Sportaholic NFL Power Rankings Week 1

Welcome to the first edition of this season’s Sportaholic NFL power rankings. So many things to address so we’re not going to waste anytime.

The NFL is now an offensive league now and that was never more evident than this past week of games. 14 QBs went over the 300 yard plateau with 3 of those going over 400 yards and of course the fitting end to the weekend saw Tom Brady’s record breaking 517 yard performance on Monday night football. QBs have been ripping defenses to shreds, while DBs are gasping for air (I’ve seen so many players getting oxygen on the sideline). This will go down as the most prolific passing week in the history of the NFL. There are a few teams who are playing defense these days. Look no further than Baltimore as they just pulverized a team that’s use to doing the pulverizing in Pittsburgh. Houston bullied on the Peyton Manning-less Colts but its hard to put much stock into that due to the situation Indy is facing. The ”Monsters of the Midway” also did a number on the Falcons, who were suppose to have a new high-flying attack. As the season plays itself out, the defenses of the league will stand up but at least for this week, the offenses outclassed the other side of the ball.

Now for the rankings:

1. Baltimore Ravens (1-0) – When you go out and just manhandle one of the most, if not the most physical team in the league then in my opinion you deserve to be at the top of the rankings. The Ravens just pushed around the Steelers in every conceivable way. Raise your hand if you thought this one would be a close game, I will wait. My point exactly, no one could have predicted that Baltimore would just blast Pittsburgh like they did. The numbers don’t lie in this game: Baltimore forced 7 turnovers, ran for 170 yards and Joe Flacco was 17-29 for 224 yards 3 TDs and a rating of 117.5. This was just the first game of the season of course so its expected that some teams will come out flat. Big Ben looked uneasy all day in the pocket and could never find his rhythm. A lot of that had to do with the constant pressure being brought on him by Terrell Suggs (3.0 sacks) and Haloti Ngata. Even the ancient warriors Ed Reed (2 Ints) and Ray Lewis (1 Int) got in on the act. Just as dominant performance as you will get in week 1. Mark November 6th on your calendar as the Ravens travel to Pittsburgh and something tells me that the Steelers won’t forget this whooping that hated rival Baltimore put on them.

2. Green Bay Packers (1-0) The pack attack looks intact as Aaron Rodgers just picked up where he left off last year. The offense is so explosive especially when you add a healthy Jermichael Finley and rookie Randall “Corn” Cobb. Rodgers, who I rate as the 2nd best QB in league with Peyton Manning out, now has full command of the offense and just too many weapons at his disposal. He just put on a clinic in the first quarter of Thursday’s night opener, hitting his first 7 targets with precision laser passes. The defense will only get better for them as well as they get back a lot of players from injury reserve on last years roster. Clay Matthews is still a beast off the edge and will have a monster season as he did last year. A lot of things to like in the land of cheese these days.

3. New England (1-0) - This spot was toss up between the Pats and the Bears. The Pats did most of their damage on offense and the Bears did theirs on defense. I will go with the Patriots off the strength of Tom ‘Golden Boy” Brady passing bonanza. Watching the game for the first few quarters, you would have actually thought that the Dolphins had a chance. But of course once Brady got going with his tight ends Rob Gronkowski and Aaron Hernandez and things got dicey for Miami. Brady threw for 517 yards and didn’t even really use Chad Ochocinco (1 catch 14 yards). Their defense gave it the old "Bend but don’t break method" and allowed Chad Henne to rack up 416 yards but most of those were garbage time stats. The rebuilt defensive line looked good as well with Albert Haynestworth just trampling rookie Mike Pouncey a few times. Vince Woolfork also looked fresh with the addition of Hayneworth taking him out the game for a few snaps. Devin McCourty is one of the more underrated corners in the league and Ras-I Dowling has the makings of a good NFL cornerback in his rookie year. The Pats will be in for a stiffer test this weekend against the Chargers but as always you know Brady and the hoodie will be ready.

