#5 - Texas Longhorns vs. Oklahoma Sooners

Why it’s this high:

Because although I don’t live and die with college football, I recognize that it probably produces the most heated rivalries in the country. The NFL is obviously played at a higher skill level, but the constant player movement through free agency and trades just don’t allow for the type of attachment to a team that college football has. At a minimum, even the most incredible talents are on campus for two years, enough time to mature into star players, and more importantly meld into a memorable team.

Although it’s not the premiere college football rivalry, Texas and Oklahoma were the first two teams that jumped to my mind when I was formulating this list. Each team has been a fixture in the national championship conversation every year, with Vince Young’s all-time great performance leading Texas to one in 2005. Oklahoma’s last title falls just outside of the window considering they won it in 2001, but they have appeared in the finale 3 times since that game.

The game is essentially played in a vacuum. Everything is neutral from the venue (the Cotton Bowl in Dallas, which is exactly halfway between Norman and Austin), to the ticket sales (50% for each school), all the way down to dividing the fanbases at the 50 yard line. Assuming that both teams are healthy, there is no crutch for having to play in a hostile environment. The Red River Rivalry is truly a measure of which team is better during a given year.

What’s made the game so interesting year in and year out is how different it looks depending on how the teams are built. 2001 was a game dominated by the defenses, with Oklahoma prevailing 14-3 partly due to a superhuman play by Roy Williams that resulted in 6 points. By 2008, there were fireworks over the Red River as arguably the two best quarterbacks in the country took turns hanging numbers on the scoreboard. Colt McCoy completed 80% of his passes only to be upstaged by Sam Bradford’s 5 touchdowns on the way to the teams putting up a combined 80 points and 873 yards. 

            Despite the bevy of talent the Big 12 has had, both teams have been remarkably consistent. With the exception of the Longhorns’ forgettable 2010, and Mike Leach’s rise to prominence in 2005, Oklahoma and Texas have been 1-2 in the Big 12 South standings every other year.

            A big roadblock that college rivalries often run into is the stars fading at the next level, like Christian Laettner and Ed O'Bannon disappearing after they shook David Stern’s hand. For whatever reason, despite two undefeated years during this decade, Auburn’s most well-regarded player in the NFL is Cowboys defensive tackle Jay Ratliff. Demeco Ryans carries that torch for the Crimson Tide, despite being injured all of last year.

            When players have performed well in the Red River game, it has been a portent of things to come. Bradford and McCoy showed in their first years in the NFL that they have the talent to be starters for the next 10. It could be argued that the two most explosive running backs in the NFL right now are Adrian Peterson (225 yards vs. TEX in 2004) and Jamaal Charles (116 yards vs. OK in 2005). Brian Orakpo and Curtis Lofton are solid representatives on the other side of the ball.

            I can appreciate programs like Boise State as much as anyone. Their ability to take marginal talent and win enough to be relevant on the national stage has an incredibly high degree of difficulty. But when Texas and Oklahoma are at their peak, this game represents the biggest confluence of pro-level talent of any game all year. Whether it's on defense or offense, this game has been the ultimate preview for Sunday's.

Why it’s not higher:

I was actually a good part of the way through writing in Auburn-Alabama for this spot before I deleted everything and switched Texas-Oklahoma. These two teams have produced some fantastic sports moments over the past 10 years, but for a number of reasons they can’t put a dent in the Iron Bowl.

Oklahoma not having a national championship in the past 10 years is certainly a factor, but not the nail in the coffin. A big issue is the wide gap between the second best football conference in the country (the Big 12) and the best (the SEC). There is no doubt that Texas and Oklahoma have produced some phenomenal teams in the past 10 years, but there is a legitimate question as to how they would fare in the deeper and more talented SEC.

A partial answer has been provided in national championship games. Oklahoma’s best team of the past 10 years was definitely the Sam Bradford lead Sooners that averaged an insane 51.1 points per game in 2008. But when they went up against Florida, Sam Bradford had his worst game of the year, and Oklahoma scored 37 points less than that average. Texas’ case is slightly more murky with McCoy’s unfortunate shoulder injury against Alabama, but the fact remains: the SEC has won the last 5 national championships, so by default the top SEC rivalry is the most relevant rivalry in all of college football.

The more pressing issue is where the rivalries stand at this time. I didn’t include Michigan-Ohio State in this list because it’s a borderline certainty both of these programs will be irrelevant in the national title picture for the foreseeable future. Abiding by that standard, some penalty needs to be allotted to Texas.

They finished dead last in the Big 12 South last year, and start 2011 ranked outside of the top 25 for the first time in school history. Will Muschamp, their coach in waiting (man that never seems to work) bolted for Florida this year, and left Texas with a major decision to make once the 60-year old Mack Brown rides off into the sunset. Auburn may have lost their once in a lifetime athlete, but they’re still in preseason top 25’s, and it’s a safe bet to say the Iron Bowl will be hotly contested.

Unless Mack Brown has something major up his sleeve, Oklahoma will do everything but carve Bevo into steaks and grill him. Overall, the past ten years this game has produced outstanding football, but the combination of the last three (Oklahoma out of the top 25 in ’09, Texas out for last year and possibly this year) leave the Cotton Bowl a little short of the Iron Bowl. 

Maryland Head Coach Preview - Ralph Friedgen vs. Randy Edsall

The last, and most important piece to the puzzle is head coach. Maryland improved with their offensive coordinator, and possibly may have sabotaged their season with their defensive coordinator hire.

            It’s kind of funny to me that for the 4 years I was at Maryland, the anti-Friedgen crowd changed from a minority in 2006 to a majority in 2009, to the point that it was a surprise to a lot of people when Debbie Yow retained his services following the worst season in Maryland football history. And then finally, after a 9-4 ACC Coach of the Year season, Friedgen was given his walking papers to the shock of a suddenly uproarious pro-Friedgen contingent. I deduct some points for timeliness from Kevin Anderson, but he still accomplished what he set out to do; create a clean slate for himself at Maryland. 

