Top 10 NCAA Football Poll - Contenders & Pretenders

Time is flying by, we are through week 7 of the college football season. Let's be honest, it's going by too fast. Treasure this time, because come Spring when the NBA is winding down then all you'll see is baseball highlights on Sportscenter. That right there will force you to start mixing alcoholic drinks. The top 25 poll came out this morning and we've seen Oregon move into the #1 spot in the country and Auburn making it's way up the polls as well. So let's take a deeper look into the top 10 this week and decipher who is a contender and pretender.

1. Oregon Ducks - Contender

I love my Utah Utes through and through, but if Utah isn't considered for the national championship(which they won't be) than this is the team I want to win it all. Let's face it, Oregon has been blowing people out and they've made it look easy. Sporting the best uniforms in the country and having rid themselves of the off the field issues that remind us of the Utah State Prison, Chip Kelly has his boys flying around. Everybody talks about LeMichael James but Darren Thomas might be the best kept secret in the country. Nobody talks about Thomas because James steals the show. Kind of like on Friends where everybody talks about Jennifer Aniston but Courtney Cox is clearly the more attractive women and deserves at least half the credit. All Thomas has done is throw for more than 1,500 yards with 17 TD's and 5 INT's. Why is no one talking about him? You better start talking about him because the Ducks are for real.

2. Boise State Broncos - Contender

This will be the toughest paragraph I will have to write in my entire life besides maybe my living will. People that know me know that I can't stand Boise St but I do give credit where credit is due. Now with that being said, Oregon State & Virginia Tech are respectable opponents but we've yet to see Boise State face a real test. Kellen Moore is probably the most complete quarterback in the country and his offense shows no weaknesses. I'm curious to see how Boise State matches up with an opponent that has speed on both sides of the ball. There isn't a team in the country Boise St couldn't play with but should they be considered for the national championship? Probably not, but if they were to go, they'd definitely compete. On completing this paragraph, I've successfully tasted alcohol, who knew Jack and Coke was so good.

3. Auburn - Contender

Someone tell me where the hell Cam Newton came from? Oh wait, he was recruited by Urban Meyer at Florida but didn't play because of some guy named Tim Tebow. Urban Meyer might be the best recruiter we've ever seen. Cam Newton is now the #1 front runner for the Heisman Trophy and he deserves every accolade he gets this year. I watched him single handily win games against LSU and Arkansas. I promise you he's that good. He reminds me of when I was in 4th grade and we had to play against the 6th graders in football at recess. This 6th grader would just mow over people, except me of course. I assure you I bet my lunch card at recess that the kid couldn't mow me over, and I assure you I doubled up on my chocolate milks every day. Auburn is having it's best season since 2004 when they were screwed out of the national championship. And it's all thanks to one Mr. Cam Newton. I'm smelling the Ducks vs the Tigers in the national title game as long as Newton stays healthy or some crazy Alabama fan doesn't Tonya Harding him.

4. TCU - Pretender

Watching TCU this year, I haven't been all that impressed with Andy Dalton. Jordan Wynn from Utah is beating him in passing efficiency and is on track to be Mountain West Conference Offensive player of the year. I'll tell you who does scare me is Ed Wesley and Jeremy Kerley. Kerley is the best kick returner in the country besides Shaky Smithson and Wesley is the best back nobody has ever heard of. Gary Patterson though knows how to get the most out of his teams every single year, one of the most underrated coaches in the country. TCU unfortunately showed it's true colors against Boise State last year in the Fiesta Bowl and it left a bad taste in my mouth. I've got them losing to Utah on November 6th but know they can play with anyone in the country.

5. Michigan State - Pretender

What a story out of East Lansing. Their coach has a heart attack after beating Notre Dame on a fake field goal and then keeps his team rolling through the Big Ten. The only problem is the Big Ten just isn't that good this year. Ohio State wasn't who we thought they were (cue Dennis Green) and Wisconsin I'm still not sold on. If there is one team on this list that I'd love to see have a Cinderella season, it would be Michigan State. Let's be honest, they've been pretty lucky this year. A fake punt to beat Northwestern and a fake field goal to beat Notre Dame. They need more production out of Kirk Cousins and not rely on the running game so much. Let's just be happy that there is one Michigan program that does things the right way. You hear that Rich Rod? Ya, I went there.