4. Chicago Bears (1-0) – It’s a wonder what 1 game can do for a team. After facing all the toughness questions in the off-season due to his non-performance in the NFC championship game, Jay Cutler lit up the Falcons secondary to the tune of 312 yards and 2 touchdowns. The Bears defensive were on it as well as they recorded sacks, 2 by Julius Peppers and 2 by Henry Melton who appears to ready for his close up as the new starting DT for the Bears. Maybe the most impressive Bear of them all was Brian Urlacher as he had an interception and picked up a fumble from Matt Ryan to take it in for the score. Chicago really has no worries on defense as they are deep and talented but its usually the offense that doesn’t perform. I think this year will be different as Mike Martz’s system has been in place for a year now. Cutler seems to be comfortable but he still is getting sacked too much as he was taken down 5 times this game. Matt Forte looked the part as well as he exploded for a 56 yard scamper off a screen pass. The Bears made the defending NFC South champs look like chumps and enough can not be said for that. But they better keep Cutler clean if they want a chance to compete this year.

5. Philadelphia Eagles (1-0) – The Eagles are all about the big play and it was on full display against the Rams. Michael Vick's passing numbers were pedestrian (14 of 32 for 187 yards 2 TDs) but you just can’t prepare for what he brings to the game with his legs (8 carries 98 yards). On top of what Vick does you have Lesean McCoy (15 rushes 122 yards), and Desean Jackson (6 catches 102 yards) who can take it to the house at anytime. More importantly for the Eagles is that the defense looked good as they limited Sam Bradford to just 188 yards passing and after allowing Steven Jackson to break off an early big run they held Rams in check on the ground as well (Although Jackson left the game with a strained quad might have had a lot to do with that). The free agents showed up as well as Cullen Jenkins recorded a sack and Jason Babin’s was just a force as he had two sacks, two tackles for loss and four QB hurries. The Eagles racked up 5 sacks in total as the reliable Trent Cole also had one. The only thing that can stop the Eagles is the Eagles in my opinion.

Offensive player of the week: Cam Newton – Wow. That was the first thing that popped in my head when I saw Killer Cam’s stat line of 24 of 37 for 422 yards and 2 passing TDs. Even though Tom Brady passed himself silly against the Dolphins, I still have to go with Cam because we expect that from Brady. Newton’s outburst wasn’t expected as he just obliterated the Cardinals defense and raised his expectations ceiling. What more can you ask for from a rookie QB who didn’t have the benefits of training camps and OTAs. Newton proved that he will be a hand full as he scored with his legs as well for his 3rd touchdown. The happiest guy besides Newton in a Panthers uniform you ask? Steve Smith, who wavered from being on a team that is clearly rebuilding, Smith had 8 catches for 178 yards and caught Newton’s two touchdown passes. Newton is by far ahead of schedule, now the only question is if he can keep this up.

Defensive player of the week: Brian Urlacher - This one is really tough because so many players had great games. Brian Urlacher (1 Int and Fumble recovery for TD), Terrell Suggs (3 sacks), Jason Babin (2 sacks,) Ed Reed (2 Ints) Mario Williams (2 sacks) and Demarcus Ware (2 sacks) to name a few. But I will go with Urlacher as his Interception of Matt Ryan seemed to sink of the confidence of the entire Falcons offense. His fumble recovery for a touchdown was classic Urlacher as he seems always find the ball when there is a scrum of players searching for it. He is the soul of the Bears team and if he continues his high level of play it will simply rub off onto that entire unit, which is already pretty good by the way.

Sportaholic College Football Finale

In a word, wow is all I can say about this past weekend of college football. One of the best slates of finishes we’ve seen in awhile. Mississippi State and Auburn played one of the wackiest games you will see with a stop at the goal line finish. Notre Dame had every opportunity to put away Denard Robinson and Michigan at the Big House and couldn’t do it. South Carolina scored in some of the most unconventional ways to defeat Georgia as the seat continues to warm under Mark Richt and Tyler Bray of the Tennessee Vols showed why many think he is the best sophomore QB in the game with his performance against Cincinnati.