To be clear, I’m not going to get into the business of arguing legacies between Friedgen and Edsall. This is about which coach is better fit in College Park this year, and hopefully the next 5-10. The biggest fundamental difference between the two is their respective areas of expertise. Friedgen was, and still is, a highly regarded offensive mind, while Edsall built his reputation around defense. So I will be more critical of Friedgen’s teams’ ability to move the ball, and Edsall’s teams’ ability to stop the ball from moving.

Previously: Ralph Friedgen

Maryland football will not be the same without the Fridge this year. In his time as head coach, it was rare to hear a player bad mouth the coach, and in his press conferences you could see why. Results aside, the Fridge truly cared about this program and more importantly, the kids that he recruited to play for it.

It may sound cliché, but there are plenty of emotionless coaches in football (Lane Kiffin, Nick Saban, Bobby Petrino) who would leave their programs and teams without so much as a note for a better job. Fridge was a Maryland lifer, and he put the Terps back on the map back in the early 2000’s, so he deserves a lot of credit for getting them here.

            I personally don’t have the emotional ties to Fridge that a lot of Terps fans do because back in early part of the century when Ralph was producing double digit wins, I still was going to high school in Connecticut. I wasn’t here for the Orange Bowl appearance, or the Peach and Gator Bowl wins. But I believe I can say that those are far enough in the past that their relevance is somewhat diminished.

            Since I came down here in 2006 (also conveniently the last records that cfbstats.com keeps), Maryland football has been a borderline coin flip proposition (34-30; 18-22 ACC). That record over the past five years is the 8^th best in the ACC, better than only Duke, North Carolina, NC State, and Virginia. With the resources and budget at this school’s disposal, there is no way Wake Forest (a program that has lost nearly 200 more games than it has won) should have a better record over a five-year stretch than Maryland.

            The offense during Friedgen’s tenure has been questionable at best. From 2006-2009, the Terps ranked 7^th, 7^th, 9^th, and 11^th in the ACC in scoring offense. 2010 was his piece de resistance, where the Terps put up 32.2 points per game (2^nd ACC; 29^th nationally). But even that is somewhat mitigated by the fact that Maryland was 80^th nationally in yards per game, raising the question of whether the Terps were really that efficient at moving the ball, or just the beneficiary of prime field position given to them by the defense.

            The past few years, the offensive philosophy and play calling produced some head scratching questions. Why was Jordan Steffy ever the option at starting quarterback when Chris Turner was clearly miles ahead of him on game day? How was the offense unable to get the ball into the hands of the admittedly raw but super talented Darrius Heyward-Bey?

Obviously, DHB hasn’t exactly panned out in the pro’s, but his junior year produced only 42 catches for 601 yards and 5 touchdowns, a step down from his sophomore year (51/786/3). For a team that lacked offense and explosiveness in those years, how were there not more short routes to get the ball to the best playmaker on the team and just let him run?

In terms of recruiting, the Terps haven’t really sank or swam under Friedgen, but rather just floated on the surface. Occasionally, certain defensive players have really shined under Friedgen. Maryland has produced linebacker after acclaimed linebacker, sprinkled in a few solid corners (Kevin Barnes and Josh Wilson), and sent plenty of players to the NFL. But similar to when Brian Billick coached the Ravens, you’re left thinking “if this guy is such a great offensive mind, then why is it that the defense is routinely the better unit?”

 I will give credit to Friedgen for his apparent strategy of recruiting high school track stars and turning them into game breaking receivers. Darrius Heyward-Bey and Torrey Smith both weren’t heavily recruited, and they both were first day picks in the NFL. Friedgen’s recruiting has been average - and certainly aided by his apparent consigliere in that department James Franklin - but considering the talent in the DC/Baltimore area, it’s never lived up to what it could be at Maryland.

Overall, in the past 5 years Friedgen has proven a very good program custodian. After the fireworks and national recognition his dominant first three years produced, he more or less leveled off as the coach of a .500 football team, with one train wreck of a year in 2009.

2010 proved that at 63, the guy could definitely still coach a winning football team. But a multi-year extension for a now 64-year old Friedgen was a very risky proposition, especially with Franklin taking his recruiting prowess down south to Vanderbilt. The new offensive coordinator would need to replace Franklin’s above average offensive acumen, and take over more and more of the recruiting as Fridge got more and more disinterested with it.

Though I think the way the situation was handled was a little cold towards the outgoing head coach, it was done at the right time. After the best Maryland season since 2006, and with a great young quarterback, Maryland was very marketable to high-level coaches. At first, offensive savant Mike Leach, but eventually…

            Now: Randy Edsall

            Just a quick note on Edsall before the avalanche of numbers. I grew up in Connecticut my entire life, and to be honest, I didn’t even know Connecticut had a college football team until I was around 15. UConn football wasn’t even used as a punch line, because nobody would have gotten the joke, it was that irrelevant. So I can confidently say that Randy Edsall turning UConn into not only a winning football team, but two time Big East conference champion is pretty damn impressive in my eyes.

            Now to get the knocks on Edsall, and there are quite a few. That surge in UConn football produced a lot of Huskies football fans, many of which I went to high school with. I’ve heard plenty about Edsall, including the 8-5 “Groundhog Day-esque” seasons. Having to go back to 2008 for UConn’s last win against a ranked opponent isn’t exactly encouraging either.

He played under Tom Coughlin at Syracuse, and coached under him three different times. Needles to say, they subscribe to similar disciplinarian philosophies. It truly is his way or the highway, and similar to with Gary Williams, I could see that turning away some star recruits who want a more player friendly coach.

            However, the numbers do not lie, and I mean none of the numbers. Since 2006, UConn’s has had a better average rank than Maryland in: total defense, passing defense, rushing defense, scoring defense, turnovers created, and turnover margin. The loss of Don Brown hurts, but it appears a certainty that Randy Edsall’s arrival will coincide with a better Maryland defense for every year that he’s here.

