College Football Top 50

                                                     College Football Top 50

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With the season nine weeks old, and with countless BCS scenarios still playing themselves out in the next couple of Saturdays, I felt like it was time to take a look at who the top 50 players in the game are as of right now. This isn't NFL projection, nor is it in-depth in terms of looking at game film to see how the left tackle at Louisiana Tech handles blitz pickups. It's merely a list going strictly by the numbers. Without further ado, here's my list of the top 25 defensive and offensive players in the land after 8 weeks.

25. O- Ameer Abdullah, Soph. RB, Nebraska
       D- Arthur Brown, Sr. LB, Kansas St.
Abdullah has stepped in with Rex Burkhead missing some time and has been a catalyst for a Nebraska offense that has averaged 42 points a game with 615 yards and 7 TD's. Brown anchors the Kansas State defense that is the only team with someone from all three levels of the D ranked in my top 25. Brown leads the team with 55 tackles.

24. O- Denard Robinson, Sr. QB, Michigan
      D- Josh Francis, Sr. LB, West Virginia
"Shoelace" played horrible against my Notre Dame squad, and has had his issues throwing the ball with 9 interceptions. He makes up for it with 900 yards rushing, as Michigan comes attempts to come back from some tough losses early. As decrepit as the Mountaineers defense has been, Francis has made some plays with 3 sacks and 10.5 TFL's.


23. O- E.J. Manuel Sr. QB, FSU
      D- Nigel Malone, Sr. CB, Kansas St.
Manuel has been climbing the charts lately with his improved production. He's thrown for 2,033 yards and 14 TD's. Malone leads the Wildcats with 5 PBU's, and has 2 picks and a forced fumble.

22. O- Robert Woods, Jr. WR, USC
      D- Jordan Richards, Soph. S, Stanford
Sometimes the forgotten man in USC's high octane attack, he had his best game of the year against Colorado last week. He now has 44 catches for 492 yards and 9 TD's. Richards is the only safety in the top 25, with 8 PBU's and 2 picks.

21. O- Tajh Boyd, Jr. QB, Clemson
      D- Alex Okafor, Sr. DE, Texas
Getting Sammie Watkins back up to speed after some lingering injuries and the horrid DB's he gets to play against in the ACC make Boyd a threat to crack the top ten at the end of the season. He's up to 20 touchdown passes after beating Wake Forest thursday night. Okafor lost his partner in crime in Jackson Jeffcoat for the year, meaning he needs to probably double his current sack total of 6 for the Longhorns to finish on a positive note.

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20 O- Marcus Lattimore, Jr. RB, South Carolina
     D- Jason Verrett, Jr. CB, TCU
Lattimore has gone from Heisman possibility, to someone who's once again battling injuries. He still has double digit touchdowns for a fading offense that doesn't have many other weapons. Verrett was all over the field against Texas Tech, and checks in with 4 Int's and 11 PBU's on the season for a young defense that could be absolutely nasty next year.

19. O- A.J. McCarron, Jr. QB, Alabama
      D- Jackson Jeffcoat, Jr. DE, Texas
McCarron doesn't have the stats that jump off the page, simply because that's not how the Tide do business. He does however, have 16 TD passes and 0 Int's. His team is also a juggernaut, so the Heisman buzz will continue. I do think the Int streak ends today with Jonathan Banks getting him once or twice for Mississippi St. As I mentioned, Jeffcoat is out for the year. He now has an interesting decision about whether to go pro or not. He finishes the season with 9.5 TFL's and 4 sacks.

18. O- Taylor Martinez, Jr. QB, Nebraska
      D- Calvin Pryor, Soph. S, Louisville
Martinez has shown improvement throwing the ball, so he's ahead of fellow dual threat QB Robinson for now. Pryor has been the best player on Louisville's very young defense. Pryor has 3 forced fumbles, 2 picks, and leads the team with 53 tackles before last nights game against Cincy.

17. O- Marcus Mariotta, Frosh. QB, Oregon
      D- Will Compton, Sr. LB, Nebraska
Mariotta could hop up some spots when he plays some actual competition, as he's been getting pulled early in a lot of the Ducks' easy wins so far. He's arguably the best freshman in the country. Compton has stepped in for Lavonte David and contributed a team-high 58 tackles for the Huskers.

