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Written by MC3 Sports Media
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 Between now and the September 2nd season kick-off, Danny Hobrock will be previewing all the major college football teams with new teams being released daily.
2009 Season Breakdown
2009 final record (overall, conference): 5-7, 4-5
Bowl Game: None
Final Ranking (AP, Coaches'): NR, NR
Conference finish: 7th Pac-10
Offensive rank: 62
Defensive rank: 79
2009 Individual Statistical Leaders
Rushing: Chris Polk, 1,113 yards, 5 TD
Passing: Jake Locker, 2,800 yards, 21 yards, 11 TD
Receiving: Jermaine Kearse, 866 yards, 8 TD
Tackles: Donald Butler, 94 total tackles; Mason Foster, 85 total tackles
Sacks: Daniel Te'o-Nesheim, 10 sacks (9 sacks, 2 assisted)
Interceptions: Mason Foster, 3 interceptions (1 touchdown)
2010 Season Outlook
Schedule
(* denotes conference game)
Key Matchups
September 11 @ UCLA: Although they won their next four after last season's loss to the Huskies, the Washington loss marked the beginning of what would be a disappointing season for the Trojans. USC hasn't dropped back to back games against any team since they lost to Kansas State in 2001 and 2002. For a Huskies team dreaming of Pasadena in January, ending that streak could prove to be key.
October 23 @ Arizona: While there's a lot of chatter about Jake Locker and the Huskies' chances in the Pac-10 this season, the Wildcats have flown under the radar. They have a solid defensive line and secondary that will create an interesting matchup for Locker and the offense. The 'Zona offense will be a good test for a Washington defense replacing five starters and that let up close to 400 yards a game in 2009. Both teams return the vast majority of their offensive production from last season.
November 6 @ Oregon: Washington has some pretty tough conference road matchups and will face arguably the preseason favorite in the conference in early November—just as things begin to take shape in most conference races. The Pac-10 came down to the final game of the season last year and was cloudy for the final few weeks. Washington hopes to be right in the mix in 2010 and needs to win these games against the conference's stronger teams. A win here could go a long way in boosting the Huskies and slowing down the Ducks.
December 4 @ Washington State: The Huskies play the Apple Cup on the road this season. Washington State isn't expected to make much noise in 2010, but would love to make a bang by ruining Washington's hopes at the Pac-10 title.
Preseason Rankings
AP: Not Ranked
Coaches': Not Ranked
Key Losses
Ben Ossai, OT; Daniel Teo'Nesheim, DE; Donald Butler, LB
Key Returning Players
Jake Locker, QB; Chris Polk, RB; Jermaine Kearse, WR; Devin Aguilar, WR; Senio Kelemete, OT; Mason Foster, LB; Desmond Trufant, CB; Nate Williams, S
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Written by MC3 Sports Media
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 Between now and the September 2nd season kick-off, Danny Hobrock will be previewing all the major college football teams with new teams being released daily.
2009 Season Breakdown
2009 final record (overall, conference): 9-4, 5-4
Bowl Game: Emerald Bowl (W 24-13 vs. Boston College)
Final Ranking (AP, Coaches'): 22, 20
Conference finish: 5th Pac-10
Offensive rank: 55
Defensive rank: 40
2009 Individual Statistical Leaders
Rushing: Joe McKnight, 1,014 yards, 8 TD; Allen Bradford, 668 yards, 8 TD
Passing: Matt Barkley, 2,735 yards, 15 TD, 14 INT
Receiving: Damian Williams, 1,010 yards, 6 TD
Tackles: Taylor Mays, 96 total tackles
Sacks: Nick Perry, 8 sacks (8 solo); Everson Griffen, 8 sacks (8 solo)
Interceptions: Will Harris, 4 interceptions (1 touchdown)
2010 Season Outlook
Schedule
(* denotes conference game)
Key Matchups
October 2 vs. Washington: The Huskies handed the Trojans their first loss in 12 contests early last season. While they'll be eager for revenge, Washington returns a more experienced and more confident team in 2010. After what should be a win to open conference play the week before against Washington State, continuing to get off on the right foot will be important in making the most out of their regular season.