            What I will be more interested to see is what the Maryland offensive game plan is under Edsall. At Connecticut, he set the advent of the forward pass almost completely to the side, with a passing offense that ranked an average of 98^th in the country from 2006-2010.

 Edsall instead opted to pound away with his backs, twice producing a running back that finished in the top 2 in the country in rushing yards per game. With the lack of an elite level back on the roster, and a fast if not overly talented wide receiving corps, it will be interested to be if he bends to OC Gary Crowton’s spread tendencies, or continues to ship the package on the ground even when the truck has a flat tire.

            One of the most interesting things about Edsall is that despite making his name as a defensive coordinator, he himself was a college quarterback at Syracuse. It’s certainly a benefit that Edsall probably knows both sides of the ball equally well, and definitely has his hands in what the offense will be doing. The last time hecoached a good quarterback was back in the early 2000’s with Dan Orlovsky. This was also the last time Edsall gave a QB the green light, and Orlovsky responded with 3,354 yards and 23 touchdowns.

            Danny O’Brien is better than Dan Orlovsky. After the large scale coaching change during the offseason, I expect O’Brien’s numbers to be better this season in part due to Edsall. As a former quarterback who now creates defenses, O’Brien should be soaking up plenty of what Edsall has to say, and if he does, he could end up replacing the All-Rookie Team hardware on his shelf with something more substantial.

            Edsall as a recruiter seemingly has in-roads in a lot of places. Of the players that he’s sent to the NFL, Jordan Todman is from Massachusetts, Donald Brown is from New Jersey, Darius Butler is from Florida. But more importantly, now that Edsall has a bigger boat, he’s shown no apprehension about going after big catches in recruiting. He’s got Maryland on the board for consensus 5 star players like ESPN 150 #9 recruit Stefon Diggs, #4 recruit Noah Spence, and #2 recruit Eddie Goldman. To make a comparison, the last four top 150 recruits Maryland has gotten have been Adrian Coxson, Kenny Tate, Kerry Boykins, and DJ Adams. All solid players, all ranked 100 and below.

To be fair, Edsall has never gotten an ESPN 150 recruit, but the fact that he’s in the top 7 for Goldman and Spence, and in the top 20 for Diggs speaks to the fact that he’s serious about making Maryland a big time football school. Just one of those kids would increase national talk about the Terps tenfold.

  With Ralph Friedgen, Maryland briefly attained perennially ranked status, finishing 10^th, 13^th, and 20^th in the coaches poll from 2001-2003. But after getting a program to that high level, it’s very difficult to maintain that prestige, and Fridge wasn’t quite able to do it in the limited time that he had. Edsall is younger, and cut his teeth on taking a team from D1-AA to an Orange Bowl in 11 years. Are there blemishes on his resume like never ending the season ranked in the top 25? Of course there are, but Maryland was never going to get a ready-made head coach with a great track record after the Leach talks broke down.

What they did get was one of the hardest working coaches in college football, who now gets to start the climb to greatness a few rungs up the ladder instead of with a pile of wood of at his feet. I think Maryland will end the year in the Top 25, even with Todd Bradford trying to competently construct a defensive scheme. I see losses in one of the first two games, and another in the last three games (probably Notre Dame depending on how that QB situation sifts out).

I have a really tough time seeing them beating Florida State down in Tallahassee considering how talented that team is on both sides of the ball, but Maryland gave FSU all it could handle last year, so maybe they return the favor and beat the Seminoles in their house this year. Put me down for 9-3 this year, with a chance for Edsall to be coaching the game that really matters down in Florida in January.   

Maryland Preview - Defensive Coordinator

Defensive Coordinator:

Previously: Don Brown

This one hurts to do, because I liked Don Brown, and unlike Franklin, I think he will be VERY good. He was hired by the Terps in 2009 out of UMass, with the reputation of using blitzes as his base defense, and that reputation was dead on correct. All things considered, the first year was ugly. The blitzes were late, the timing was off, and there were enough blown coverages that it looked like they were drawn up.

            But then there was last year, which was really where it all came together. Joe Vellano emerged out of nowhere as a stud defensive tackle, the linebacking corps had been together for full year, and the secondary had Kenny Tate dismembering anyone coming over the middle. The jumps were noticeable in some cases (97^th to 77^th in passing defense), and monumental in others (66^th to 21^st in running defense).

            If you buy that Brown’s defenses are predicated on creating havoc, then the passing defense was better than the surface numbers have you believe. The Terps had more interceptions on defense (19), than passing TD’s allowed (17). Those 19 picks were tied for 11^th in the country, and Maryland only allowed a 54.1 completion percentage by opposing QB’s (16^th in the country).

            After Edsall was hired, it was assumed that he would want to bring in his own people (true). But the thought was if he would retain anyone, it would be Brown. After a few weeks of hoping that Brown would stay, he ended up taking Edsall’s return flight to Storrs.

It’s hard to believe that a 55 year old is a hot up and coming name at defensive coordinator, but Brown is. It may take a year to implement his system, but the players raved about how fun it was to constantly be attacking, and the results spoke for themselves in his second year.

            At first, Anderson tried to grab the front page with a potentially explosive hire (Randy Shannon, who was overqualified and rightfully wanted a large chunk of change). But instead, Maryland made their big splash on the offensive side of the ball by hiring big name Crowton. Well, if the Crowton hiring was a cannonball, then the actual defensive coordinator hiring was like using those stupid pool steps with the railing.

Now: Todd Bradford

            I’ve looked at the numbers for Bradford before. I’m not going to try to spin them, because similar to spinning your tires in sh*t, it’ll just send sh*t flying outwards at everyone. Bradford was the defensive coordinator for Brett Favre University (Southern Miss) last year, in the C-USA where such a position shouldn’t really exist.

            I’ll start with the one positive I see: Southern Miss was 13^th in the country in rushing yards allowed per game. However, after working to prepare for C-USA football season for the past 2 years and learning a lot about the teams, I can also tell you that it’s an unwritten rule to start in the shotgun for a lot of those teams, and the stats reflect that idea. Southern Miss only was run on 31.15 times per game (5^th least in the country), and allowed a higher yards per rush than Maryland did last year.