16. O- John Hubert, Jr. RB, Kansas St.
      D- C.J. Mosley, Jr. LB, Alabama
Hubert gets lost in the shuffle with all of the "Octomus Klein" Heisman hype, but he is simply a banger that churns out yards for a unit that loves to pound the rock. He's at 663 yards with 8 TD's so far on the season. Mosley leads the Tide in tackles, and is getting a lot of NFL buzz on an extremely deep defensive unit.

15. O- Matt Barkley, Sr. QB, USC
      D- Bradley Roby, Soph, CB, Ohio St.
Barkley hasn't lived up to expectations, but if he continues to have games where he goes 19-20 with 4 touchdown passes, he'll be in the top ten at the end of the year. He's now up to 22 TD's on the year, and has the weapons to easily get to 40. Roby leads the Buckeyes with 12 PBU's and has scored 3 TD's.

14. O- Todd Gurley, Frosh. RB, Georgia
      D- Dee Millner, Jr. CB, Alabama
Gurley will be fighting it out with Marcus Mariotta for the freshman of the year on the offensive side of the ball. He's splitting carries with fellow Diaper Dandy Keith Marshall, but has put up 622 yards and 9 touchdowns to date. I'll be really interested to see how he does against Florida's stout run D in Jacksonville today. Millner has double digit PBU's, 2 picks, and essentially is the latest lock-down corner gettin a lot of draft hype in Bama.

13. O- Mike Gillislee, Sr. RB, Florida
     D- Kevin Minter, Jr. LB, LSU
Gillislee has toiled in obscurity for a couple of seasons, but has had a breakout campaign in his senior season. He's at 652 yards and 7 touchdowns right now. Minter has really stepped up and been a tackling machine for the Tigers. His production jumps off the charts on a team where the Sam Montgomery's and Barkevious Mingo's of the world get more NFL love. Minter has 75 tackles, 4 PBU's 3 sacks, a pick, a forced fumble, and 9.5 TFL's. He's stuffing the stat sheet and then some for one of the best defensive units in the land.

12. O- Andre Ellington, Sr. RB, Clemson
      D- Adam Davis, Sr. DE, Kansas St.
Ellington gets overshadowed by the Clemson passing game, but he's been just as good as the receivers on a team that could end up with only one loss. Davis and fellow DL mate Meshak Williams have been terrors for Kansas St, with Davis totaling 3 forced fumbles and 3.5 sacks.

11. O- Aaron Murray, Jr. QB, Georgia
      D- Stephon Tuitt, Soph. DE, Notre Dame
Murray lost his best receiver in Michael Bennett to injury, but is probably the best QB in the SEC. He's thrown for 1,914 yards and 16 TD's to date. The matchup today with the Gators' secondary looms large for Murray's NFL stock, and Georgia's season. Manti Te'o gets all the hype, but Tuitt has been outstanding rushing the passer for the Irish. To date, he's registered 8 sacks, and has made Irish fans completely forget classmate Aaron Lynch's departure to USF.

10. O- Stepfan Taylor, Sr. RB, Stanford
      D- Devonte Fields, Frosh, DE, TCU
Taylor, much like Gillislee, is an extremely underated offensive standout at the national level. He only needs 154 yards to get to 1,000 for the second straight year. Fields has come out of nowhere to have a comparable freshman year to that of one Jadevon Clowney. To put into perspective, Phil Steele only had him as the 30th best defensive lineman in his class, and he's now the 10th best defensive player nationally based on my numbers. These numbers include a whopping 13.5 tackles for loss, 7.5 sacks, and 2 forced fumbles.

9.  O- Le'Veon Bell, Jr. RB, Michigan St.
    D- Ryan Shazier, Soph. LB, Ohio St.
Bell did a lot of his damage early on, and both he, and his team have cooled off. I look for him to drop quite a bit the rest of the season. Shazier leads top 25 teams in tackles with 76, and has shown versitility with 8 pass breakups. Only a sophomore, I look for Shazier to get lots of NFL hype by next season.

8. O- Colin Klein, Sr. QB, Kansas St.
    D- Terrence Garvin, Sr. LB, West Virginia
Klein is starting to get some Tebow-type love and is arguably the Heisman front-runner after his team smacked around Geno Smith and his boys last week. He showed, albeit against a horrible defense, that he can do more than run as he threw it for 300 plus. Garvin plays for that defense I spoke of, and has 4 sacks from his linebacker spot. It's amazing that anybody from that shitshow of a unit is ranked anywhere, but believe it or not, Garvin has made some plays.