October 30 vs. Oregon: The Ducks handed the Trojans their second loss of what would turn out to be a four-loss season. Oregon eventually went on to win the Pac-10, a prize the Trojans have claimed the past seven seasons. While they cannot win the Pac-10 this season, they'll face a tough matchup with the Ducks in their quest to nonetheless finish atop the final conference standings.
November 27 vs. Notre Dame: The non-conference rivalry stretches back to the mid-twenties with Notre Dame holding an all-time 42-33-5 series lead with one USC win now vacated. The Irish have not won this once since 2001 and with high hopes again for this season will be gunning for the Trojans.
December 4 @ UCLA: UCLA sees the Trojans' current predicament as an opportunity to lure more local talent and grab a few victories in the rivalry. Wins against the Trojans have not come easy for UCLA, winning once in 2006 and not since 1998 before that. This will mark a monumental matchup between the two sides with USC not eager to relinquish their reign over Los Angeles football.
Preseason Rankings
AP: 14
Coaches': Not Ranked - Probation
Key Losses
Joe McKnight, RB; Damian Williams, WR; Charles Brown, OT; Jeff Byers, G; Alex Parsons, G; Everson Griffen, DE; Taylor Mays, S
Key Returning Players
Matt Barkley, QB; Stanley Havili, FB; Tyron Smith, OT; Kris O'Dowd, C; Nick Perry, DE; Jurrell Casey, DT
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Written by MC3 Sports Media
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 Between now and the September 2nd season kick-off, Danny Hobrock will be previewing all the major college football teams with new teams being released daily.
2009 Season Breakdown
2009 final record (overall, conference): 7-6, 3-6
Bowl Game: Eagle Bank Bowl (W 30-21 vs. Temple)
Final Ranking (AP, Coaches'): NR, NR
Conference finish: 8th Pac-10
Offensive rank: 88
Defensive rank: 32
2009 Individual Statistical Leaders
Rushing: Johnathan Franklin, 566 yards, 5 TD
Passing: Kevin Prince, 2,050 yards, 8 TD, 8 INT
Receiving: Nelson Rosario, 723 yards, 2 TD; Taylor Embree, 608 yards, 2 TD
Tackles: Reggie Carter, 79 total tackles; Kyle Bosworth, 77 total tackles; Akeem Ayers, 75 total tackles
Sacks: Brian Price, 7 sacks (7 solo); Akeem Ayers, 6 sacks (6 solo)
Interceptions: Interceptions: Rahim Moore, 10 interceptions
2010 Season Outlook
Schedule
(* denotes conference game)
Key Matchups
September 25 @ Texas: UCLA wants to make their way back to relevance on a national level. Playing well against, or beating, a team like Texas would be a good first step.
October 21 @ Oregon: No Jeremiah Masoli, but the Bruins will have to deal with LaMichael James in Eugene this season. Masoli didn't even play in last season's Ducks victory over the Bruins as James went for 152 yards. There are five new starters on the front seven, but by October the Bruins should know where they're at defensively.
December 4 vs. USC: For UCLA, wins have been hard to come by against USC of late. Since 1999, the Bruins are 1-10 against the Trojans. That two of those wins are now vacated comes as little solace to Bruins fans.
Preseason Rankings
AP: Not Ranked
Coaches': Not Ranked
Key Losses
Logan Paulsen, TE; Xavier Su'a-Filo; Brian Price, DT; Korey Bosworth, DE; Reggie Carter, LB; Kyle Bosworth, LB; Alterraun Verner, CB
Key Returning Players
Kevin Prince, QB; Nelson Rosario, WR; Datone Jones, DE; Akeem Ayers, LB; Rahim Moore, S; Kai Forbath, K; Jeff Locke, P
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Written by MC3 Sports Media
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Monday, 02 August 2010 02:01 |
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 All-Pro cornerback Darrelle Revis made it clear since the spring that he wants a new contract, and he spent all summer openly contemplating a holdout. But it was unclear until Sunday evening whether Revis would follow through, saying in recent weeks that he didn't know his plans.
At 5:30 on Sunday afternoon, as the deadline for Jets players to report to camp passed, Darrelle Revis officially became a training-camp holdout.
Revis has repeatedly stated his unhappiness with the organization and with his current contract. He has three seasons left on the rookie contract he signed after he was selected 14th overall in the 2007 NFL Draft and he's scheduled to make $1 million this season making him one of the lowest-paid defensive backs on the team this season.
