoCal Sports Hub offers his opinion of the toughest conference in college football. SEC fans beware - Joey doesn't have any love for you. Sun, 17 Aug 2008 23:07:37 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/307731 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/307731 Last year the SEC West had two teams above .500 in the conference. This year they have revamped and reloaded looking to impress in one of the toughest places to play football in the country. The question is what team will rise to the top and take the challenge? Wed, 13 Aug 2008 13:40:14 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/305321 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/305321 NCAA FOOTBALL TEAM PROFILES: From: THE QUAD. We will post the most complete team profiles for the next 21 NCAA Football Teams you'll find on the Internet. We will be posting a new team every day or so for the next few weeks. Today's team is # 18 PENN STATE. Location: State College, Pa. Nickname: Nittany Lions. Nittany is a reference to Mount Nittany, which abuts the Penn State campus. Quick facts: Let's be serious for a moment: Joe Paterno can't coach forever. At some point, the 42-year Penn State head coach will have to hang 'em up and appreciate all that he has done for the university – both as a football coach and a dedicated benefactor. But before he goes, can he lead the Nittany Lions to one more great season? Another year's worth of games against the likes of Ohio State, Michigan and Wisconsin lie ahead for Penn State in 2008, but with a talented set of skill players and an always disruptive defense, could this fall see the Nittany Lions make a push for JoePa's third Big Ten title? Tidbit: Penn State has finished in the top four in terms of home attendance every season since 1991, including back-to-back second-place finishes over the past two seasons. Michigan finished first in 2007 (110,264 fans per game to P.S.U.'s 108,971), though one must think that if Penn State's Beaver Stadium held as many fans as the Big House the Nittany Lions would have no problem filling seats. How many seats would P.S.U. actually have to hold in order for a home game not be a sellout? 150,000? Former players in the N.F.L.: 33 – DT Anthony Adams (Chicago Bears), DT Jay Alford (Giants), OL Levi Brown (Arizona Cardinals), QB Kerry Collins (Tennessee Titans), LB Dan Connor (Carolina Panthers), WR Eddie Drummond (Pittsburgh Steelers), WR Bobby Engram (Seattle Seahawks), TE John Gilmore (Tampa Bay Buccaneers), K Robbie Gould (Chicago Bears), DE Tamba Hali (Kansas City Chiefs), RB Tony Hunt (Philadelphia Eagles), WR Bryant Johnson (San Francisco 49ers), DT Ed Johnson (Indianapolis Colts), RB Larry Johnson (Kansas City Chiefs), WR Joe Jurevicius (Cleveland Browns), P Jeremy Kapinos (Jets), DT Jimmy Kennedy (Jacksonville Jaguars), S Ethan Kilmer (Cincinnati Bengals), CB Justin King (St. Louis Rams), S Calvin Lowry (Tennessee Titans), CB David Macklin (St. Louis Rams), TE Sean McHugh (Detroit Lions), OL Kareem McKenzie (Giants), DT Scott Paxson (Pittsburgh Steelers), CB Anwar Phillips (Baltimore Ravens), LB Paul Posluzny (Buffalo Bills), OL Tyler Reed (Chicago Bears), RB Michael Robinson (San Francisco 49ers), S Bryan Scott (Buffalo Bills), LB Tim Shaw (Carolina Panthers), TE Isaac Smolko (Jacksonville Jaguars), TE Tony Stewart (Oakland Raiders), RB Kenny Watson (Cincinnati Bengals). Famous alumni (non-football related): Richard James, inventor of the Slinky; the film director Adam McKay ("Anchorman," "Talladega Nights"); Congressmen Charlie Dent and Michael Doyle of Pennsylvania; Jigme Thinley, the Prime Minister of Bhutan. Team Information Conference: Big Ten. Head coach: Joe Paterno (1950, Brown), 373-125-3 over 42 years as the head coach at Penn State. Since Paterno took over in 1966, there have been 817 head coaching changes on the F.B.S. level; since the Nittany Lions entered the Big Ten in 1993, there have been 31 different head coaches in the conference. There is really nothing the Countdown can add to the Paterno conversation that hasn't already been said: The man is a legend – comfortably among the top 10 coaches in the history of college football – and a revered figure at the university for both his on-field prowess and his many off-field contributions to the good of Penn State. However, with the clock ticking on his career, the Countdown asks: Who will be his eventual replacement? Paterno