7. O- DeAndre Hopkins, Jr. WR, Clemson
    D- Manti Te'o, Sr. LB, Notre Dame
Hopkins has gone from second in command behind Sammie Watkins, to arguably and equal if not better player. He leads all top 25 teams with 909 receiving yards, and is strong candidate to go high in the draft whenver he comes out. Te'o is the face of the Notre Dame resurrgence, and arguably the face of college football right now. The personal tragedies aside, Te'o has 69 tackles and 4 interceptions as he captains what may be the best defense in all of college football.

6. O- Stedman Bailey, Jr. WR,  West Virginia
    D- Tank Carradine, Sr. DE, FSU
Taking the whole season into account, and not just the last two weeks is what one has to do when evaluating the West Virginia boys. Bailey has been tremendous as both he and Tavon Austin should both get to 1,000 yards and double digit touchdowns with ease. Tank Carradine has stepped in for injured Brandon Jenkins to pair with Bjoern Werner as probably the best defensive end tandem in all of the college game. He leads the team tackles, and has contributed 8 sacks.

5. O- Kenjon Barner, Sr. RB, Oregon
    D- Jadevon Clowney, Soph, DE, South Carolina
Barner's numbers are insane, with 870 yards and 12 touchdowns. If he played for a team with less weapons, they would arguably be even better. Clowney has battled injuries lately, but he leads top 25 teams with 14.5 TFL's.

4. O- Tavon Austin, Sr. WR, West Virginia
    D- Iko Ekpre-Olomu, Soph. CB, Oregon
As I mentioned earlier, Austin needs to be evaluated based on his whole body of work. Even with the collective terribleness against K-State, he was the only Mountaineer to score a touchdown. All in all, he's a threat both as a receiver and as a return man. Ekpre-Olomu is a relative unknown, but with 4 forced fumbles and 10 PBU's, he's been a standout on a defense that doesn't get nearly the amount of love it deserves.

3. O- Marqice Lee, Soph. WR, USC
    D- Morgan Breslin, Jr. DE, USC
Lee barely edges out Austin for top wide receiver honors, as he has raced past Robert Woods as Matt Barkley's main go to guy. Right now he has 60 catches for 784 yards and 8 TD's. Breslin emerged from the JC ranks to come in and overshadow some of the other higher publicized linemen on the team to the tune of 8 sacks and 12 TFL's.

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2. O- Geno Smith, Sr. QB, West Virginia
    D- Bjoern Werner, Jr. DE, FSU
Geno Geno Geno, I don't even know where to begin. I don't question the numbers, even though it's a system that's meant for the QB to average about 9 million yards a game. What I do question is leadership. He looked like he doesn't really have what it takes in that department last week. He needs to stop forcing things if he wants to get back into the Heisman race. "The Germinator," has been an absolute terror for the Seminoles, again taking up some of the Brandon Jenkins slack to produce 8 sacks and 11.5 TFL's. Werner had good numbers in limited snaps earlier in his career, but now has become the best D-lineman in the country according to my metrics.

1. O- Braxton Miller, Soph. QB, Ohio St.
    D- Jarvis Jones, Jr. LB, Georgia
Miller is doing the Denard Robinson thing far better than Mr. Robinson himself this year. Specifically, he's accounted for 21 touchdowns and over 2300 yards for a Buckeyes offense that has been the key in the teams' unexpected 8-0 start. Miller could easily win the Heisman in his sophomore campaign, much like what that Tebow guy did under Urban Meyer years ago. I watched Jarvis Jones single-handedly keep Georgia going on D earlier this year with all of suspensions leaving them shorthanded. He arguably won the Mizzou game by himself. To date, Jones has 36 tackles, 5.5 sacks, 9.5 TFL's and 3 forced fumbles. He also has picked off a pass and has 2 breakups, showing that he's not just a pass rusher. I look for him to have a huge day today against the Gators, cementing his status as the top defensive player in the land.

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                                                            Best by Position:
QB- Braxton Miller
RB- Kenjon Barner
WR- Marqise Lee
DE-Bjoern Werner
LB- Jarvis Jones
CB- Iko Ekpre-Olomu
S- Jordan Richards

College Football Week 3 Quick Picks

                                               Week 3 Picks



 #1 Alabama (2-0) at Arkansas (1-1): What was supposed to be the game of the weekend has now lost pretty much all of its luster due to a little school named Louisiana-Monroe, and the head injury to the Hogs' Sr. QB Tyler Wilson. Now, this is going to be an absolute bloodbath. Bama's D that lost six starters has looked...just as good if not better than last year's unit. Keep an eye on CB Dee Millner to come away with one or two picks. Alabama 42, Arkansas 13.