Darrelle Revis wants to be the league's highest-paid cornerback, a distinction that belongs to Nnamdi Asomugha, who signed a three-year, $45.3 million extension last offseason.
Jets GM, Mike Tannenbaum, admits that Revis has outplayed his original contract, and that the he was the one who proposed reworking the deal in the winter. Tannenbaum said that in the past three days, the team has offered Revis both a long-term and a short-term deal and both were rejected. The Jets GM also stated that he has offered to meet with the All-Pro at the cornerback's home, but Revis' camp has refused to meet.
While Tannenbaum refused to get into the specifics of the contract he did comment on holdout.
"Obviously Darrelle feels we're far enough apart that he didn't want to be here."
"The lines of communication are open and we remain committed to finding a solution that makes sense for him and makes sense for us," general manager Mike Tannenbaum said. "The two things that we've all agreed upon is that Darrelle has outplayed his contract and it needed to be addressed, and he has three years to go on his contract."
By NFL rules, Darrelle Revis will be fined $16,523 for every day he misses, but that's not all. By holding out Revis waived a clause in his contract which would have guaranteed him $20 million over the last two years of his deal.
There are other notable Jets seeking contracts as well. Center Nick Mangold was the most notable, saying he thought that showing up would be putting his "best foot forward" to start the season. Linebacker David Harris, Revis' roommate, also wants a new deal, but he was in attendance as well.
In Revis' absence, first-round pick Kyle Wilson who signed a five-year, $13 million deal late Saturday night will get time with the first-team defense along with Antonio Cromartie and Dwight Lowery.
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Written by MC3 Sports Media
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 Between now and the September 2nd season kick-off, Danny Hobrock will be previewing all the major college football teams with new teams being released daily.
2009 Season Breakdown
2009 final record (overall, conference): 8-5, 6-3
Bowl Game: Sun Bowl (L 31-27 vs. Oklahoma)
Final Ranking (AP, Coaches'): NR, NR
Conference finish: T-2nd Pac-10
Offensive rank: 19
Defensive rank: 90
2009 Individual Statistical Leaders
Rushing: Toby Gerhart, 1,871 yards, 28 TD
Passing: Andrew Luck, 2,575 yards, 13 TD, 4 INT
Receiving: Ryan Whalen, 926 yards, 4 TD
Tackles: Bo McNally, 83 total tackles; Delano Howell, 78 total tackles
Sacks: Tom Keiser, 9 sacks (8 solo, 2 assisted)
Interceptions: Delano Howell, Richard Sherman and Bo McNally, 2 interceptions each (Sherman, 1 touchdown)
2010 Season Outlook
Schedule
(* denotes conference game)
Key Matchups
September 11 @ UCLA: The conference opener down in Los Angeles will pit Andrew Luck and The Cardinal offense against a Bruins team replacing several departed defenders. Linebacker Akeem Ayers and safety Rahim Moore are among the conference's best at their respective positions, but with several newcomers in the starting lineup, this may present an excellent opportunity for Luck and the Stanford offense to grab an early season conference win. Still, this could be a trap game for a Stanford team expecting success in 2010.
September 25 @ Notre Dame: Ok, ok, ok. The Irish aren't relevant the way they once were, but what team wouldn't relish the opportunity to travel to South Bend and beat the Irish on national television? The answer is no team.
November 20 @ California: Finishing strong against Cal in the Big Game with just one more to go would be a great way to close the season, especially if Stanford hopes to insert themselves in the conference title race at the end of the year.
Preseason Rankings
AP: Not Ranked
Coaches': Not Ranked
Key Losses
Toby Gerhart, RB; Jim Dray, TE; Ekom Udofia, DT; Bo McNally, S
Key Returning Players
Andrew Luck, QB; Ryan Whalen, WR; Chris Owusu, WR; David DeCastro, OG; Jonathan Martin, OT; Chase Beeler, C; Owen Marecic, LB/FB; Thomas Keiser, DE; Sione Fua, NT
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Written by MC3 Sports Media
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Sunday, 01 August 2010 00:24 |
 A recap of what went down and what you should take away from the offseason so far.