6. Alabama - Contender

Remember when Alabama lost to South Carolina? Well here they come and they aren't slowing down anytime soon. They are a contender up until they play Auburn and then I think Cam Newton takes care of them. Whoever wins the Alabama vs Auburn game will be playing in the national championship. Mark Ingram is healthy and he's running like Rand Sargent towards an Apple product, which in terms means like a bad out of hell. And of course there is Nick Saban, who even though is an a-hole, is one of the best coaches in the country (Note: Kylie Minogue just came on my playlist - I've missed her.) Alabama will always bring two things to the table when you play them : 1. One hell of a running game. 2. A defense that will pop you in the mouth. Don't be surprised if they are in the SEC title game or national title game.

7. Missouri - Pretender

I was surprised Missouri beat Oklahoma last night but I'm still not sold on them. Oklahoma did not look like a top 5 team last night and most of that credit deserves to be given to Missouri. If Missouri goes into Nebraska and beats the Huskers than you can mark them down as contenders. Right now, I have Nebraska beating them but not by much. Blaine Gabbertz is a stud and their defense might be more underrated than Clubber Lang in Rocky 3. I'd like to see Missouri attack down field more, they have the athletes to do it, and they have the quarterback to do it. They still have tough tests left with Nebraska and Oklahoma State on the slate. If they win those than you can book them a trip to the Fiesta Bowl.

8. Utah - Pretender (for now)

Utah can't possibly be good right? Hell they haven't played anyone, the best test they had was at Viewmont High. So no good correct? WRONG! Utah is good and here is a few reasons why. They are ffffffaaaaaaasssssssssstttttttt and this is probably the best offense they've had since 2004 if not better than 2004. QB Jordan Wynn has another year under his belt and knows the offense in and out. Their defense was supposed to be bad this year and rebuilding but they've just managed to be in the top 10 in total defense. Their kick returner Shaky Smithson is the best in the country when he's not fumbling the ball around like a drunk at a party fumbling his 40. Kyle Whittingham loves the fact that nobody is talking about his team, he likes sneaking up on people. We will find out how good Utah is when they travel to Air Force and when TCU visits Salt Lake City on November 6th.

9. Wisconsin - Pretender

Solid wins against Ohio State and a great win on the road against Iowa but to me they don't have the horses yet. Scott Tolzien is a great quarterback but he isn't a quarterback that will go out and win you games. If Wisconsin can't run the football they are in serious trouble. Without the running game there is not play action and without play action you have a one dimensional football team. Their only loss came on the road against Michigan State and it doesn't seem they really have any tough tests left this season. Mark my words, if they go to the Rose Bowl this year, they will get blown out, I assure you.

10. Ohio State - Pretender

Ohio State was exposed badly against Wisconsin but then all of a sudden come out against Purdue and just punched them in the mouth. The jury is still out on Terrell Pryor, is he accurate enough to be a great quarterback? We know he can run the ball like crazy but has yet to show he can be an efficient pocket passer. Question marks on the defense have to be a concern, they were absolutely shredded by Wisconsin's running game. One thing we do know is that Senator and Coach Jim Tressel always has teams that rebound and find themselves in a BCS bowl. I wouldn't be surprised to see Ohio State playing in the Rose Bowl or Fiesta Bowl.

Rebuilding or Reloading? Utah Jazz Preview and Predictions

Didn’t it just seem like we were watching the Utah Jazz being swept by the Los Angeles Lakers in May? Time flies but here we are the start of a new basketball season. So what are we looking at this year? No Carlos Boozer (thank heavens), no Kyle Korver (shouldn’t have let the best shooter in the league walk), and no Wesley Matthews (love the guy, but not for 32 million over 4 years). So with the new additions we have next year and with the roster set as of today, let’s take a look at the starting five and bench this year.