Just a great weekend to be a college football fan as it seemed every marquee game had a great finish. The teams that are at the top will face even tougher opposition this week so the games should only get better. One thing I noticed the most this weekend was the lack of defense on most teams. QBs were chucking the ball all over the place in many games and the defenses were defenseless in defending them.

Now its time to breakdown the weekends top games:

Michigan 35 Notre Dame 31 – Now if your going to have your first night game at the big house, this is the way you want it to go down. Denard Robinson led Michigan to a scintillating comeback that saw him throw 2 touchdowns and an on his final three drives. He capped the game with a 16-yard strike to Ray Roundtree with 2 seconds left to lift the Wolverines to victory. Notre Dame was actually the team out the gates that looked as if it would run all over the Wolverines, as their first two drives led to touchdowns. QB Tommy Rees was sharp most of the game as he threw for 315 yards going 27-39 and 3 TD passes in the process. But Rees also had two costly interceptions and the Fighting Irish couldn’t stop the Michigan offense at all in the second half. Rees threw a 29-yard pass to Theo Riddick with 30 seconds left as Notre Dame looked to seal their first victory of the year, only to have Robinson connect with Jeremy Gallon on a wide open pass that got the Wolverines in field goal range. Instead of going for the FG that would have tied the game, Robinson took a shot at the end zone and found Roundtree for the game winner. This is the first time Michigan has beaten the Irish three times in a row since 1908. The teams rolled up the offense as they combined for 965 yards of total yards. Robinson completed only 11 passes good for 338 yards or over 30 yards a completion if you want to look at it that way. The Big House lived up to its billing in its first primetime game.

Auburn 41 Mississippi State 34 – So much for Auburn being overrated huh? The Tigers found a way to pull out a SEC slugfest as they outlasted the Bulldogs at Jordan-Hare stadium. This was another down to the wire game that saw its share of offense. Auburn jumped all over the Miss. State with a pair of quick TDs in the first from Michael Dyer on a burst of 35-yards and an interception return to take the quick 14-0 lead. The Bulldogs would come storming back and tie the game as LaDarius Perkins had a 40-yard burst of his own for a score and Chris Reif vindicated himself from his earlier Int as he found Brandon Heaven for 15-yard Td pass. It really got crazy in the 2nd quarter as the two teams traded touchdowns back and forth and ended the half with Auburn up 31-24. Vick Ballard and Chris Reif begin to pound the Tigers defense in the 2nd half as Ballard finished with 106 yards on 21 rushes. Reif was basically on the same pace as he finished with 106 yards on 27 carries. Not to be outdone, Tigers running back Michael Dyer finished with 150 yards but it was the last play of the game that saw the Auburn defense stop Reif on the hard yard line to seal the game. “We didn’t come up with the big inch,” he said. “I should have made the play.” One of the best finishes in a game you will see this year.

South Carolina 45 Georgia 42 – Another high scoring affair in the SEC that quite frankly we’re not use to seeing in the ultra physical and defensive conference. The Gamecocks got two unusual touchdowns from defensive end Melvin Ingram. The burly 276 pounder rumbled 68 yards for a touchdown on a fake punt and also recovered a fumble and took it to the house for the short score. Those two scores proved to be the difference as Georgia falls to 0-2 this season. Marcus Lattimore continued his dark horse Heisman campaign as he rushed for 175 tough yards on 27 yards. Even top freshman Jadeveon Clowney got in on the act as he burst through the line unblocked and slung Georgia QB Andy Murray to the ground causing him to fumble. That led to one of Ingram’s touchdowns as he batted it toward the end zone and took it in for a TD. Georgia did look impressive on offense as Andy Murray threw form 248 yards and four scores and running back Isaiah Crowell racked up 118 yards but it wasn’t enough to overcome its 3 turnovers. The Gamecocks take the early lead in the SEC East race.

Other notable games and players:

Tyler Bray of Tennessee: Bray just performed surgery on the Cincinnati Bearcats defense going 34-41 for 405 yards and 4 TD passes. He along with receivers Justin Hunter (10 catches 156 yards 1 TD) and Da’rick Rogers (10 catches and 100 yards 2 TDs) are beginning to form a devastating passing attack for the Vols. Bray can make all the throws and Hunter and Rogers are big physical receivers who can make all the catches. It will be fun to see how these sophomores develop as they could form the best passing trio in UT’s storied history. They will have there stiffest test yet when they face Florida this weekend. Game on.