After a long offseason hiatus, 500 Words or Less is back with one month to go before the start of the 2010 college football season. Over the next couple of weeks, I'll go over what the offseason taught us about the upcoming season. And what better way to start than by dedicating the first 500 Words or Less installment of the 2010 season to discussing what is a major problem in college athletics: unscrupulous agents.
As a simple recap would be redundant for anybody who has followed this circus, let's explore what the events that have transpired over the last couple of months mean for the upcoming season and the game as a whole.
Recapping in 500 words or less, here's what we learned about the player agent problem in college athletics:
- At the forefront of the player agent discussion has been a now notorious party on South Beach and how certain players paid their way to attend. Some notable players mentioned have been North Carolina's Marvin Austin, Alabama's Marcel Davis and Georgia's A.J. Green, among several others. Anybody who would believe that this is a new issue would be naïve, but the problem has nonetheless been thrust to the front of every sports page in the country. The loss of any of these players would have a profound effect on their respective teams, most of which have legitimate conference or national title aspirations.
- CollegeFootballTalk.com's John Taylor lays out a few bullet points that seem like, if nothing else, a good jumping off point. "Ban agents for x number of years who have been proven to give illicit benefits to student-athletes that still have collegiate eligibility; strip the remaining eligibility of a player proven to have received extra benefits or, if they've already left for the NFL, suspend them for x number of games without pay -- that's where the NFL and NFLPA would really come in; there are laws in 38 states relating to player-agents and repercussions for their nefarious actions in dealing with student-athletes. Maybe the NCAA and its member schools should, you know, use them?"
- It's hard to argue against the NFL's involvement in some way, but the problem also needs to be addressed by the coaches. They can't exactly pat down visitors to check for business cards at team events and open practices, and they can't watch their players 24/7, but consistently reinforcing the importance of adhering to the rules may go a long way for a lot of athletes.
- All of the players involved have denied any wrongdoing, and I am not declaring anybody guilty here, but the issue brings to light the players' responsibility in the matter. The players need to realize how poisonous getting involved with these agents can be and realize that their talent and hard work on the field will render them successful professionally and financially.
- Nobody is denying that most at fault are the agents who take advantage of these teenagers and young adults. Most of those casting blame on the players have never had thousands of dollars (in some form or another) waived under their nose by what I am guessing is a pretty reassuring individual. I can't say that I've had the pleasure either, so it's hard to really rail on the players, even if they need to understand that they aren't the average 19 or 20 year old kid and need to protect themselves and make decisions accordingly.
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Written by MC3 Sports Media
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& Between now and the September 2nd season kick-off, Danny Hobrock will be previewing all the major college football teams with new teams being released daily.
2009 Season Breakdown
2009 final record (overall, conference): 8-5, 6-3
Bowl Game: Las Vegas Bowl (L 44-20 vs. BYU)
Final Ranking (AP, Coaches'): NR, NR
Conference finish: T-2nd Pac-10
Offensive rank: 34
Defensive rank: 46
2009 Individual Statistical Leaders
Rushing: Jacquizz Rodgers, 1,440 yards, 21 TD
Passing: Sean Canfield, 3,271 yards, 21 TD
Receiving: James Rodgers, 1,034 yards, 9 TD; Damola Adeniji, 807 yards, 5 TD
Tackles: Keaton Kristick, 95 total tackles
Sacks: Stephen Paea and Gabe Miller, 3 sacks (3 solo)
Interceptions: Lance Mitchell, 3 interceptions
2010 Season Outlook
Schedule
(* denotes conference game)
Key Matchups
September 4 vs. TCU: While this is a neutral location matchup, it does take place in Arlington—about a half an hour from the TCU campus in Fort Worth. This will be a nice road test for an offense returning its two biggest playmakers and sending a promising young quarterback under center. TCU finished first in total defense last season, but must replace five starters. This will also be an enormous test for the Oregon State defense taking on the Horned Frogs offense that lost just two starters.
September 25 @ Boise State: The Beavers could take on two top ten, or top five for that matter, teams in their first three games of the season in TCU and Boise State. Entering conference play the following week, we'll know a lot about Oregon State on both sides of the ball after watching these two matchups.