STARTING FIVE

PG – Deron Williams – Is there any debate about who’s starting at point guard? This was a no brainer like Ivan Drago beating Apollo Creed in Rocky IV. Deron Williams has solidified himself as the best point guard in the NBA. There isn’t a point guard in the league that can guard Williams one on one and Kobe Bryant gave it a shot in the playoffs with Phil Jackson removing him quickly. It’s finally his team, he’s the oil that makes the engine go, he’s the chocolate that goes on the sundae, and he’s worth every penny we are paying him.

SG – Raja Bell – He replaces the toughness at the shooting guard position we had last year with Wesley Matthews. Bell is a physical defender and he doesn’t back down from any player in the league. Kobe elbowed him a few years back and two plays later Bell Lawrence Taylor’d him when Bryant drove to the hoop. Not only does Bell replace the toughness, but he replaces the 3-point shooting we lost with Kyle Korver going to the Chicago Bulls. I cringed when I saw Korver had signed with the Bulls, but when Bell signed, I went to the stats on shooting. Bell for his career is a 37% 3-point shooter to Kyle Korver’s 40%. If Bell can stay healthy, which he wasn’t all of last year, than the Jazz will be in great shape at the shooting guard position.

SF – Andrei Kirilenko – If the 2003-04 Andrei Kirilenko surfaces this year than the Jazz could be scary good. Ever since the Jazz gave AK the 86 million dollar max deal back in 2004 he disappeared quicker than John Daly’s waistline. Kirilenko was an all-star that year, recorded a few 5x5 stat lines, and didn’t look like the lead singer from Def Leppard like he does now. As the best help side defender on this team, we need Kirilenko to return to his 2004 form. Swapping him and Paul Millsap between the SF and PF will be huge with Mehmet Okur still nursing his achilles injury.

PF – Paul Millsap – When Mehmet Okur comes back from injury, Millsap will head back to the bench, but for now he’s starting at the PF. Millsap is incredibly undersized and the Jazz have him listed at 6’8”. We both know that he’s not that tall and I will go out on a limb to say he’s only 6’6”. With that being said, Millsap is the best rebounder on this team, both offensively and defensively. Even though being undersized, he finds ways to score and defend. I do worry that Millsap may have taken it personal that the Jazz went out and got Al Jefferson to eventually start at the PF position. I do love the idea of them playing together since they are both physical players.

C – Al Jefferson – I will tell you this right now, Al Jefferson’s days of flying under the radar are officially over. I will also tell you that I firmly believe that Al Jefferson is a better power forward than Carlos Boozer. Let’s take a look at the last three seasons for each player, remember Al Jefferson is coming off an ACL injury from 2008.

Al Jefferson - 20.4 PPG – 11.0 RPG – 1.86 TO – 1.56 BPG - 50% FG%

Carlos Boozer – 18.9 PPG – 10.6 RPG – 2.45 TO – 0.4 BPG – 53% FG%

Let me remind you that Al Jefferson put up those stats on a team that never won more than 20 games the past three seasons. You tell me if we will miss a beat? There is a reason my friends and I gave Boozer the nickname “swinging door.” Anytime Fabricio Oberto has a double double on your starting power forward that is supposedly an all-star it’s time to cut the rope. You read it here first; Al Jefferson will have a monster year. No more kicking it out to d-leaguers for three pointers.

BENCH

CJ Miles – People will tell you that I am not the biggest CJ Miles fan and I’ve ranked him in the top 5 of my least favorite Jazz players of all-time. I loved when the Oklahoma City Thunder signed him to an offer sheet and cried harder when the Jazz resigned him. I hadn’t cried that hard since Saved by the Bell went off the air. With that being said, this has to be the year that CJ Miles breaks out. No more log jams at the SG position. CJ will be the first man off the bench to replace Raja Bell and he needs to prove he belongs there. There is no question that CJ has the talent, the athleticism, and the stroke. He’s just never had the smarts, and that’s because he’s still young. I just read that he’s only 23 and it feels like he’s been here since I was sporting girbaud jeans and a bowl cut. No, that wasn’t just last year either but I do miss the bowl cut. Bottom line, its CJ’s time to shine and I hope he proves me wrong.