Alabama’s defense: These guys have the resemblance of a NFL caliber defense. On a weekend of wild offensive outbursts, the Tide flexed their muscle and absolutely pounded Penn. State into submission defensively. Bama just comes at you in waves as they are deep and talented. If you watched most of the games on Saturday, there was a noticeable lack of defense in most games. You won’t have to worry about that when you watch the Tide play as they have standouts Dre Kiltpatrick, Mark Barron and Dont’a Hightower just to name a few. Alabama is allowing 1.8 yards per run and 2.8 yards per pass. Their offense seems to rely on Trent Richardson too much as A.J. McCarron continues to learn but as long as that defense shows up they will win a lot of games.

Mark Richt coaching future: The Bulldogs have to go a 7 or 8 game winning streak including a win over Florida to possibly save the longest tenured coach in the SEC job at this point. Georgia did look much improved against South Carolina but they still had far too mistakes. Richt tried to get his team’s attention this year by scheduling maybe the hardest first two games of the year for any team as they faced #4 Boise State and then #11 South Carolina, but his plan may have backfired as the young Bulldogs seem to need more seasoning before they can start to do some damage. Hopefully Richt’s job status won’t be a distraction going forward for Georgia but it more than likely will.

Texas Longhorn QBs Case McCoy and David Ash: Garrett Gilbert has been giving every opportunity to show his talents in Austin and he finally got the leash against BYU after throwing a pair of interceptions. Enter in Case McCoy and David Ash and the two went a combined 9-11 for 92 yards and two touchdowns. Gilbert short lived days of starting Texas QB may be over with his latest poor performance.

And that does it for the Sportaholic College Football Finale. Make sure to check back this week as chronicle the top games for the upcoming week including Oklahoma vs. Florida State and Tennessee vs. Florida.

The Sportaholic Radio Show 09/10/2011: NFL 1st week edition

Join me and the Sportaholic crew as me discuss the weeks hottest sports topics including:

Peyton Manning out for the foreseeable future:

Manning underwent cervical fusion surgery on Thursday morning, a procedure that will put him out of the game for at least 2-3 months. This follows a May 23 surgery to repair a bulging disc in his neck

Packers and Saints play one of the all-time classics opening games:

The Packers' 42 points were the most Green Bay has scored in an opener since 1919, the first game in this storied franchise's history.

Kobe Bryant joins Twitter, than promptly quits

NFL players may be fined for wearing unauthorized 9/11 tribute gear

According to the tweets of Chicago Bears linebacker Lance Briggs, the penalties for players wearing specific 9/11 tribute gear could be fairly steep

Diss of the week: Nyger Morgan for inciting the Brewers and Cardinals fight:

College Football Setup:

Tennessee vs. Cincinnati:

Alabama vs. Penn State

Notre Dame vs. Michigan

South Carolina vs. Georgia

NFL 1st week predictions



Titans Talk:

Jacksonville vs. Tennessee: Breakdown and key match-ups

This and much more on the Sportaholic radio show. Show time begins at 10 am this Saturday morning. Make sure you tune in and call in to share your opinion. I know and love sports and I don’t hold my tongue on the show so I expect that from my audience as well. Sportaholic: sports is what we do.

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Sportaholic College Football Weekend Setup

At last the time has come for another season of college football. I unfortunately didn’t have the opportunity to post an article last week for the season opener and I still can’t get that out of my head. But alas I am now back in the game and have a fresh take of the biggest games of the weekend. Bama and Penn State should be an interesting game among two of college football’s flagship programs. Michigan vs. Notre Dame just conjures up those old school images of football and this will be a slobberknocker in the Big House. Those are two of the better games this weekend we will touch on plus more. So sit back and enjoy as we set your primer for the weekend in college football.