November 20 vs. USC: The Trojans are a key matchup for just about any Pac-10 team. Not only are they expected to contend for the conference title, but the confidence boost that beating last decade's most celebrated team can bring to a program is enormous. Wouldn't that be nice with matchups against Stanford and Oregon remaining on the schedule?
December 4 vs. Oregon: Potentially one of the top five rivalries in all of college football, the Civil War was first played in 1894 and has been played every year since except for five years, and was played twice in the same year on two occasions. Oregon leads the all-time series 57-46-10 and has won the last two contests. Last year's 37-33 win decided the Pac-10 with both the Beavers and Ducks vying for a spot in the Rose Bowl.
Preseason Rankings
AP: 24th
Coaches': 22nd
Key Losses
Sean Canfield, QB; Matt LaGrone, DE; Keaton Kristick, LB; David Pa'aluhi, LB
Key Returning Players
Jacquizz Rodgers, RB; James Rodgers, WR; Alex Linnenkohl, C; Stephen Paea, DE; Gabe Miller, DE; Dwight Roberson, LB; James Dockery, CB
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Written by MC3 Sports Media
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 Between now and the September 9th season kick-off, Hank Koebler, IV will be previewing all the NFL teams with new teams being released daily.
2009 Season Breakdown
2009 final record (overall, division): 9-7, 2-4
Division finish: 3rd AFC North
Offensive rank (Points, Total Yards, Passing Yards, Rushing Yards): 12th, 7th, 9th, 19th
Defensive rank (Points, Total Yards, Passing Yards, Rushing Yards): 13th, 5th, 16th, 3rd
2009 Individual Statistical Leaders
Rushing: Rashard Mendenhall, 1,108 yards, 7 TD; Willie Parker, 389 yards, 0 TD
Passing: Ben Roethlisberger, 4,328 yards, 26 TD, 12 INT
Receiving: Santonio Holmes, 1,248 yards, 5 TD; Hines Ward, 1,167 yards, 6 TD; Heath Miller, 789 yards, 6 TD; Mike Wallace, 756 yards, 6 TD
Tackles: William Gay, 70 total tackles; James Farrior, 68 total tackles, Ryan Clark, 68 total tackles
Sacks: LaMarr Woodley, 13.5 sacks, James Harrison, 10 sacks
Interceptions: Troy Polamalu, 3 INT, 0 TD; Ryan Clark, 3 INT, 0 TD; Tyrone Carter, 2 INT, 1 TD; Keyaron Fox, 1 INT, 1 TD
2010 Season Outlook
Schedule
(* denotes division game)
Key Matchups
September 26 at Tampa Bay: The other three teams the Steelers face in their four-game opening stretch are all legitimate Super Bowl contenders, so Pittsburgh will likely start off 0-4 without Ben Roethlisberger if they lose to the Buccaneers. While at first glimpse, a Tampa Bay victory in this game might seem laughable, it's actually a real possibility. The Steelers' offensive line already wasn't the greatest, but the season-ending injury to Willie Colon makes this line even weaker. Quarterback Byron Leftwich is very immobile in the pocket and has an incredibly slow release, which means the results are disastrous when he plays behind a struggling offensive line as he did in Atlanta in 2007 and Tampa Bay in 2009. With the drafting of rookie defensive tackles Gerald McCoy and Brian Price, the Buccaneers could establish permanent residence in Pittsburgh's backfield, making a long day for Leftwich.
October 31 at New Orleans: It's possible that this is Roethlisberger's third game back from suspension, but it could even be his first game back, depending on Roger Goodell's discretion. Either way, Roethlisberger cannot show any rust whatsoever against the defending Super Bowl champions. While it might already be too late at this point for Pittsburgh to make a playoff run, a win against the Saints would make a huge statement that the Steelers aren't ready to start playing for draft picks just yet. However, the Steelers' chances of winning this game are one hundred and ten percent dependent on Roethlisberger having a breakout game and making his depleted line and receiving corps look good.
November 21 vs. Oakland: While this sounds like an easy win for the the Steelers, it should be remembered that the Raiders actually won when the two teams squared off in 2009. This offseason, the Raiders got a lot better, while the Steelers got a lot worse with the trade of Santonio Holmes and the season-ending injury to Willie Colon. On paper, this actually gives the Raiders the edge. On the field, the Raiders will have to establish a passing attack led by Jason Campbell to cause the Steelers' defense to back off of the run. If this can happen, the Raiders can beat Pittsburgh, which would be a major blow to the swagger of the 2008 season's Super Bowl champions.