            Now, time to get down to the ugly stuff. The real tell-all stat is that Southern Miss allowed 30 + points in 7 of their 13 games last year, including 50 + points in two of their last three games. They were 75^th in the country in passer rating allowed last year (if you’re keeping score, Maryland was 9^th). The Golden Eagles haven’t been better than 60^th in passer rating allowed under Bradford.

            Maryland’s secondary isn’t exactly sterling, which is why it was so smart on Brown’s part to bring pressure up front with blitzes. Once those blitzes started hitting home in 2010, it made opposing quarterbacks get the ball out quicker. That allowed the subpar secondary to cover for a shorter amount of time, and created some bad passes that lead to those 19 interceptions.

            Bradford for some reason wants this unit to drop back, even when pressure proved very successful last season. Hughes and Chism both aren’t going to turn into Dre Kirkpatrick overnight. Matt Robinson and Eric Franklin are green enough to blend into the Byrd Stadium turf.

            When Crowton was hired, there were snickers amongst LSU and Oregon fans. When Bradford was hired, Maryland fans actually started an online petition to veto the move. With Brown, the defense could have been one of the top units in the ACC this year, with Bradford I’m just happy that the Terps only face a few high octane offenses that could really light up the scoreboard. Bradford will impress me by averting disaster this year.

            Point blank, everyone saw what Brown could do for Maryland last year, and by all accounts it was good and getting better. The Terps have taken a step backwards with the Bradford hire, it’s just a matter of whether it’s just one step back or whether the treadmill is on. 

Maryland Preview - Offensive Coordinator

Before I finish up my posts on the Maryland football team, there’s one more obvious aspect to analyze. This year, the Terps join every other football team in the country that doesn’t have a fridge on their sidelines. Instead, the program will have a shot of (relative) youth at head coach with Randy Edsall taking over.

Along with Edsall comes a completely new coaching staff that will hopefully be able to pick up where the previous administration left off, and then some. I already alluded to some of my feelings of who was an improvement and who was a step down, but let’s dive in to the stats to back up where Kevin Anderson made a good hire, and where he probably should have gone in a different direction.

Offensive Coordinator:

Previously: James Franklin

Ahh, the eternal head coach in waiting. First of all, I think everybody can agree on the fact that we’re happy that that whole mess is over with (although maybe not how it came to its conclusion).

            Starting with the positives, Franklin was apparently worked his ass of on the recruiting trail. In college football, I don’t believe recruiting is half the battle like some people say, but it certainly is a major component of building a successful program.

The fact that Franklin was able to compete with other ACC schools, and pick up 4-star local players like Kenny Tate and Tyrek Cheesboro without the aid of major program tradition (VA Tech) or the more frivolous allures of wads of cash, the occasional abortion, and an endless stream of hookers (Da U) is certainly commendable.

            When it comes down to looking at the numbers, the positive that you can take with Franklin is that the team was mostly trending upward under his watch. In Franklin’s first year back in 2008, the team ranked 91^st in the country in 3^rd down conversion percentage; last year they were 60^th. In 2008, the team was 92^nd nationally in scoring offense; last year? 29^th (32.2 PPG, good for 2^nd in the ACC).

Most importantly, their red zone scoring percentage improved from 72^nd to 32^nd in three years with Franklin. I think the guy is definitely going to be missed from both of those standpoints.

            However, I don’t truly believe that Franklin was, or ever will be an elite coordinator. Maryland was 29^th in the country in scoring offense last year, but a lot of that can be attributed to 3 50 + point performances against a D1-AA team (Morgan St.), the worst ranked defense in the ACC (Wake Forest), and the worst ranked defense in the country (East Carolina).

            Against tougher defenses, Maryland struggled mightily offensively. They only scored one touchdown against the U (22^nd) , and one against Clemson (19^th). The team did have a nice half against WVU (3^rd), where they should have had another touchdown if not for a Smith drop, but for the most part, Franklin put up big numbers against terrible teams, and average or below average ones against what could be considered decent defenses. His struggle with solid defenses doesn’t bode well for the SEC where he’ll face the best defenses in the country, just ask…

Now: Gary Crowton

            It’s tough to know what to think about Gary Crowton, because although he was a an offensive coordinator at one of the best college football teams in the country (LSU), they all but rioted on Bourbon Street to try to get him out of the bayou, and there’s a reason for that.

            As opposed to Franklin’s positive trends, Crowton’s offenses have regressed in his time at LSU. In his first year at LSU, they converted 93.33% of their red zone chances, the highest percentage in the country. Last year they were 29^th in that category. There was a similar drop with 3^rd down conversion percentage (14^th – 74^th), and scoring offense (11^th – 45^th). Unfortunately, this trend appears to be consistent with the sun rising in the east in terms of Crowton’s career.

            In terms of recruiting, Crowton is about as prevalent on the recruiting trail as he was in LSU’s ESPN commercial. Is it unfortunate that the guy apparently really doesn’t recruit much? Yes, it’s definitely a hit. But considering Randy Edsall’s reputation in that regard, it’s certainly not a death blow. Now, let me tell you why you should be excited about a non-recruiting has been.

            The Crowton resume jumps off the page. He was a head coach at BYU, and offensive coordinator at Georgia Tech, Oregon, LSU, and with the Chicago Bears. He is widely credited as one of the pioneers of the spread offense. Now, if you’ve watched any LSU game without a blindfold on for the past 2 years, you should rightfully be asking “what spread offense?”

            A quick look at LSU’s QB depth chart should provide a solid answer. Matt Flynn was far and away the best quarterback Crowton coached while at LSU, which was in 2007. Since then, it’s been a platoon of Jarrett Lee and Jordan Jefferson, which is sort of like choosing between sitting on tacks or eating them. Long story short, Danny O’Brien will be the best quarterback Crowton has worked with in at least 5 years.