Alabama (1-0) vs. Penn State (1-0) – This will be the 15th meeting between the two football juggernauts and the first time in Happy Valley since 1989. Joe Pa and the Nittany Lions traveled to Tuscaloosa last year and got whipped 24-3. This year shouldn’t be any different as Bama’s vaunted defense is just as good as or even better than last year’s. Led by Dre Kiltpatrick, Mark Barron and Dont’a Hightower, they are loaded on that side of the ball. In last week’s dismantling of Kent State, the Tide held them to a paltry 90 total yards of offense on 70 plays. Penn State has a chance though because Bama is relying on A.J McCarron, who looked good but not great last week. If Rob Bolden and or Matt McGloin can generate enough offense to at least put a bit of fear into the Crimson Tide, then they may be able to make a game out of this one. In the end though, Bama will just be too strong on the ground with Trent Richardson and Eddie Lacy and will just wear down Joe Pa’s boys with their defense. The Pick: Bama 28-14

Michigan (1-0) vs. Notre Dame (0-1) – You know the Big House will be rocking in Ann Arbor for this one Saturday. This is the first time in 84 years that the game will be played at night. The Wolverines looked good in Brady Hoke’s new pro-style offense including Denard “Shoelaces” Robinson. I thought he would have a difficult transition from the spread to Hoke’s more disciplined pro style but so far so good. His numbers may not have showed it as he was 9 of 13 for 98 yards passing and added 46 yards on the ground but he looked comfortable in the pocket and didn’t look to run as much as did last year. The Michigan defense is still a work in progress as they let lowly Western Michigan gain almost 300 yards in total offense (279) but they did make some big plays as they forced 3 turnovers. And what can we say about Notre Dame? Once again they were hyped as being championship material this year and low and behold they lose their season opener to South Florida. As I was watching that game I kept saying to myself “Alright Notre Dame lets get for real now.” But they never could compose themselves and take over the game. Coach Brian Kelly subbed the inefficient Danye Crist for Tommy Rees and that seemed to spark the Fighting Irish offense as they finished with 508 total yards of offense. In order for the Irish to win this game they will need to get Michael Floyd the ball early and often. He had 12 catches for 154 yards and 2 touchdowns last game and could be just as effective in this one. I get the feeling that Notre Dame has a lot to prove in this game and will be up to the challenge against the Wolverines. The Pick: Notre Dame 35-30

South Carolina (1-0) vs. Georgia (0-1) – The SEC game of week features the two favorites to win the SEC East. The Bulldogs are facing yet another stiff challenge after losing to Boise State last week. I was very disappointed in Andy Murray and the entire Georgia offense with their dismal performance against the Broncos. I was also disappointed with those ugly red uniforms but that’s another story. With all due respect to Boise State’s defense, I believe the Bulldogs were not prepared for the challenge and intensity of the first game on that side of the ball which says something to the coaching of that team. Mark Richt already is on the hot seat and how warm will that seat get if the “Dawgs” get off to a 0-2 start. The Gamecocks on the other hand did won in extraordinary fashion last year as they spotted East Carolina an early 17 point lead with hand picked Connor Shaw at the helm. It was at this point the “Ol Ball Coach” Steve Spurrier realized that umm yeah that Stephen Garcia is pretty good and put him in. Garcia immediately got to work as he ran for a 32-yard touchdown and the offense took off from that point. Marcus Lattimore is just a beast in every meaning of the word. He tore up the ECU defense for 122 yards on the ground and just controlled the game once he got into his groove. Alshon Jeffrey continues to be the big time wide receiver he is suppose to be with 5 catches for 92 yards. This one will come down to the trenches as Georgia will have to find a way to stop Lattimore. He is the key to the game in my opinion and I just don’t think the Bulldogs will be able to stop him even though they have a good defense. The Pick: South Carolina 23-16

Game of the week – Notre Dame vs. Michigan - For traditions sake, I have to go with the old Midwest rivalry dating back 84 years ago. And this one will be the first time they face off under the lights. Notre Dame can’t start off 0-2 if they plan on going to a BCS game but I get the feeling the Wolverines could care less about any of that.