Key Losses
Ben Roethlisberger, QB (4-6 games); Santonio Holmes, WR; Willie Colon, RT (season-ending injury); Willie Parker, RB
Key Returning Players
Dennis Dixon, QB; Troy Polamalu, SS; Casey Hampton, NT; LaMarr Woodley, LB; Hines Ward, WR; Rashard Mendenhall, RB
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Written by MC3 Sports Media
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Friday, 30 July 2010 06:22 |
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 Every year, there's always that one player who rises out of relative obscurity to take the NFL by storm. Last year, we can safely say that Chris Johnson was the offensive breakout player of the year as he rose from a promising rookie to the NFL's best running back behind a historic 2,000-yard campaign. On the defensive side of the ball, the distinction goes to Darrelle Revis, who became the most feared shutdown corner in the league. As the 2010 NFL Season approaches, there are a few players that have positioned themselves for this same success, either by past performance or current opportunity.
Here are my top 15 breakout candidates for the 2010 NFL Season.
15. Jordan Shipley, WR, Cincinnati Bengals
The only rookie to make this list, Shipley is in a situation in Cincinnati that could be extremely beneficial to him. With the recent signing of Terrell Owens to complement Chad Ochocinco, the Bengals' passing attack will become one of the most feared in the league. This opens up opportunities for Shipley, who could become a perfect slot receiver for the Bengals. He could possibly provide an effect similar to what Wes Welker has brought to New England.
14. Jason Campbell, QB, Oakland Raiders
Campbell is a man to be pitied. Since leaving Auburn, he has been relegated to learning a new offense almost every year. On the positive side, the Oakland Raiders are a team that he can finally thrive with. They gave him a new contract and have indicated that they are giving him a chance to be their QB of the future. A change of scenery might do the trick for Campbell as he will relish getting to work with players such as Darrius Heyward-Bey, Darren McFadden, and Zach Miller.
13. Kenny Phillips, S, New York Giants
Phillips leads a defense that has added former Titan All-Pro Keith Bulluck and brings back a lot of players who are looking to avenge their 2009 seasons being cut short by injuries. With the Giants showing more dedication to defense, Phillips must step up and be the hammer that his team needs to defend the likes of Donovan McNabb and Co. The University of Miami alumnus has the necessary talent but must overcome injuries and demonstrate the intestinal fortitude needed to head this defense.
12. Jerraud Powers, CB Indianapolis Colts
Along with Jacob Lacey, Powers excelled in the Colts secondary. While other rookie corners in the AFC South such as Ryan Mouton had trouble figuring things out, Powers stepped in for a defense missing Marlin Jackson and made a difference. He was a big part of the defense that took the Colts to the Super Bowl. Expect him to make a Kelvin Hayden-like ascendance in his second year.
11. Matt Moore, QB Carolina Panthers
From a technical standpoint, there is nothing special about this guy. However, when he stepped in for an erratic Jake Delhomme he overachieved and developed a special relationship with WR Steve Smith. With a talented Jimmy Clausen waiting in the wings, Moore will be under pressure to replicate his success, and might take his game to a higher level.
10. Jermichael Finley, TE Green Bay Packers
As Aaron Rodgers goes, so goes the rest of the Green Bay Packers' offense. Once seen as a checkdown option behind Jennings and Driver, Finley has become a force to be reckoned with. With some training, he could evolve into an Antonio Gates/Dallas Clark type of tight end.
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Written by MC3 Sports Media
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Thursday, 29 July 2010 18:42 |
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 Tim Tebow, the second of the Broncos' two first-round selections in April's NFL Draft, agreed to terms with the team on Thursday.
The deal for the 25th overall draft pick is for five years with $8.7 million guaranteed and worth a maximum value of $33 million.
The timing of the agreement will allow the quarterback to join his fellow rookies and early reporting veterans including Kyle Orton and Brady Quinn on the practice field. Training camp officially begins with the first full-squad session on Sunday, August, 1st. - Brian James
Brian is an independent sports journalist covering major professional sports for over 25 years.
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