Only the bowls remain for this season, so I thought it fitting to take a look around college football and see the players, coaches, and trends that are either rising or falling as the season nears its end. Things that are classifies as stock up are items you will hear more about in the coming year, while those that are stock down I feel will take a step back in the national spotlight.
Stock Up - Recruiting and Payment Scandals
I think we have just seen the tip of the iceberg in terms of scandals involving players, schools, and agents. It began with the Reggie Bush scandal, continued with the part in Miami, AJ Green's jersey, and eventually we got Cam Gate. People like to run their mouths and I have a feeling the NCAA is out for blood.
Stock Down - The BCS Doesn't Work Argument
While a playoff is still needed, the BCS worked out about as perfect as it could this year. The National Championship will match two perfect record teams from major conferences. The other BCS bowls are getting pretty good match ups (with the exception of the Fiesta getting stuck with unranked UConn).
Stock Up - Dan Mullen
In just his second year as a head coach, Dan Mullen led his Mississippi State Bulldogs to an 8-4 record that included victories over Georgia and Florida. They also came within a dropped pass of a game winning field goal against Auburn. With the retirement of Urban Meyer at Florida, Mullen is leading candidate to take over in Gainesville. Mullen was already mentioned as a leading candidate for the open job at Miami. If he stays in Starkville or heads back to the sunshine, Dan Mullen is about to get a huge pay raise.
Stock Down - Traditional Powers
Some of the winningest programs in college football history really struggled this season. Texas, coming off an appearance in the national title game, went 5-7 and will be home for the holidays. Miami fired Coach Randy Shannon after losing its final game of the season to South Florida. Michigan has continued to struggle under Rich Rodriguez. South Carolina was the only team in the SEC East to win more than 7 games (Florida 7-5, Georgia 6-6, Tennessee 6-6, Kentucky 6-6). Because of the Reggie Bush scandal, USC was ineligible for a bowl, but only managed a 7-5 regular season.
Stock Up - 1AA Upsets
Appalachian State beating Michigan in 2007 was the gold standard for 1AA upsets and it was just the beginning of what is becoming a trend. During the first 2 weeks of the 2010 season, we saw Kansas lose to North Dakota State, Ole Miss fall to Jacksonville State, and eventually ACC Champ Virginia Tech fall to James Madison. While 1AA schools will never have the depth to match most D1 schools, big programs can no longer completely overlook games against these much smaller schools.
Stock Down - UNC's Defense
When Marvin Austin announced he was partying in Miami with agents, it marked the beginning of the end for what was expected to be one of the best defenses in the country. Many of the players missed most or all of the season, and despite a valiant effort on opening night against LSU, the Tar Heels never lived up to their preseason expectations.
Stock Up - Running Backs
There are two big time running backs that I expect to have big seasons next fall. The first is South Carolina freshman Marcus Lattimore. We all saw what he could do when he dragged gusy all over the field against the Dawgs in September. He rushed for nearly 1200 yards and 17 scores this year, numbers similar to those put up by Knowshon in 2007. He will be the key for South Carolina next fall, the team that will most likely be the favorite in the SEC East. The second is Illinois running back Mikel Leshoure. He is a junior, but if he returns next fall, could be a Heisman candidate. He rushed for over 1500 yards on 6 yards a carry and scored 14 touchdowns. He put up the most impressive single game performance of the season, rushing for 330 yards in the victory over Northwestern at Wrigley Field.
Stock Down - Baseball Playing Quarterbacks
Jake Locker, the Washington quarterback walked away from guaranteed money in minor league baseball and from being a potential top 10 pick to return for his senior season. The Huskies managed to finished 6-6 and get bowl eligibile, but Locker struggled throughout the season. His skill set will still make him a first round pick, but he has clearly been passed by Andrew Luck and Cam Newton. Kyle Parker held off beginning his baseball career with the Rockies to to return under center for Clemson. An up and down season that saw Parker get battered on numerous occassions left many Tiger fans wondering if it was just time to move on. Parker is gone after their bowl game.
Stock Up - Stanford
With sophomore quarterback Andrew Luck, Jim Harbaugh's team was expected to be good. But an 11-1 record and an appearance in the Rose Bowl went way above expectations. Especially when you consider they lost Heisman runner up Toby Gerhart. Their only loss of the season was to undefeated Oregon and Harbaugh is now the hot new coaching name for both college and NFL positions.