Most Intriguing game - Mississippi State vs. Auburn - Why is this intriguing you ask? Well lets see, this will be the first test for Miss. State and coach Dan Mullen who some have pegged as a darkhorse in the SEC West. The defending national champs Auburn dropped out the poles with a unsavory victory over lowly Utah State. Auburn has won 17 of 18 SEC openers and nine in a row at home. They have also won 9 of the past 10 against the Bulldogs, so something has to give here in this game.

Under the radar game – BYU vs. Texas - This is just the third meeting between the two and BYU actually has the upper hand 2-0 against the Longhorns. The Longhorns and Garrett Gilbert better come to play because if not, BYU can spring the upset over Texas. Malcolm Brown has to continue to be the foundation of the Texas offense.

Wake me when its over game – Memphis vs. Arkansas State - Yes my hometown of Memphis has a football team and no they are not very good. Arkansas State also has a pretty bad team so this one gets the first triple Z’s rating this season. Memphis has lost 10 straight and couldn’t beat an elite JV high school football team. Arkansas State has lost 8 straight non-conference games as well. Sounds like a sleeper to me as in I will sleep through this one. Keep it classy Memphis.

Coach better get it right game – South Carolina vs. Georgia - Mark Richt can go down two roads this game. If the Bulldogs win, then all is well and Georgia can make a run at the SEC East crown. If they lose then all the swirling negativity will engulf the program Its hard enough to play in the SEC but when you’re a coach who trying to keep your job its makes it that much harder. Richt and co better get this one right before its too late. And I can’t wait to see those away jerseys.

NFL: The Pre-season is over now it gets serious

Hello to everyone. You may not remember since I haven’t dropped a post in about two weeks. Just wanted to reintroduce myself, this is the Sportaholic himself. I have been caught up with my regular 9-5 as well as my yearly vacation and haven’t been able to write anything until now. And it was killing me on the inside to finally get to a computer and crank out another article. So I apologize to my regular viewers, I have and never will leave you guys. I also want to thank Taylor, Michael, Jim, Trenise and Ashley for picking up the slack for me in the mean time. The good news is that I am back and will be writing some thought provoking columns this week so make sure you check out the blog. Now back to original column:









And now it gets serious:

Players, coaches and fans have toiled through yet another pre-season and of course not without the disdain that we all have for it. Players barely play, coaches evaluate as much as they can and fans, well we just watch until its gets too boring for us to be honest. But now the real games are finally upon us and the pre-season is mercifully over. No more watching the game until the starters are replaced or until your favorite player is out of the game. No sir, not anymore as of this Thursday when New Orleans takes on Green Bay in the NFL’s newly anointed ritual of beginning the season with the previous Super Bowl champion. The table is now set after a miraculous new labor deal and a shortened free agent bonanza. All 32 teams finally have their roster’s set and will be ready to go come this Sunday. In a sport where the unexpected is always expected, this off-season was as unusual as there have ever been in the league. Teams have re-adjusted payroll, rosters, and expected revenues. This will be one of the most unforgettable season on record due to the circumstances and the fans all seem to understand that we almost lost our dear friend Mr. Football

We the fans can deal with all the comes with the chaos of the season, rather it be Chris Johnson’s holdout to Peyton’s Manning’s neck injury just as long as it has something to do with actual football on the field. As the season turns and the cold air blows in, it’s hard to imagine no football to follow. We can now look forward to a full game with every marquee player giving his all for the entire contest. Ray Lewis doesn’t have to give sideline interviews in the fourth quarter. Matt Cassel can finally play the whole game instead of the three series he has been limited to in the Chiefs pre-season games and maybe even Jim Irsay can chill out on all of the unnecessary tweeting he has been doing all summer long. Yes I watch college football and I love it but nothing on earth is like the sheer brillance of the NFL. I don't care about all of the stuff that has happend off the field just give me my football and give it to me now.