will obviously have a major say in who takes over the reins of the program he built, so will he insist upon one of his current assistants (defensive coordinator Tom Bradley, offensive coordinator Galen Hall or perhaps his son, quarterbacks coach Jay Paterno) being promoted from within? Must the next head coach have Penn State ties (Greg Schiano of Rutgers)? Or will the administration decide to go in a different direction (a la Michigan) and bring a new face into the program? Tidbit (coaching edition): As all loyal readers of the Countdown undoubtedly know, Paterno trails only Bobby Bowden on the career list for major college wins; Bowden has 373 victories, with Paterno on his heels with 372. However, if we discount Bowden's 31 wins on the F.C.S. level (Samford, 1959-62), Paterno holds the edge in F.B.S. victories, 372-341. 2007 record: 9-4 (4-4). Each of Penn State's four losses came in conference play, with three occurring on the road (Michigan, Illinois and Michigan State) and the fourth coming at home to then-No. 1 Ohio State. The Nittany Lions were somewhat streaky: A 3-0 start preceded back-to-back road losses, and after two strong Big Ten victories, P.S.U. split its final four conference games. Statistically, the Nittany Lions looked better than a nine-win team, outscoring opponents by 30.3 to 17.5 per game and outrushing opponents by 100 yards per game (193.8 to 93.8). However, it was with the little things – turnovers, overall inconsistency on offense – that the Nittany Lions struggled. An Alamo Bowl victory over Texas A&M gave Paterno an F.B.S.-record 23 bowl victories, and improved his bowl winning percentage to .691, the second-best mark among coaches with at least 12 bowl appearances. High point: A 38-7 victory over then-No. 19 Wisconsin in mid-October put the Nittany Lions at 5-2 and snapped a two-game losing streak. Beating Notre Dame is always nice, even when the Irish are atrocious. Low point: The back-to-back road losses (by 14-9 to Michigan and by 27-20 to Illinois) and the tough 37-17 setback to Ohio State in front of a raucous home crowd. Returning starters: 15 (8 offense, 7 defense). Key losses: On offense, the Nittany Lions will be breaking in a new backfield with the departure of quarterback Anthony Morelli and tailback Rodney Kinlaw. Morelli was often criticized during his inconsistent two-year tenure as the Penn State starter, though his senior year (2,651 yards with 19 scores against 10 picks) saw him make a marked improvement over an up-and-down 2006 season. Last fall, Morelli set Penn State record for completions (234) and attempts (402) in a season, and his yardage and touchdown totals were good for second and fourth on the P.S.U. career list, respectively. Morelli, a Western Pennsylvania product, won 18 games over his two years with the Nittany Lions, including a January bowl win over Tennessee following the 2006 season. Was there a more underappreciated 1,000-yard back in the country in 2007 than Kinlaw? A tough, hard-nosed runner, Kinlaw patiently waited his turn in the Nittany Lion backfield, and after earning his first career starting assignment in the Week 5 loss to Illinois rolled off the 11th 1,000-yard rushing season in P.S.U. history. Kinlaw rushed for 1,329 yards in only nine starts (13 total games played), the ninth-highest single-season total in team history, adding 10 touchdowns on the ground. Undrafted, Kinlaw signed a free-agent contract with the Jets; will he be the anti Blair Thomas? On defense, Penn State must again replace an all-American linebacker in Dan Connor, who concluded his four-year career as the school's leading career tackler (419 stops) and the 2007 Bednarik award winner. As a senior, Connor led the Big Ten and ranked seventh nationally with 145 tackles (15 for loss); he also chipped in six and a half sacks, second on the team. Though somewhat overshadowed until his senior season by the current Buffalo Bills linebacker Paul Posluzny, Connor was a two-time all-American and first-team all-conference selection (2006-7). The linebacker spot took another big hit with the knee injury to yet another all-American, the would-be senior Sean Lee, who will miss the entire 2008 season while rehabbing from his A.C.L. tear. Lee intends to take a medical redshirt and will return in 2009. Corner Justin King, whose 17 passes defended (2 interceptions) were good for second in the Big Ten, elected to