Stock Down - Alabama
Everyon'e preaseason #1 was expected to be a shoe-in to retunr to the National Championship game. But an early season loss to South Carolina followed by a late game loss to LSU ended their repeat hopes. But they still had a shot to end rival Auburn's perfect season in the Iron Bowl, quickly jumping out to a 24-0 lead. But the Tigers came back for 28-27 victory, costing the Tide a chance to head back to a BCS bowl game. Heisman Trophy winner Mark Ingram seemed to disappear at times this year and the young Alabama defense was just that - young. Auburn's rise along with great years from Arkansas and LSU means Bama's time as the dominating program in the SEC West may be coming to end.
Stock Up - TCU
TCU put together a second consecutive undefeated regular season and will face Wisconsin in the Bowl. Their decision to leave the Mountain West and join the Big East will give them a chance to play in a BCS conference and increase their reputation nationally. I expect Texas Christian to be a major player in the NCAA for years to come.
Stock Down - Boise State
They came into this year with all the hype. They were the great hope for the little guys, the team that could finally make it to the BCS title. They started their season off great with a win over Virginia Tech and remained undefeated through 10 games. But two missed field goals against Nevada ended their perfect season and cost the Broncos a BCS bowl game. Boise State also made the decision to move conferences, leaving the WAC for the Mountain West. At first, this looked great with quality schools like TCU, Utah, and BYU in the conference. But all three of those schools left (TCU - Big East, Utah - Pac12, BYU - Independent) and now they are no better off than they were. They will open the 2011 season against our Dawgs in the dome. If Georgia shows up and sends Biose back to Idaho with another loss, the days of Boise State as a media darling may be coming to an end.
Stock Up/Stock Down - Auburn
Auburn's rise to the #1 ranking was unexpected and controversial. Cam Newton is clearly the best player in football this year, but the controversy around his father and pay for play can't be ignored. Nick Fairley is also an amazing football player, but his cheapshots and showboating made opposoing fans hate him and referees target him. Never has there been a polarizing team quite like this Auburn team. While people marvel at Newton's ability, they hate the controversy and the NCAA's decision to let him continue to play. Auburn fans took an "us against the world attitude" and it has not painted them in the best light. For all the fans they may have gained this year, they have made new enemies (particulary out of Georgia fans). Most agree that the Cam Newton situation is not over. Only time will tell if Auburn gets to keep all those victories they have accumulated.
This is just a sample of some of the trends I saw this year. Let me know if you agree with my assessments and what you thought were the biggest stock up and stock down topics of the 2010 season.
Showing posts with label 2010 Season in Review. Show all posts
Showing posts with label 2010 Season in Review. Show all posts
Thursday, December 9, 2010
Wednesday, December 1, 2010
BnE's 2010 Georgia Football Superlatives
The 2010 regular season has come to a close. Here is my first look back at the season, as I present the 2010 Georgia football superlatives. These are my opinions, but I would love to hear your opinions as well. Please leave your picks in the comments section.
Best Surprise – Kris Durham
After missing the entire 2009 season with injury, Durham returned for his senior year and became the second leading receiver for the Dawgs. During the suspension of AJ Green, Durham was Aaron Murray’s favorite target. He made some amazing catches in traffic and also showed his speed on a 67 yard touchdown to open the scoring in the Tech game. For the season, he registered career highs in receptions (29), yards (612) and touchdowns (3).
Biggest Disappointment – Bacarri Rambo/ Cornelius Washington
While some would say that the entire 2010 squad was a disappointment, two players in my mind stick out. The first is Bacarri Rambo, personally one of my favorite players coming into the season who has one of the best names for a safety in the history of football. Unfortunately, the promise he showed as a backup in 2009 disappeared this fall. Rambo often looked lost in coverage and while he tied for the team lead in interceptions, he really has a lot to work on before next season.
My other major disappointment was Cornelius Washington. While Justin Houston shined in his position moving from DE to linebacker in the 3-4, Washington was basically invisible. He recorded only 23 total tackles on just one sack. With Houston most likely headed to the pros, Washington will need to become that great pass rush linebacker we expected to see.