UNC (1-1) at Louisville (2-0): I'll refrain from discussing UNC's NCAA issues, or discussing my failed two month stint living in Lawville (you have to pronounce it like you have marbles in your mouth). Sticking with the foosballl only, Teddy Bridgewater is really good. The UNC D has some playmakers, including Stafford County's own Tim Scott (Colonial Forge) playing corner. He has two picks on the year, but Bridgewater has yet to throw any, completing 82% of his passes so far. This could be close, especially after Carolina lost to a shitty Wake Forest team last week. Bridgewater, and safteies Hakeem Smith and Calvin Pryor will be the difference makers for LVL. Louisville 24, UNC 21.

USC (2-0) at Stanford (2-0): Stanford has won four in a row against the men of Troy, but they also don't have that Luck dude anymore. I expect this one to be close, as USC showed last week against Syracuse that they still have some question marks on D. That being said, they have too many weapons on the other side of the ball. I think Shayne Skov and Chase Thomas will lead the way in stopping Silas Redd, but the Barkley-Woods, and Barkley-Lee combos will be good for at least 3 touchdowns. USC 35, Stanford 24

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Florida (2-0) at Tennessee (2-0): To simplify this one without getting swayed by the wit of the signs from Knoxville on the set of college gameday (to recap: lots of quality jorts barbs and a Nickelback reference referring to Will Muschamp's musical choices), I like Tyler Bray much better than Jeff Driskel. With everything else pretty much being even, I think this and having homefield is worth enough for the Vols to get the win. Orange Pants 21, Jorts 17

Notre Dame(2-0) at Michigan St. (2-0): I'm a homer. I'm not going to hide the fact that I'm a homer. I am scared shitless of Notre Dame's lack of experience in the secondary, but I'm also not scared of Andrew Maxwell or his receivers. I will preface this pick by saying as long as Brian Kelly doesn't do Brian Kelly type of things and get in the way, I pick the Irish in an upset. Dealing with two horrible personal losses this week, Sr. LB Manti Te'o will be all over the field. Notre Dame 17, Michigan St. 13.

Early Top 5's

There haven't been too many significant games,  and with starters only playing 2-3 quarters due to being up by 50 at halftime, the stats are slightly skewed. That being said, some have stood out more than others after two weeks.

Offense:
1. Braxton Miller, Soph. QB Ohio St.
2. Matt Barkley Sr. QB USC
2. Le'Veon Bell Jr. RB Michigan St.
4. Taylor Martinez Jr. QB Nebraska
5. DeAndre Hopkins Jr. WR, Clemson
5. Marquise Lee Soph. WR, USC
(Miller and Bell have been absolute workhorses so far, rushing for 302 and 280 yards respectively. Barkley to Lee sounds like it might bring a Heisman in the early going, while Martinez came back to earth last week against a resurgent UCLA defense. Hopkins has proven so far that Clemson has two future high draft picks at receiver, stepping up without Sammie Watkins).

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Defense:
1. Jarvis Jones Jr. LB, Georgia
2. Bjorn Werner Jr. DE, FSU
3. Ross Rasner Sr. S Arkansas
4. Morgan Breslin Jr. DE, USC
5. Terrence Garvin Sr. S/LB WVU
(Jarvis Jones needs a nickname. We'll just go with J twice for right now. Whatever you want to call him, Jones has 16 tackles, 2.5 sacks, 1 Int, 2 forced fumbles, 2.5 TFL's and 2 PBU's on the season. On a D that is still missing 4 starters, he literally put his team on his back last week against a fired up Mizzou unit. Werner has 5 sacks already, albeit against glorified D8 schools. Rasner has good numbers on a D that doesn't have much else, while Breslin and Garvin also have been impressive).