enter to the N.F.L. draft following his junior season. A highly-touted recruit who played mostly at receiver as a freshman (10 receptions for 126 yards, 227 yards rushing in 2005), King's ceiling at corner is as high as any player taken in April's draft. Players to watch: The senior wide receiver Derrick Williams – the nearly consensus top high school recruit in the nation in 2005 – arrived at Penn State among nearly insurmountable expectations, and, not surprisingly, has been unable to live up to his promise. This is not to say Williams has been a disappointment: He led the team in receptions (55) last fall while adding the occasional big play to the Nittany Lion arsenal. Nevertheless, Williams enters his final campaign with the goal of stepping up his level of play and becoming a team leader with a new quarterback. Joining Williams at wideout is his fellow senior Jordan Norwood, whose consistency (at least 35 receptions in each of his three seasons) puts him on pace to finish his career among the top three receivers in team history. Taking over for Kinlaw in the backfield will be the sophomore Evan Royster, who rushed for 513 yards and 5 scores in a sterling freshman season. However, a name to remember is the redshirt freshman Stephfon Green (from the Bronx), a quick, shifty back who put on a quite a show at P.S.U.'s spring game in April. The senior center A.Q. Shipley, a two-year starter, leads a line that returns four starters from a season ago. Stefen Wisniewski, whose father and uncle (the two-time all-American and N.F.L. standout Steve Wisniewski) both played for Paterno at Penn State, is a future star on the interior of the Nittany Lions' front. With the loss of two all-American linebackers, the strength of the defense shifts up front, where the Nittany Lions return one of the best linemen in the country in the junior end Maurice Evans, whose 12.5-sack 2007 season made him a finalist for the Ted Hendricks award (nation's top defensive end). His sack total was good for fourth on the P.S.U. single-season list, while his tackles for loss (21.5) placed him fifth in school annals. Without Connor or Lee at linebacker, Paterno and his staff will look to the senior Tyrell Sales to step up his play. Sales, a major contributor on special teams before taking on the starting role in 2007, had 50 tackles and 3 sacks a season ago. In the secondary, the senior safety Anthony Scirrotto has led the team in interceptions each of the last two seasons (6 in 2006, 3 in 2007), though he cannot let a few off-field distractions affect his stellar play. The junior cornerback A.J. Wallace is an electric athlete (a team-record 581 kickoff returns yards last fall) who is still learning the intricacies of the corner position; once he puts it together, he has the potential to be one of the best cover men in the Big Ten. Position battle to watch: Two hopefuls are vying for the starting job at quarterback. The senior Daryll Clark, who was the No. 2 behind Morelli, is currently pegged to start the season opener, though he will need to fend off the sophomore Pat Devlin. Clark brings terrific athleticism to the position; see his performance in the Alamo Bowl, where he ran for 50 yards and a touchdown in helping the Nittany Lions to the victory. Though the jury is still out on whether he can be an effective pocket passer, Clark's running ability will bring P.S.U. fans back to the days of Michael Robinson. His competition is Devlin, a legendary Pennsylvania high school quarterback with only one career pass attempt under his belt. Who takes the starting job will obviously rest on Paterno's personal preference: more mobile, or a more traditional pocket presence; more experienced, or the player with the higher ceiling. The Countdown would never pretend to tell Joe Paterno how to coach his football team, but a smart move would be, if Clark is the starter, to give Devlin a few series per game to get him more experience for the 2009 season, when he will be the unquestioned starter. It's not a bad thing to have two capable quarterbacks, especially when one is an underclassman. 