Most Overrated – The offensive line
Heaped praise for its experience prior to the season, the offensive line played horribly this year. Even with a quarterback who has the ability to make people miss and run, the line gave up nearly three times as many sacks this year as it did in 2009. The inability to get any kind of push in the middle also limited the run game. And with the Dawgs twice driving for potential game winning field goal attempts (against Arkansas and Colorado) they let a defender go into the backfield and kill drives. Ben Jones is still a hell of a center so there is hope for next season.
Most Underrated – Akeem Dent
After tackling machine Rennie Curran left early, there was a question about who would step into the role as the consistent tackler on the team. Dent took the mantle and ran with. He lead the Dawgs with 122 total tackles and finished second on the team with 2.5 sacks. He also had two forced fumbles and 6.5 tackles for a loss.
Offensive MVP – Aaron Murray
While I was pretty confident that Aaron Murray would be successful under center for Georgia, many fans questioned whether he was the right man for the job. A rough outing during G-Day fueled the fire, but after throwing for 4 touchdowns and running for another during the season opener against Lafayette, people began to see the light. What was supposed to be a position of question in 2010 turned into the most solid on the field. He currently sits one touchdown away from tying the Georgia all-time record for touchdown passes, he has thrown for nearly 3,000 yards, while only throwing 6 interceptions. The only game all season where he actually looked like a freshman was Florida, but it should also be noted he threw for over 300 yards and 3 scores in that game. AJ Green may be the best offensive player at Georgia, but there is no doubt who the most valuable was this fall.
Defensive MVP – Justin Houston
Houston was expected to flourish as he moved from defensive end to outside linebacker in Todd Grantham’s 3-4 defense. Boy did he ever. 57 tackles, 10 sacks, 18.5 tackles for a loss, 1 forced fumble, 1 interception, and 1 defensive touchdown. That was a hell of a year. If he leaves early, I wouldn’t blame him, but it would sure be nice to have his skills for one for fall.
Play of the Year – AJ Green touchdown against Colorado
After being suspended for the first four games, Georgia fans eagerly anticipated the return of AJ Green in the Colorado game. After not touching the ball in the first quarter, Green finally got going on a long reverse run. A few minutes later, AJ turned in the most amazing catch I have ever seen in person:
While the game turned out bad, I will never forget this play. Some other memorable plays from the season include Aaron Murray’s 35 yard scamper for a touchdown against Tennessee, Brandon Boykin’s 4th career kickoff return for a touchdown against Kentucky, Washaun Ealey’s 5 rushing touchdowns against Kentucky, the long Kris Durham catch and run against Tech, and Justin Houston’s fumble recovery and game clinching interception against Tech.
Worst Play of the Year – Third down sack against Arkansas
At home against Arkansas, the Dawgs mounted a huge fourth quarter comeback to tie the game at 31. With the ball and about two minutes left, the Dawgs drove near the 50, within one first down of a Blair Walsh field goal attempt. On third down, Aaron Murray dropped back to pass and Washaun Ealey missed a block. Murray was sacked and the Dawgs had to punt. A few plays later, Ryan Mallett hit Greg Childs for a long touchdown and Georgia fell, 38-31.
Best Win – Tennessee
This is a hard one to pick. Georgia did not have a victory this season over a team that finished with more than 6 wins. The Dawgs were close to wins in a number of games (Arkansas, Colorado, Florida) but came up short in each try. So my pick for game of the year is the Victory over Tennessee at home. Coming in with a 1-4 record and having just lost to lowly Colorado, the Dawgs desperately needed to show up and win big. They did just that, beating the Vols 41-14. Aaron Murray passed for two scores and added two more on the ground, racking up 325 yards of total offense. The defense shut down the Tennessee running game, holding them to a total of just 9 yards. It was revenge for the beat down the Dawgs took in 2009 and helped get the Dawgs back on track to finish with wins in 5 of their last 7 contests.
Worst Loss – Colorado
Colorado is a horrible football team. There is no excuse for Georgia losing that game. We had tons of fans, including myself, he flew thousands of miles to watch the game. AJ Green was back and dominated when playing. But an injury caused him to miss much of the second half and the Dawgs squandered a lead. A Caleb King fumble inside the Colorado 30 killed the Dawgs final drive, which could have ended with a Blair Walsh game winning field goal. But he never got the chance and the Dawgs fell, 29-27.