            Where Franklin struggled, Crowton shined. Against some of the best defenses in the SEC, and by therefore the country, the Bayou Bengals put up some numbers. 4 touchdowns and 385 yards against Florida (9^th in total defense), and 2 more on the way to a 24-21 win against Alabama (5^th).

Regardless of the occasional bad game, what those numbers tell me is that Crowton is capable of creating a game plan against the best defenses in the country, and beating them. That is something Franklin hasn’t shown the ability to do at Maryland, and a status that he may never achieve.

            When it comes down to it, the loss of Franklin’s recruiting definitely hurts, especially in the offseason. But this receiving corps is deep, with plenty of speed, and the quarterback is a smart, talented passer; a perfect mix for the spread. If given a choice between the two, give me Crowton all week, and twice on Saturday’s. 

3 things I want to see from the Jets tonight

1. Wayne Hutner reassuring me that he's a a capable right tackle:

For better (slow feet in pass blocking) or worse (great run blocker), Damien Woody is now free to ride all the water slides he wants in retirement. The responsibility of right tackle now falls to Hunter, who I thought looked very solid in limited action last year when Woody was injured (see the Bears game). Obviously the guy isn't D'Brickashaw Ferguson, or else the Jets wouldn't have drafted Vlad Ducasse as the heir apparent at the position. 

But they also didn't bring in an established veteran to challenge him for the spot, which makes me think that the coaching staff believes in his ability to play full time. Since the line is so talented across the board with the exception of him and Slauson, he doesn't need to be dominant, just solid. So look for #78 tonight. Are the Jets comfortable running it off right tackle, and when they do, is it successful? When he gets matched up with Mario Williams, does he hold him at bay more times than not? This is a good litmus test for Hunter to see if he can stand up to top level competition. A good performance will help soothe some unease among fans, who are conscious that the Jets road to the Super Bowl requires Sanchez in the drivers seat of the car, not Brunell in the pilot seat of the minivan. 

2) How do the recent draft picks look?

This extends to Kyle Wilson, because if you didn't see his rookie year, then I didn't. It's been widely publicized that Wilson worked out all offseason trying to learn how to do this, or at least a convincing impression of it. Looking back on last season, it was a whole lot to ask of him to not only move from the outside to the slot corner, where he has no help from the sidelines, but to do so against 2 and 3 NFL receivers. I think he has the raw talent to not only be a good corner, but a great one, and if he does pan out that way, throwing the ball against the Jets will go from being a challenge to being a gamble.

Unsurprisingly, Kenrick Ellis is raw after playing most of his college career at "whatever the opposite of a powerhouse is" Hampton. Raw talent development hasn't necessarily been the Jets forte in the past (f*cking Gholston), but they can afford to bring Ellis along slowly, and he'll actually have successful, humble (read: incredibly underpaid) veterans to learn from like Pouha and DeVito. The thing with Gholston is that the Jets never saw flashes of what he could become, because what he became was useless. With Ellis tonight, I'll be content with a solid run stuff or hurrying a QB into a mistake. 

The biggest debut tonight belongs to Mo Wilkerson stepping into the big shoes of the Big Cat. Shaun Ellis is gone, and I'm kind of pissed about it, but not $4 million pissed. Wilkerson's YouTube highlights show a physically dominating player that got into opponents backfields with regularity last year from the interior and exterior of the Temple defensive line. I'd be a much bigger believer if the opponents on the tape weren't Buffalo and post-Dan Lefevour Central Michigan, but as Cleon Salmon says... 

As opposed to his rookie line mate, Wilkerson will be starting from day one, and he has expectations to live up to. Since Rex has been here, he's essentially installed a brick wall against the run, and opponents will obviously be testing what's perceived to be its weakest link early and often this season. Wilkerson can show tonight that he's up to the task against one of the best rushing attacks in the NFL. If he provides any sort of a pass rush, or even a sack or two, prepare yourselves for inane, drunk on power predictions tomorrow right after I buy my Super Bowl tickets. 

3) Jeremy Kerley and the guy old enough to be his dad:

I don't know what expectations to have when looking at Jeremy Kerley.  On one hand, TCU hasn't exactly flooded the league with stud wide receivers the past few years, because they usually care about their offense about as much as Albert Haynesworth cares about anything besides money. Obviously, he didn't exactly put up monster numbers in college, his speed numbers are about as exciting as that of a used Camry (4.56 40 yd dash), and if you're reading this right now, there's a good chance you're taller than him. 

On the other hand, I have seen plenty of great catches by him when compiling preseason highlight tapes for TCU at work last year. He's an electric special teams player, and every Jets writer who talks about him does so with the use of at least one superlative. He'll be the fourth receiver (wait I second while I knock on wood for Plax's ankle)...on this team, so as long as he runs correct routes and has soft hands, that's all I'm looking for from him tonight. 

More importantly, he replaces Brad Smith, one of the most dynamic players the Jets had last year. Not just on special teams, but also in the Wild Frog/Seminole/"Hide the Mexican" formation. If Kerley can show solid hands returning punts, he'll beat out Leonhard for the job (who has great hands, but almost never provides an interesting return), and if he holds a candle to what Smith did, it's just another set of trick plays that Schottenheimer can run into the ground at wildly unnecessary times. 

Listening to sports talk radio down here in Baltimore, not having Derrick Mason for Joe Flacco has thrown the majority of Ravens fans into a panic. I haven't watched all that much of the Ravens since I've been down here, but by most accounts I've heard from people in Baltimore, he's the Jerry Rice of security blankets.

Looking at the numbers for Mason, they're undeniably solid. 7 touchdowns each of the past two years, and 1,000 yard years ever year before last. Obviously those numbers will go down as a third receiver (one more time)...but he's definitely the best 3rd receiver Sanchez has had (yes, better than Jerricho), and has a reputation as being QB friendly. By that, I mean he does a great job of coming back to the ball when the play breaks down, and is also smart enough to change his route on the fly to accommodate different defensive coverages. 