This season has been bubbling from the surface every since the labor deal was struck. This includes all of the personnel questions followed by all the team to team questions. Can the Pack Attack repeat? What will New England do to get their playoff magic back?  Is this Philly team for real? Will Peyton be ready for the beginning of the season and so on and so forth. .My personal favorite has been the upsurge in fantasy football heads who seem to worry more about their teams then the actual player who is producing the numbers for them. This all comes with the nature of the season. Its time to sit back relax and watch the most popular sport in America right now. No more labor talk, no more half played pre-season games and no more Rex Ryan Super Bowl promises. This is a good time to bring up Ray Lewis’s rant about how the crime rate would go up in the inner city without any football being played and now we don’t have to worry about that anymore. Its time for the real thing and after everything that has come between football and us watching and enjoying it, this should the lowest ever crime rate year ever recorded. Football is back baby so buckle up your seat belts and get ready for the ride, Football is back America.

Sportaholic College Football Preview: Mississippi State Bulldogs

College Football is just around the corner with the first games scheduled on September 1st. So with that in mind, we here at the Sportaholic.com figured it was about time to rev up the college football machine and review some local team in our area. With our expanded roster, we now can cover teams from all over the nation but we will start with our home teams. Each week leading up to the season we will have capsules on the University of Tennessee, Vanderbilt University, and Tennessee State University. We will follow those teams with some of the national powers as well, just to make sure we cover all of our bases.






To start things off, we will ask just a few basic questions on each team as: Offense, Defense, what are their strengths, what are their weaknesses, who will be their impact players and what do you project as their season outlook just to name a few. We love college athletics here at the Sportaholic and this just one of many college football posts we have awaiting our viewers this season. So sit back and relax as we here at the Sportaholic preview some of your favorite teams from all over the nation
 
 
Mississippi State University Bulldogs
 
By Taylor Cannon
 
 

 
Well it’s about time MSU football excitement is back. Dan Mullen has brought excitement back to the Magnolia State after completing a 9-4 record (key wins over Georgia, Florida, and Michigan in the Gator Bowl). State is also about to embark on a 100 million dollar expansion to Davis Wade Stadium and a football complex costing 20-25 million, which is breaking ground in a few months. Dan Mullen has to be feeling kind of good about this year’s team returning 8 starters on offense and 7 on the D. Having a more experienced quarterback in Chris Relf and more experienced receiving corps with Junior Chad Bumphis and Junior Arceto Clark (who combined for 996 yards receiving) they also have a talented back in Vick Ballard who rushed for a school record for touchdowns in a season with 19.

Offense - They return 8 starters. If Relf can be solid and consistent as well as if their offense line can hold up, this can be a wide open offense. The combination of Reif and Ballard has the chance of being one of the better QB/RB duos in the country. This team can run and catch. They just need to be dependable.

 
 
 

Defense - On defense they return 7 starters with 4 coming at the secondary position. But the big question is the loss of all three starting Linebackers and Defensive Coordinator in Manny Diaz bolted for the University of Texas, which leaves them wondering how the defense will do in the hands of new coordinator in Chris Wilson. The Defensive line

will also have its challenges, but Defensive Tackles Fletcher Cox and Josh Boyd look promising.

Strengths - State’s strength is definitely the offense. A veteran secondary and a strong interior line will also be key in State’s return to dominance.

Impact players - QB Chris Relf, RB Vick Bullard, WR Chad Bumphis, LB Brandon Wilson, DT Fetcher Cox, S Nickoe Whitley, DE Sean Ferguson

Weaknesses - The loss of Manny Diaz to Texas hurt, also having to replace 3 starting LBs and losing an end could give State fits early in the season. The offense lost its starting center and left tackle could prevent State’s offense from getting to its full potential.

Season prediction – State won’t be sneaking up on anybody this year, but will be in back to back bowls (first time since 98-99). The excitement will be high and the cow bells will be ringing , they may not be in a New Year’s Day bowl, but I smell Peach or Music City bowl. MSU record 9-3 (5-3 in the SEC).

Sportaholic College Football Preview: LSU Tigers

College Football is just around the corner with the first games scheduled on September 1st. So with that in mind, we here at the Sportaholic.com figured it was about time to rev up the college football machine and review some local team in our area. With our expanded roster, we now can cover teams from all over the nation but we will start with our home teams. Each week leading up to the season we will have capsules on the University of Tennessee, Vanderbilt University, and Tennessee State University. We will follow those teams with some of the national powers as well, just to make sure we cover all of our bases.