Biggest “Stock Down” – Rantavious Wooten
What happened to Wooten? So much a part of the game plan in 2009 on screen passes and reverses, he was mostly absent for the entire season. I had high expectations for him after he caught two TD passes against Kentucky last year. With AJ out, I thought he, along with Marlon Brown, would begin to show the potential that earned them high rankings in high school. But it just didn’t happen. How absent was he this season? He only caught seven passes for 41 yards and one TD. He had 6 carries for 28 yards. In other words, he had almost as many carries on offense as he did catches, and neither were significant. His touchdown catch came against Tennessee and it was a great route. I just expected more from him. Hopefully I am wrong, but right now, I just see him falling farther on the depth chart next fall.
Biggest “Stock Up” – Alec Ogletree
By far the most talented freshman coming into the season, Ogletree lived up to the hype by earning a starting job by the end of the season. He started out on special teams and was occasionally seen as a blocker on runs plays. But as the season went on and the secondary struggled, you began to see him more often on the field. The much maligned pass defense seemed to get better towards the end of the season and Alec is one of the reasons why. He was only a freshman and did make his share of mistakes (the blown coverage on the TD pass to the TE against Auburn) but his upside definitely outweighs his faults. Now, if we could only get Rambo to play better, we would have one awesome safety tandem.
Once again, leave your thoughts below.
GO DAWGS!!!
Best Surprise – Kris Durham
After missing the entire 2009 season with injury, Durham returned for his senior year and became the second leading receiver for the Dawgs. During the suspension of AJ Green, Durham was Aaron Murray’s favorite target. He made some amazing catches in traffic and also showed his speed on a 67 yard touchdown to open the scoring in the Tech game. For the season, he registered career highs in receptions (29), yards (612) and touchdowns (3).
Biggest Disappointment – Bacarri Rambo/ Cornelius Washington
While some would say that the entire 2010 squad was a disappointment, two players in my mind stick out. The first is Bacarri Rambo, personally one of my favorite players coming into the season who has one of the best names for a safety in the history of football. Unfortunately, the promise he showed as a backup in 2009 disappeared this fall. Rambo often looked lost in coverage and while he tied for the team lead in interceptions, he really has a lot to work on before next season.
My other major disappointment was Cornelius Washington. While Justin Houston shined in his position moving from DE to linebacker in the 3-4, Washington was basically invisible. He recorded only 23 total tackles on just one sack. With Houston most likely headed to the pros, Washington will need to become that great pass rush linebacker we expected to see.
Most Overrated – The offensive line
Heaped praise for its experience prior to the season, the offensive line played horribly this year. Even with a quarterback who has the ability to make people miss and run, the line gave up nearly three times as many sacks this year as it did in 2009. The inability to get any kind of push in the middle also limited the run game. And with the Dawgs twice driving for potential game winning field goal attempts (against Arkansas and Colorado) they let a defender go into the backfield and kill drives. Ben Jones is still a hell of a center so there is hope for next season.
Most Underrated – Akeem Dent
After tackling machine Rennie Curran left early, there was a question about who would step into the role as the consistent tackler on the team. Dent took the mantle and ran with. He lead the Dawgs with 122 total tackles and finished second on the team with 2.5 sacks. He also had two forced fumbles and 6.5 tackles for a loss.
Offensive MVP – Aaron Murray
While I was pretty confident that Aaron Murray would be successful under center for Georgia, many fans questioned whether he was the right man for the job. A rough outing during G-Day fueled the fire, but after throwing for 4 touchdowns and running for another during the season opener against Lafayette, people began to see the light. What was supposed to be a position of question in 2010 turned into the most solid on the field. He currently sits one touchdown away from tying the Georgia all-time record for touchdown passes, he has thrown for nearly 3,000 yards, while only throwing 6 interceptions. The only game all season where he actually looked like a freshman was Florida, but it should also be noted he threw for over 300 yards and 3 scores in that game. AJ Green may be the best offensive player at Georgia, but there is no doubt who the most valuable was this fall.