2008 schedule: Aug. 30 Coastal Carolina Sept. 6 Oregon State Sept. 13 @ Syracuse Sept. 20 Temple Sept. 27 Illinois Oct. 4 @ Purdue Oct. 11 @ Wisconsin Oct. 18 Michigan Oct. 25 @ Ohio State Nov. 8 @ Iowa Nov. 15 Indiana Nov. 22 Michigan State Game(s) to watch: Keep an eye on a deadly October, which sends P.S.U. to Purdue, Wisconsin and Ohio State. The team will be in great shape if it can exit the month at 3-1. Season breakdown & prediction: The Nittany Lions will again be in the Big Ten hunt, but look unlikely to unseat the defending conference champion, Ohio State. However, Penn State is still talented enough to reach 10 wins; amazingly, this would make it only the third Nittany Lion team in a decade to reach double-digit victories. The positives for the 2008 Nittany Lions are a strong receiving corps and an experienced line on offense, and while the defense will miss their standout linebackers, I don't expect the unit to experience any meaningful decline in production. So where will Penn State land in the Big Ten? I have the Nittany Lions competing with Illinois and Wisconsin for the second spot being the Buckeyes, though Penn State's away date in Madison may end up being the difference for the Badgers. Over all, I see P.S.U. finishing 9-3, though the potential for great play – if the quarterback situation can resolve itself – could absolutely lead the Nittany Lions to double-digit wins and a shot at Ohio State for the Big Ten crown. With all the talk about Paterno's retirement and the program's rocky off-season, reaching 9 or 10 wins would be a welcome respite for a loyal, but hungry, fan base. Dream season: With an 11-1 regular season and a victory in Columbus, Penn State is able to claim its first outright Big Ten title since 1994. Nightmare season: The Nittany Lions lose to – wait for it – Syracuse in the Carrier Dome in non-conference play, sending their season into a tailspin. Though Paterno rallies his troops for a late season push for bowl eligibility, a 7-5 finish is not what fans expected for the 2008 season. Where Penn State fans congregate: Nittany Lion backers talk P.S.U. sports at Blue and White Illustrated and Fight on State. Other resources include the Web sites of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette and the Altoona Mirror. Who is No. 17?: This team's coach, though under constant attack from both opponents and fans alike, is the active leader in career winning percentage among coaches with at least 10 years experience. Tue, 12 Aug 2008 10:36:47 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/304433 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/304433 The Greatest College Defensive Ends Only players who played in 1970 or later will be eligible. Feel free to elaborate on why you voted for the player you did. This week we will vote for Defensive Ends. Cast votes for 2 DEs who graduated no earlier than 1970. BTW: if you know any members who may be interested; I wondered if you could do me a favor and let them know about this. Sat, 09 Aug 2008 18:56:11 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/303580 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/303580 1. Florida Yes, I know Georgia's No. 1 in the coaches' preseason poll. But since when did the coaches become good prognosticators? Any team with Tim Tebow and Percy Harvin is No. 1 in my poll. 2. Georgia If Florida and Georgia swapped schedules, I'd probably have the Bulldogs No. 1 in the power rankings. The Bulldogs are good, but not good enough to make it through that schedule unscathed. 3. LSU Sounds like a transfer from Harvard's freshman team, Andrew Hatch, may be LSU's quarterback this year. Say this for the Tigers: If it comes down to the offensive and defensive lines, nobody's better. 4. Auburn This is one of those even years, which means Auburn gets LSU at home. That's typically been good news for the home team. Auburn coach Tommy Tuberville has a solid team. Now, if he can only settle on a quarterback. 5. Tenn The Vols should be better in just about every area than a year ago and, despite embarrassing routs to Florida and Alabama, did make it to the SEC championship game. Is Jon Crompton the answer at quarterback? 6. SC The Gamecocks are overflowing with returning defensive starters, including 270-pound middle linebacker Jasper Brinkley. If Steve Spurrier can stick with a quarterback, the Gamecocks could be in for a big year. 7. Ol Miss As the season has drawn nearer, I've decided that the Rebels deserve some more love. Something tells me Jevan Snead will be the third best quarterback in the league, and Ole Miss is loaded in the defensive line. 8. Bama Freshmen figure to play a big role for the Crimson Tide this season, especially at linebacker and receiver. If quarterback John Parker Wilson can play with consistency from the outset, Bama could work itself up. 9. Miss State The first four games are critical for the Bulldogs. They have to find a way to come out of those four at least 3-1. It remains to be seen if Mississippi State has enough offensive playmakers to match last season's success. 