College Football Preview- The Conference to Watch

2010 Conference to Watch

The Pac-10

The Pac 10 has never really been revered as a “power conference” especially after the decline of the mighty Trojans. In 2009, the Pac proved to be a strong conference with competition and depth coming from even the most unlikely of places. Although there is no team ranked in the Top 10 this preseason, the Pac 10 is far from mediocre and has quite a few teams and players to keep your eye on. First we have USC post NCAA sanctions under the direction of Lane Kiffin. Regardless, of all the current controversy, the Trojans still should be able to finish with 8-10 wins this year. But they aren’t the only team making readjustments. This year Oregon had its own off-season controversy with legal battles, drug possession, several suspensions and most notably ousted top tier QB, Jeremiah Masoli. There was a hot battle for who would be the new man under center this season, and the Ducks are confidant that they have found their guy, in Darren Thomas, now its a matter of recovering from their off the field drama to regain the Pac 10 crown.

But the true buzz around the Pac 10 is centered around the battle for the top quarterback in college football. Jake Locker from University of Washington and Andrew Luck from Stanford University have been ranked the #1 and #2 QBs in the game this year and both are projected to be first round draft picks and Heisman hopefuls. Scouts have been drooling at the mouth all summer about the raw talent these guys have so it will be exciting to see if they live up to the hype.

Post the "worshipped QB" era of Tebow, McCoy and Bradford; everyone is looking for the next top tier quarterbacks, who will be setting the standard and calling the shots. The difference between these two and their golden boy predecessors is that much of their hype is based around what they can produce post college and how high they are ranked as potential draft picks. And, neither Stanford nor Washington will have a shot at the big BCS Bowl trophy this year. But with both of these sharp shooters taking the snaps, the Pac-10 has some great players that can make some big plays this season.

A Sad Jernigan makes for a Happy STANFORD!

The Stanford Women's Basketball Team is going to the Final Four! BUT... boy did they have to sweat it out. While beating their 3 previous opponents by 98 points, the Cardinal won this game by only 2, but in the NCAA tournament surviving and advancing is all that matters. With star center Jayne Appel on the bench after fouling out the Cardinal struggle to maintain a lead over a game Xavier team that was bracing for the tournament's biggest upset. Down 2 twice within the last minute the Card made two quick responses ,one by a Freshman on a running hook shot (Olajuwon style) that hit nothing but the bottom of the net.
The real story began, however, in the last 15 seconds of the game when a Xavier SENIOR Dee Dee Jernigan missed not one BUT TWO WIDE OPEN LAYUPS! As I watched the game I could only think that God wanted Stanford to win as both shots sat on the rim before refusing to go in the basket. Then Ty Lawson... excuse me Jeanette Pohlen took the ball coast to coast in 4.4 seconds to lay the ball up and give the cardinal the win with about .1 seconds left to spare.
Maybe it wasn't the prettiest effort ever, but the Cardinal are moving forward. On the other side of the court Dee Dee will remember that play in her nightmares possibly for the rest of her life. And if she forgets anytime soon she need not worry as ESPN will continue to throw her under the bus for the rest of the day.

Do You Hear that?... It's the Sound of Bubbles Bursting

First off, shout out to the STANFORD CARDINAL (and Emmanuel with a career high) for beating number 2 seed Arizona State in the PAC 10 tournament and most likely killing ASU's NCAA hopes. They should not feel alone, however, as a number of other teams saw their dreams come to an end. Wake Forest was DESTROYED by a less than stellar Miami team and can now prepare for the NIT. Memphis dropped from its perch as Conference USA royalty and most likely out of the tournament after losing to bottom dweller Houston. Clemson also fell to NC State and their horribly clad coach and have tanked to finish the season once again. And as sad as it was for everyone to watch Cincinati's hopes of making the tournament dribbled out of bounds when Dixon fumbled the ball and Butler put in a 3 pointer off the glass as the clock expired.

Oh The Places Gerhart Could Go

A little part of me died in December when Stanford's Toby Gerhart lost the Hesiman trophy to Bama's Mark Ingram. This past fall he brought Stanford football from a program of shame and embarrassment to one that any alum would be proud of. Now, as the draft nears and athletes are putting their best foot forward in the Combine to become stronger, faster, more efficient players, my attention is on my own "hometown" hero, Toby Gerhart.

Gerhart is wildly underestimated as a RB despite his Heisman worthy performance this past season. During his training at the Combine he has received quiet a bit of criticism of being too slow, doesn't fit the prototypical RB mold, and most people don't have him projected to be a 1st or even 2nd round pick. To make matters worse, a questionable health report may hurt Toby's chances even more.

And as the coaches become mesmerized by how fast a guy can run a 40 let's remember why Toby was a Heisman contender to begin with- it's not just about how you move in a straight line, but more importantly how you move when their isn't one. Any person that has seen Toby play knows that he plays with something that can't be measured on a stop watch or in a weight room, he plays with a level of tenacity, courage and HEART that is truly a joy to watch. There are a couple of places in the NFL that could use and in some cases NEED a back like Toby.

Here is my sneak peek at the places that Gerhart could go (in no particular order)

Cleveland- Cleveland could benefit for a big body RB, his explosiveness is what is going to be the major factor here. If Toby clocks a good speed at the Combine then that increase his chances of being picked at the top of the 3rd. The only problem is that the Browns have several draft needs and their high pick decreases the chance of them grabbing Gerhart.

New York- Its debatable whether the Jets will pick a running back via the draft this year, but they are going to need some power in the backfield and if Toby goes later than expected it would be wise for NY to pick him up especially with recent rumors that Jones will be a free agent. In the era of the two back system Gerhart could really work well to compliment a speed back.

Washington- My personal biases generally don't have me looking out of the Redskins' best interest but their offense could really use a good solid back this year. Portis is still a question mark for next season and Betts with two torn leg ligaments makes for a not-surprising desperate Redskins team. Gerhart ending up in DC comes down to how well he does at the Combine. If he clocks a surprisingly fast 40 speed he might just be out of reach for the Skins. But a mediocre time will kill his draft stock and make him ripe for the Redskins picking at the top of the 4th round. Plus Gerhart is committed to be a RB and with other teams trying to force him into the fullback/halfback position a desperate Gerhart and a desperate Skins offense may just be a match. On the other hand I want Gerhart to go to a program that has a fighting chance so I actually take this possibility off of the drawing board.

Houston- This a good fit for Gerhart because they need a feature back who can take a lot of carries. Toby is extremely coachable, just look at his last season at Stanford; carrying the ball 20, 30 and sometimes even 40 times a game and even throwing a TD pass against Notre Dame. Gerhart is a work horse and for a program in need of RB to complete their offense this makes sense.

San Diego- The loss of LaDanian Tomlinson and putting Darren Sporles up for free agent have the Chargers looking a little lost. They are in need of a serious back who can be a game changer. And Toby's work ethic is somewhat ideal for a program that is willing to invest the time to mold him into the back that they need him to be. It would be no surprise if San Diego grabs Gerhart early.

Hopefully, his performance at the Combine does more to help Gerhart than to hurt him.