Gordon Hayward – Please tell me that you think Gordon Hayward looks like the kid off the front of Mad Magazine? Google it and tell me, I can’t stop laughing. I saw Hayward play at Butler last year and in the NCAA tournament. He was easily one of the top players in the country last year. I’ve heard numerous reports that the reason the Jazz let Korver walk was to give more time to Hayward. I’m concerned about his strength and durability for an 82 game NBA season. I was extremely impressed with his versatility and handling the rock. If the kid can shoot better than the 29% he shot from the college three point line than he could be a real steal for the Jazz.

Jeremy Evans – Where do the Jazz keep finding these 2^nd round picks? Jeremy Evans is freak of nature and quite possibly could be the biggest surprise of the 2010 draft. He can defend, jump out of the gym, and rebound the basketball. The only problem is that he weighs about as much as my 10 year old nephew. He had a put back dunk in a summer league game that almost made me execute a bowel movement, it was that good. I get that same feeling after I eat at Tepanyakis. Evans could be a huge spark off the bench for us, someone that could come in and give us shot blocking when Kirilenko needs a blow. With Hayward and Evans selected, I’ve been quite pleased with the progress of both the rookies.

Kyrylo Fesenko - Besides Al Jefferson, this is the other the Jazz man that has me interested this year. He dropped 20 pounds in the offseason, he’s developed a nice little jump hook from five to eight feet, and he’s got himself a real haircut. Plus the Jazz are paying a 7’1” 280 pound walrus practically peanuts. Guys his size don’t fall in your lap unless they are Greg Ostertag (Yes that sound you heard was a dry heave.) Fesenko could turn into a valuable asset for the Jazz if he contributes in two areas, clogging up the middle while blocking shots and rebound the basketball. Sure he’ll give you the occasional garbage points but I assure you that Fesenko will make a good living with the Jazz doing those two chores. We’ll need him come playoff time against guys like Tim Duncan, Yao Ming (if he recovers from his hang nail,) Pau Gasol (the human camel,) and Andrew Bynum.

Ronnie Price – I was happy to see the Jazz keep Ronnie Price along with Earl Watson. Price won’t give you much offensively but he plays defense like a little grasshopper. If you don’t know what I’m talking about than you may want to e-mail Luke Walton and ask him about it. Price will be the third point guard on this team behind Williams and Earl Watson but could find himself as the backup if Watson ever goes down.

Earl Watson – Watson has always been a solid player but he’s never really jumped off the page. I’ve watched him with multiple teams over the years and he always seems to adapt well to whatever system he plays in. I like him as the backup to Deron Williams. He brings stability, toughness, and the ability to run the offense. At times last year watching Price run the offense was like watching an M Night Shyamalan movie, you didn’t know what the hell was going on. Ok that was below the belt but you get my point. We haven’t had a solid backup point guard since, well, Howard Eisley I guess. Boy that was tough to type that.

Francisco Elson – I’m going to be honest, I haven’t seen much of Elson, and I don’t know if that’s a good thing. Then again, he played for the San Antonio Spurs and Denver Nuggets who are both stacked at the center position. Something the Jazz have never been stacked at unless you count Felton Spencer with Antoine Carr. Feel free to stop yourself from drinking the Pledge under your sink after reading that last line because they no longer play for us. For once I’m confident in the ability of our front line due to the fact that we have multiple seven footers. Even though he’ll probably be used in spot minutes, Elson could turn out to be quite a find for us.

Mehmet Okur – I feel bad for Okur and it’s due to the fact that for the last six years he had been our most durable player. When I saw him go down against the Nuggets I looked right at my wife and said “he just ruptured his Achilles,” and I was spot on. I was thinking he should be back by February but now I am hearing that he could be back as quick as December. The Jazz shouldn’t rush him back and I think we all know they won’t do that. We need Okur healthy for the end of the season and in the playoffs. He gives us another seven footer to throw at opposing post players and he stretches the floor opening up the low post for Al Jefferson to punish people. Okur will be a huge part of the Jazz this year and if he can return to the old form before his injury than our front line will be one of the best in the NBA.

Predictions

Utah Jazz – 52 -30 – 3^rd in the West and Northwest Division champions. I’m not sold on the Oklahoma City Thunder quite yet. The division title will run back through Salt Lake City.