Trade Deadline Victors and Epic Failures

I'm breaking almost a nine month silence on the sports blog I'd created and then promptly ignored. The combo effect of having a bunch of free time again, coupled with just a general sense of narcissism wanting to see my own name attached to something I wrote have miraculously led me back. So without further ado, my look at the trade deadline winners and losers

                                                            Winners

New York Yankees: Some may scoff, but I really thought stealing Ichiro away from the Mariners might have been the best deal anyone made. He's aging, and his slash and run style losses effectiveness when one is about to turn 39. Howevvvaaaa (Stephen A. Smith voice), I'm fairly certain I could hit a HR out to right field in Yankee Stadium, and its always been said that Ichiro can hit for much more power than he shows in games. Throw in the fact that he's still a better than average defensive outfielder, and gives the Yanks a much needed stolen base threat, and I feel like he's going to be a major part of the Yankees going anywhere in October.

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Los Angeles Angels: I'm going to keep this one as simple as possible. I challenge anyone to name a better 4-man playoff ready pitching rotation that what the Halos have going right now in picking up Zack Grienke. They can now throw Weaver, Grienke, Wilson, and Dan Haren out there, while let's say they matchup with the Rangers foursome of Matt Harrison, Yu Darvish, Ryan Dempster, and Derek Holland. Their bullpen worries me, as evidenced by the slow-pitch softball games that broke out in Arlington the last four days, but with Trout, Pujols et al ensuring that they won't get shut down offensively very often,  I'd say they're my favorites to win the AL pennant.

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San Francisco Giants: As of right now, I'm predicting an Angels-Giants World Series. The problem in San Fran was that Melky Cabrera, Buster Posey, and Pablo Sandoval were the only people in the lineup that would scare me as an opposing manager. Now, in adding Hunter Pence and Marco Scutaro, you get a top 10 NL outfielder and a scrappy utility-type middle infielder. They now have a better offense than their championship team of two years ago.

                                                      

                                                             Other Winners

Detroit Tigers: Adding Anibal Sanchez and Omar Infante will help shore up a major problem area at 2B, and Sanchez gives them another potential Doug Fister type addition to an already strong staff.

Atlanta Braves: As a Cubs fan, I know the streaky nature of Paul Maholm. I like the Reed Johnson pickup more. He's the prototype for a 4^th OF, someone who leads the league in pinch hits, and will play outstanding defense. If Maholm gives them what he's been giving the Cubbies the last month, they may catch the Nats.

Cincinnati Reds: Marshall-Broxton-Chapman. Sounds a lot like the template for how the Cards did business last season.


                                                         Call Me Maybe

Chicago White Sox: The Youka was on fire, but has come back to earth a bit. Francisco Liriano is a little too inconsistent for my liking. They could have used some bullpen help.

Pittsburgh Pirates: They took chances on Gaby Sanchez coming back from his struggles early in the year whiie Garrett Jones has been playing well, and again rolled the dice with Toronto's hyped prospect that has never done much in Travis Snider. That being said, the Bucos had to something, and getting Wandy Rodriquez covers them for when the inevitable Eric Bedard injury happens.

Arizona Diamondbacks: I really like getting proven playoff vet Scott Podsenik. And Chris Johnson is an upgrade from Ryan Roberts. But with the moves that the Dodgers, and especially the Gigantes made, I don't know if it will be enough.

L.A. Dodgers: This all depends on whether Hanley reverts back to the Hanley of old. Hopefully he can take Matt Kemp's Maturity Seminar and start raking. Shane Victorino could also have an impact, and at the very minimum is an upgrade over Bobby Abreu.

                                                      Big Fat Losers

Baltimore Orioles: The O's magically avoided their traditional June/July swoon, and ...did....absolutely.....nothing. There's a reason people hate Peter Angelos

Boston Red Sox: I don't have enough time to try and analyze this train wreck. So I'll keep it simple. Craig Breslow does not win you a championship.

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Tampa Bay Rays: TB is really limited monetarily. And with Evan Longoria coming back to DH, they didn't think they had to do anything. I would have tried to grab a bat, but maybe they can get Johnny Damon or something. If they win, it will be because of pitching anyway.

Texas Rangers: As an unabashed Cubs homer, I love Ryan Dempster. I also don't think his stuff is going to play very well in Texas, and that he's heading for about a 7-something ERA in the playoffs. They need to either move Alexi Ogando do the rotation, or plan on winning a bunch 12-10 games

                                              
Washington Nationals: I would have preferred the Nats to get some kind of Strasburg insurance if they're insisting upon this absurd innings limit that they seem to be holding onto (More on this at a later date).

Oakland A's: No one expected them to get this far, so they basically can't complain unless they go 0-57 the rest of the way. They don't really lose, they just don't get into the winners category either.

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