Defensive MVP – Justin Houston
Houston was expected to flourish as he moved from defensive end to outside linebacker in Todd Grantham’s 3-4 defense. Boy did he ever. 57 tackles, 10 sacks, 18.5 tackles for a loss, 1 forced fumble, 1 interception, and 1 defensive touchdown. That was a hell of a year. If he leaves early, I wouldn’t blame him, but it would sure be nice to have his skills for one for fall.
Play of the Year – AJ Green touchdown against Colorado
After being suspended for the first four games, Georgia fans eagerly anticipated the return of AJ Green in the Colorado game. After not touching the ball in the first quarter, Green finally got going on a long reverse run. A few minutes later, AJ turned in the most amazing catch I have ever seen in person:
While the game turned out bad, I will never forget this play. Some other memorable plays from the season include Aaron Murray’s 35 yard scamper for a touchdown against Tennessee, Brandon Boykin’s 4th career kickoff return for a touchdown against Kentucky, Washaun Ealey’s 5 rushing touchdowns against Kentucky, the long Kris Durham catch and run against Tech, and Justin Houston’s fumble recovery and game clinching interception against Tech.
Worst Play of the Year – Third down sack against Arkansas
At home against Arkansas, the Dawgs mounted a huge fourth quarter comeback to tie the game at 31. With the ball and about two minutes left, the Dawgs drove near the 50, within one first down of a Blair Walsh field goal attempt. On third down, Aaron Murray dropped back to pass and Washaun Ealey missed a block. Murray was sacked and the Dawgs had to punt. A few plays later, Ryan Mallett hit Greg Childs for a long touchdown and Georgia fell, 38-31.
Best Win – Tennessee
This is a hard one to pick. Georgia did not have a victory this season over a team that finished with more than 6 wins. The Dawgs were close to wins in a number of games (Arkansas, Colorado, Florida) but came up short in each try. So my pick for game of the year is the Victory over Tennessee at home. Coming in with a 1-4 record and having just lost to lowly Colorado, the Dawgs desperately needed to show up and win big. They did just that, beating the Vols 41-14. Aaron Murray passed for two scores and added two more on the ground, racking up 325 yards of total offense. The defense shut down the Tennessee running game, holding them to a total of just 9 yards. It was revenge for the beat down the Dawgs took in 2009 and helped get the Dawgs back on track to finish with wins in 5 of their last 7 contests.
Worst Loss – Colorado
Colorado is a horrible football team. There is no excuse for Georgia losing that game. We had tons of fans, including myself, he flew thousands of miles to watch the game. AJ Green was back and dominated when playing. But an injury caused him to miss much of the second half and the Dawgs squandered a lead. A Caleb King fumble inside the Colorado 30 killed the Dawgs final drive, which could have ended with a Blair Walsh game winning field goal. But he never got the chance and the Dawgs fell, 29-27.
Biggest “Stock Down” – Rantavious Wooten
What happened to Wooten? So much a part of the game plan in 2009 on screen passes and reverses, he was mostly absent for the entire season. I had high expectations for him after he caught two TD passes against Kentucky last year. With AJ out, I thought he, along with Marlon Brown, would begin to show the potential that earned them high rankings in high school. But it just didn’t happen. How absent was he this season? He only caught seven passes for 41 yards and one TD. He had 6 carries for 28 yards. In other words, he had almost as many carries on offense as he did catches, and neither were significant. His touchdown catch came against Tennessee and it was a great route. I just expected more from him. Hopefully I am wrong, but right now, I just see him falling farther on the depth chart next fall.
Biggest “Stock Up” – Alec Ogletree
By far the most talented freshman coming into the season, Ogletree lived up to the hype by earning a starting job by the end of the season. He started out on special teams and was occasionally seen as a blocker on runs plays. But as the season went on and the secondary struggled, you began to see him more often on the field. The much maligned pass defense seemed to get better towards the end of the season and Alec is one of the reasons why. He was only a freshman and did make his share of mistakes (the blown coverage on the TD pass to the TE against Auburn) but his upside definitely outweighs his faults. Now, if we could only get Rambo to play better, we would have one awesome safety tandem.
Once again, leave your thoughts below.
GO DAWGS!!!
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