10. Kentucky Rich Brooks says he's never had a more talented defense at Kentucky, and he'll need one this season. The Wildcats lost just about everybody on offense, and quarterback hopeful Curtis Pulley is in the doghouse. 11. Arkansas Arkansas will win a game nobody expects it to, but there's just too much unproven about this team to expect a winning season. Bobby Petrino has shown us that it doesn't take him long to put his stamp on a program. 12. Vandy Keep an eye on D.J. Moore, who's one of the most exciting multi-purpose athletes in the league. He'll play receiver and cornerback. Even so, the Commodores will be hard-pressed to climb out of the cellar. Tue, 05 Aug 2008 13:26:08 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/301316 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/301316 Yesterday it was the Preseason Top 25 teams for 2008, today it's the Preseason Irish Band of Brothers' All America Team Offense. Tomorrow will be the Defense, as well as another Football Friday Chat. Just click on the Chat Room to the right and just logon. The chat will start approximately at 2:00 p.m. EST. So let the debating begin, who's the best offensive players in the nation and who do you think got snubbed? Thu, 31 Jul 2008 15:09:46 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/298831 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/298831 Like it or not, right now the SEC is the nation's dominant conference. Two straight national championships and a Hesiman Trophy say it all. So who are the crème de la crème of Dixie? Here a The Señior's picks for the SEC's 10 best players. Wed, 30 Jul 2008 01:26:43 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/297858 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/297858 In a league that saw lots of turnover at the skill position spots, fantasy options might be tougher to come by in the SEC in 2008. However, there stlll is plenty of high-upside, value picks to be had in the later rounds. Mon, 28 Jul 2008 14:54:15 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/297004 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/297004 Here's a prime example of who you have running some of the top football programs in the South: A liar and a nut! Thank goodness we have Coach Weis! Mon, 28 Jul 2008 13:22:35 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/296974 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/296974 Recruiting is a never-ending process, with college programs around the nation in constant pursuit of the best talent available. According to Scout.com, every year since 2002 the SEC has led all conferences in landing the most talented prep football players around the nation. Mon, 28 Jul 2008 01:01:02 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/296732 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/296732 There's two sides to being a quarterback: 1) You get all the glory, and -- if you paid any attention to Matt Leinart's escapades at USC -- all the girls, too; and 2) Next to the coach, it's the QB who takes the most criticism from all those wealthy alumni and drunken fans when things go sour. Still want the job? Arkansas, Auburn, LSU, Penn State and UCLA -- maybe unlike any other teams -- all face quarterback questions that will determine the course of their seasons. So what will they see more of: glory or the wrath of those alumni and fans? The Señior dives into five pivotal QB situations. Sun, 27 Jul 2008 20:16:39 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/296573 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/296573 There's no denying that two of the most talked about college football coaches in the nation this off season have been Rich Rodriguez and Bobby Petrino. Both have new jobs and left their previous jobs under much scrutiny. So early on - do you approve or disapprove of Coach Petrino? Let me give you some information. Thu, 24 Jul 2008 08:12:13 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/294817 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/294817