Given that Plaxico doesn't have a reputation as very QB friendly (somehow I don't think Eli and him are the greatest of friends), and has never really been known as a cinephile in the film room, I want to see exactly how much easier Mason can make life for Sanchez. Hope everyone down here isn't just blowing smoke.

#6 - Boston Celtics vs. Los Angeles Lakers

There have been many solid NBA rivalries over the past 10 years. The Robert Horry forearm shiver lit a fire under San Antonio-Phoenix. Shaq misidentifying royalty brought the cowbells out in force at Arco Arena. But no matchup will ever stand on level ground with the Lakers and the Celtics.

Geographically, it’s an anomaly; Boston Garden and the Staples Center are about as far away as two arenas can be from one another in the continental United States. But the periodic success of the territorial rivals to the Celtics (the Knicks and Sixers) over the years created a need for a worthy competitor to the Boston dynasty, and the Lakers more than answered the bell.

In the past 4 years, both teams have had their distinct identities. The Lakers have been Kobe’s team since Shaq left town, mostly to their benefit once a legitimate team was constructed around him. The Boston Big Three are perfectly content to defer to each other on a nightly basis, but are still noticeably reticent to turn over the reins to their dynamic point guard since he blossomed into a superstar.

Because of the distance between them (and hence playing in different conferences) there is only a yearly home and home between the two teams to build some excitement for a possible postseason series, although in the past few years those games have been some of the most entertaining the two teams have played.  

But that is part of what makes Lakers-Celtics so compelling, and also somewhat limits it. On the one hand, there is such a small sample size to judge the rivalry on. Even though the majority of the Finals games have been very good, there have been some definite awful performances on both ends. Unfortunately, those performances can’t be glossed over like they would be for North Carolina-Duke because there’s really only 13 games to look at.

When the two teams have clashed in the regular season, there was little on the line besides bragging rights; both were lock playoff teams playing out the string of an 82 game season.

This is the only rivalry on the list that has teams that squared off in a championship game, and absent a solid history, Lakers vs. Celtics would have just a little more juice than Mavericks-Heat. The Lakers have been a consistent force over the course of the decade, but it was only after the Celtics assembled the Big 3 that the “BEAT LA” chants resurfaced in the TD Bank North Garden.

On the other hand, when the teams have met, the stakes have been stratospheric. Bragging rights are indisputable after a best of 7 series, and the meteoric high of winning a championship versus having to watch your most hated enemy celebrate theirs means every game has carried momentous weight.

Paul Pierce ripped off his all-time underrated label with a brilliant 2008 Finals, in which he outperformed the best player of the past 15 years in 5 out of 6 games. Kobe cemented his legacy as one of the best ever by leading the Lakers past the Celtics in 2010, even eliciting Jordan comparisons from a few overeager media members.

The 2008 series really showed off two teams with very different offensive philosophies. The Celtics had a hot hand by committee approach with their Big 3, with three different players leading the team in shots during the series. Kobe predictably lead the Lakers in shots in every game whether he was on (12-20 in Game 3) or off (a terrible 7-22 in the series ending Game 6, and 9-26 in the closer Game 1).

2010 had a resurgent Kobe averaging a gaudy, but somewhat inefficient (40.4%) 27.1 points, and a Perkins-less Celtics team getting mauled in the post from Game 6 on by the scoring of Gasol and the physicality of Bynum.Regardless of the fact that no game really came down to the wire (first 6 games decided by 6 points or more, and Game 7 was decided in a frantic 3^rd quarter rally by LA, and then crawled to a finish with missed shots and rebounds), it was a seven game series with a championship and the hopes of the two biggest fan bases in the NBA on the line.

But scoring carried second billing between these two teams. What set this series apart from so many others was the defense on both ends Both teams scored under 100 points in 8 of the 13 games, and a of it was due to the defensive talent on the court. Kevin Garnett and Kobe Bryant are some of the best defenders at their respective positions ever. Ron Artest and Paul Pierce aren’t exactly slouches either. Rajon Rondo’s dimensions make him look like an escapee from Area 51, who can seemingly close two passing lanes at once.

Both Finals showcased starters ranging from above average to outstanding on defense, all in 5^th gear from the opening tip. Although there were definitely some cases where the lack of scoring hinged more on some wretched shooting performances, what was routinely on display was some of the best defense I’ve ever seen played at the NBA level.

Why it’s not higher:

Because for all of the talent on the court, both of the series didn’t live up to their considerable billing. ESPN seems to agree, seeing as how neither Finals are ranked in their top 50 playoff series of all time. Fundamentally, both teams played outstanding two-way basketball (a rarity in the NBA), and for basketball purists it was a welcome and impressive sight.  

But there was little in the way of drama. The 2008 Finals was defined by an overmatched Lakers team really only outplaying their rivals for only one game (an extremely well-balanced Game 5) and one half (the first half of the eventually disastrous Game 4).

The Lakers also won Game 3, but only two players played to their capability (Allen going 5-7 from 3 and Kobe turning in his paramount performance), and unless you enjoyed the stylings of Sasha Vujacic (20 points on 7-10 shooting), Game 3 was just flat out ugly. The rest of the series saw Pau Gasol getting mugged on a nightly basis by the combination of Garnett and Perkins, and the Lakers following up on their best performance with an all-time garbage fire game (they were blown out by 39 in Game 6). 

2010 was a 7 game series, one of only five since 1985, but in the last two games, the offenses were at times indefensibly abysmal. In the last two games of the series, Boston shot 36.7% from the field and 28% from 3-point range. In possibly the biggest game of his career, Kobe Bryant shot 6-24 from the field. If not for a great team performance on the boards, and a similarly Masonic performance by the Celts top two scorers (9-29, 4 assists, 7 turnovers combined from Pierce and Allen), Kobe’s clutch reputation would have taken a huge hit.

This rivalry is probably pushed up the list because of what it has been to the NBA, but it’s also limited by the high standards it had to live up to. At any point, there were at least four first ballot Hall of Famers on the floor, with a possible 5^th and 6^th depending on how the rest of Gasol and Rondo’s careers play out. There was no game in which both teams executed flawlessly down the stretch, or played to the peak of their offensive capabilities. No overtime games (in the playoffs), and really just too many duds including the final game of 2008.