To start things off, we will ask just a few basic questions on each team as: Offense, Defense, what are their strengths, what are their weaknesses, who will be their impact players and what do you project as their season outlook just to name a few. We love college athletics here at the Sportaholic and this just one of many college football posts we have awaiting our viewers this season. So sit back and relax as we here at the Sportaholic preview some of your favorite teams from all over the nation.

Louisiana State University

By Taylor Cannon

Now to talk about my home state University and the school I grew up cheering for LSU TIGERS. LSU had another great year on the field and in recruiting, but was marred by recruiting violations by an ex –coordinator. In spite of it all LSU has been picked by some to win it all (personally I think it’s a little much, but hey I’ll take it) , and is picked by most pundits to win the SEC West (ahead of LSU arch nemesis Nick Saban and the Alabama Crimson Tide)

1. Offense - 8 offensive starters (The 4 most important are the returning starters on the offensive line) Jordan Jefferson returns at QB, but don’t be surprised if Zach Mettenberger (transfer from Butler Community College and former UGA commit) sees time at the spot. The Tigers will continue their tradition of having a talented run game with Spencer Ware Michael Ford and Alfred Blue and watch . out for true freshman Kenny Hilliard. The receiving group is led by junior Rueben Randle (led team with 544 yards and 3 TDs) and Russell Sheppard. To open holes for the run game and give Jefferson some protection is the O-line led by Center P.J. Lonergan,Left Guard Josh Dworaczyk, and Right Guard T-Bob Hebert ( yeah T-Bob defiantly an O-lineman)


























  2. Defense - 7 defensive starters return and don’t think the loss of elite corner Patrick Peterson means SEC QBs can relax and start throwing the ball against LSU; in part because LSU returns Morris Claiborne (who actually led LSU in Ints and was 3rd in the SEC in that department) they also return Sophomore Tyrann Mathieu (he recorded 57 total tackles, 4.5 sacks, forced five fumbles, recovered three and had two Ints). The rest of its D look just as good with sophomore ends Barkevious Mingo and Sam Montgomery will control the ends (If they improve on their freshman numbers RBs and QBs will be in trouble). Kelvin Sheppard will be missed no doubt, but Ryan Baker, Stefoin Francois and Karnell Hatcher will be good replacements.

3.What are the team’s strengths? The strengths of this team is the run game (Talented and deep ) the O-line 4 starters come back and The secondary looks experienced so does the LB group

4. Who are the teams impact players? QB Jordan Jefferson who was 118-209 for 1411 yards passing looks to help lead this team along with Ware, Ford Jr. and Blue. Rueben Randle and TE Deangelo Peterson looks to help Mr. Jefferson in the passing attack. Baker and Francois look to be great replacements for the departed Kelvin  Sheppard. Also look for cornerbacks Claiborne and Mathieu look to shut down opposing passing attacks this season

5. What is the team weakness? QB Jordan Jefferson he had a solid year but has to improve on the td to interception ratio (4 tds to 9 ints). Steve Kragthorpe the new offense coordinator is going to be the most watched man in the Bayou State, and which Kragthorpe will show up is the question. Will it be the one who had success at Tulsa or the one who bottomed out at Louisville? I believe for probably the first time in LSU football history a weakness is the Special Teams (LSU lost its starting FG kicker, punter, and return specialist), so LSU may want to avoid clutch situations for a few games untill they get that situation figured out.

6. Season projection and projected record - This season LSU has the roughest set of road games in September (at Arlington vs. Oregon, at Mississippi State, and at West Virginia) and on top of that they are home vs. Florida (thankfully) at Tennessee, at Alabama. If LSU can remain healthy, Jordan Jefferson improves his throwing ability, and Miles continues to have luck on his side then look for LSU to AT LEAST win the SEC West conference. LSU’s record ( 11-1 and 7-1 in the SEC).