Taking away the name value of these teams, the series just wasn’t the over the top entertainment that everyone pictured it would be. Both Mavericks-Heat finals had more entertaining basketball, so did a few divisional round series (Rondo vs. Rose in Celtics-Bulls, or Pistons-Cavaliers). By the time 2010 rolled around, every single one of the hall of fame caliber players were either banged up or nearing the end of their prime.

Truth be told, every rivalry from here on up to #1 matches Celtics-Lakers in terms of tensions between the two teams and shared history. What separates them from Celtics-Lakers is they all had defining moments, usually in a few outstanding games. These teams briefly reached the highest level of two-way basketball I’ve been witness to, but there were too many valleys between the peaks, and the peaks didn’t stretch high enough, especially when compared to the Lakers-Celtics series of the 80’s and 60’s.

The defining moments I remember from Lakers-Celtics are Ray Allen’s bewildering ice cold streak, Kobe’s ugly win in Game 7 (2010), and the Lakers completely falling apart in the second half of a seemingly locked up Game 4 (2008). All in all, Lakers-Celtics has a lot of very good moments, but very few that elevate it to great. That’s why I can’t put it any higher than 6. 

Maryland Football Preview: The Defense

In recent years, Maryland has been more known on the national scene for its defense than its offense. Players that have made it on the pro level from the Maryland offense are few and far between, with Vernon Davis being the rare example of a success story, as well as Jared Gaither and Stephon Heyer to an extent.

Conversely, I’ve had arguments with friends that you could create a pretty solid NFL defense from former Terps. Shawne Merriman, E.J. Henderson, and Moises Fokou are all starting NFL linebackers. Kevin Barnes and Josh Wilson both play in Washington.

This year for the Terps, there is realistically one player that could end up on that list, and he’s playing a position that he probably wouldn’t play in the pros. But there are plenty of starters returning to this defense, and if Todd Bradford doesn't live down to his reputation, it will be a matter of whether the strength that the unit has up front can prevent the secondary from being too heavily exploited. 

Defensive Line:

Maryland ranked a very respectable 21^st in the country against the run last year, and the defensive line deserves the lions share of the praise for that. While Don Brown’s exotic blitz schemes were what made the Terps defense stand out, the exceptional play of the defensive line is what forced teams to drop back and pass in the first place.

            The unit is lead by DT, and second team All-ACC selection, Joe Vellano. At this time last year, Vellano was better known as a famous Terp legacy (dad Paul was a former All-American at DT) than for his own play. After 5 sacks and 10 tackles for loss a year ago, it’s safe to say that ACC opponents have taken notice. Vellano isn’t the biggest (6’2” 285 lbs) or the fastest, but he doesn’t give up on plays, and was an impressively disruptive force in the middle of Maryland defense in 2010.

The only real caveat with Vellano is that his success was somewhat frontloaded last year (8 of his tackles for loss and all of his 5 sacks came in the first 5 games). After shedding some weight to get quicker in the offseason, Vellano may be in better shape to make a bigger impact in the bigger games.

The other tackle spot is somewhat shrouded in mystery. A.J. Francis was the leader heading into spring practice to start aside Vellano, but the depth chart lists freshman Andre Monroe as the starter. Francis is the bigger of the two at 6’4” 295, but still fleet of foot enough to hurry the quarterback. He is great at closing gaps in the middle of the defense and stout against the run.

However, there have been whispers that redshirt freshman Monroe will be in the middle against Miami. There’s no getting around the fact that he’s short (only 6’0”) for a defensive tackle, and he wasn’t really a highly touted recruit. Bottom line, if he’s starting over Francis, I can only assume that Francis performed so poorly that it forced Edsall’s hand.  

On the outside, Maryland will start converted linebacker David Mackall at left end, and redshirt freshman Clarence Murphy on the right. Mackall’s biggest impact last year came on a kick off return, when he sent an FIU kick returner into orbit. Mackall was a DE coming out of high school, but switched to linebacker his first year, and picked up three sacks. As former linebacker, it’s clear that he has the speed to get to the edge against most tackles, but opening day will show whether he has added enough size in the offseason to absorb the nightly beating a DE takes.

I do not know much about Clarence Murphy, he’s a freshman from Florida, and he’s currently atop the depth chart at right end for the Terps. What I can see is that Murphy needs to add some weight to his 6’3” 235 lb. frame. The right end spot could be in flux early in the season, since there is no proven commodity there. Edsall could just be looking for the hot hand with Murphy. 

With two talented big (althought not huge) guys in the middle taking up space, and hopefully blockers, the risk of playing lighter ends could pay off. The true test will be if the DE’s have enough strength to hold up against larger tackles in running situations. If they do, this could be an upgrade over last year’s solid unit in their ability to get to the QB.  

Linebackers:

This team lost a lot at linebacker from last year, especially when you consider that sparkplug Mackall now resides on the defensive line. Although they weren’t Shawne Merriman or E.J. Henderson, Alex Wujciak and Adrian Moten will certainly be missed.

Wujciak was average at best against the pass, but among the best linebackers in the country when it came to run support, and a flawless tackler. Moten was a better athlete, and occasionally capable of the spectacular as he showed in the Navy game.

Despite those two big losses, there’s reason for optimism at linebacker due to some very solid backups getting a chance to see live bullets, and the fact that the unit is now the home of the best defensive player on the team.

Every Maryland fan at this point should know about Kenny Tate. After being Maryland’s top recruit in 2008 as a wide receiver, he switched sides of the ball to safety after his freshman year. When I heard about the position switch, I immediately assumed that Tate’s career as a starter was over before it started. I couldn’t have been more wrong.

In past two years have, Tate developed into a spectacular safety. Although not necessarily the most fluid technically, his athleticism and knowledge of offenses from his time as a wide receiver allowed him to diagnose routes more effectively than almost anyone at his position.

And when you see Kenny Tate tackle, you wonder why he wasn’t a safety all along. His form on routine tackles is exceptional, and when he has the opportunity to lay the big hit, he flat out detonates people (I’m looking at you, Taiwan Easterling).

Tate will start at the STAR position, alongside Demetrius Hartsfield at the MIKE and Darin Drakeford at the WILL. Hartsfield has moved inside after spending his first two years flanking Wujciak, and received a somewhat unfair third billing in the linebacker group last year. He is a legitimate tackling machine, and possesses ideal size and speed for a middle linebacker at 6’2” 235 lbs. 

Drakeford was the top reserve linebacker last year, and judging by his productivity when called upon (3 tackles for loss and 1 sack at West Virginia), he should slot in just fine on the weak side.  

On paper, I believe the linebackers are the Terps strongest unit. There are a few concerns (Tate needs to be linebacker-sized by opening day, all three players played different positions last year), but the talent is undeniable. Tate is a borderline unanimous preseason-All ACC selection, Hartsfield made Phil Steele’s 2^nd team All-ACC, and Drakeford showed an outstanding motor on special teams last year, and I believe that he'll not only be a contributor at linebacker, but a difference maker in several games. If healthy, this group has the potential to be one of the better linebacker trios in the ACC.

Secondary:

           

I’m an optimist, but it’s difficult not to be skeptical of the Maryland starting secondary in 2011. As I said earlier, football as a whole is shifting more and more towards being a passing sport. There is certainly some experience at the cornerback spots, but the same thing could have been said last year. With the departure of Tate from free safety, two new starters will need to step up, and although they have the potential to surprise, they also have the potential to not.  

            Maryland was an uninspiring 77^th in total pass defense last year, and at times played significantly worse than that ranking would indicate (Geno Smith torching the Terps for 4 TDs comes to mind).

            The two starters this year will be Cameron Chism and Dexter McDougle. McDougle beat out incumbent Trenton Hughes for the starting spot, and Hughes has now been relegated to nickel back to start the season.

            There aren’t too many positive ways to spin this: neither starting corner intercepted a pass last year. Is it possible that part of the reason was Don Brown’s aggressive scheme? Maybe, but clearly the players need to shoulder some of the blame for that number.

            Chism and Hughes are both seniors, and experience can go a long way in terms of being an adequate cornerback in the ACC against the majority of receivers. And McDougle was a highly touted recruit coming into College Park, so the talent is there.

Continuity should help considering all three played together last year, but the numbers and evidence from last year say the ceiling for this group is solid. Unless there is a dramatic improvement from at least 2 of the 3 players, Edsall and Bradford will need to get creative with playmaking receivers like Michael Floyd, and accurate passers like EJ Manuel.

            The most exciting player in the secondary may be Tate’s replacement, junior Eric Franklin. Franklin had 3 interceptions last year in the last four games of the season, so it’s clear he has a nose for the ball.

He’ll start opposite sophomore Matt Robinson who takes over for Antwine Perez. Robinson saw even less action last year, but hopefully he and Franklin will be able to hold the lid on the defense against the better quarterbacks in the ACC.

Special Teams:

            Without getting into gunners and long snappers, there are really only two guys to talk about here.

            Nick Ferrara looks like he’ll be working two shifts in the fall as both the kicker and the punter. As a punter, he’s relatively average, especially considering the previous two punters at Maryland have been unheralded major pluses for the team (Baltz and Podlesh).

            As a kicker, it really depends on which Nick Ferrara shows up. If it’s the Nick Ferrara from his freshman year who kicked at a 72% clip (18-25) and nailed a few clutch kicks, maybe the Terps will have their first 80% kicker since Dan Ennis in 2006. If he’ still banged up from last year, or regresses, Edsall doesn’t seem like the type of guy who will hesitate to pull the plug.

On a more exciting note concerning punt and kickoff returns, Maryland always seems to have a guy that was a former track star that can strike fear into punters and place kickers. It used to be Torrey Smith, and now it’s Tony Logan.

Logan is the most likely to be Smith’s successor on kick returns, mainly because of his resume as a punt returner. He’s electric, and took two punt returns back to the house last year before he started getting taken out of the game via rugby kicks and teams booting it short out of bounds.

But more than likely, one team will forget this year, and Logan will be able to show off that 4.3 speed again. And kicking it out of bounds on kickoffs is ridiculous. I predict two punt returns and a kickoff return for a TD for Logan this year. 

Maryland Football Preview: The Offense

I remember seeing this clip the year before I went to college and thinking I was in for four years of ACC Championship contending football. Well, my time at Maryland as an undergrad has come and gone, and the Terps haven’t necessarily lived up to boasts of the Lodge family football game. Even in years where they were in contention for the league title late in the year, it seemed like every time the big networks took notice, Maryland receded back inside its shell.

But one thing is for sure; this year will be different. A completely different coaching staff, better in some ways (Edsall > Friedgen) and worse in others (Bradford < Brown). Without further ado, it’s time to break down the 2011 Maryland Terrapins, starting with the offense.

Offense:

Quarterback:

Danny O’Brien is good, that much Terps fans can agree on. What isn’t as widely acknowledged is that as a redshirt freshman last year, he proved to be one of the better QB’s in Maryland history. After an audition against Morgan State (5-10, 3 TD) O’Brien took over the reins from Jamarr Robinson in the third game against Florida International. He finished the year with 22 touchdowns to only 8 picks, and lead a lightly regarded Maryland team to a surprise 9-4 season and dominating bowl game.

Those 22 TD’s from O’Brien are the 2nd most by a Maryland QB ever in a season (behind Scott Milanovich’s 26 in 1993). Although football at the college and pro level is becoming more of a passing game, it says something that coaching staff trusted this kid enough to let him air it out 337 times last year (6th most in UMD history).

With another good year, O’Brien’s name will start popping up on draft boards, considering the total package that he brings to the QB position. For as young as he was last year, his pocket awareness was striking. If there’s any nitpicking to be done, his accuracy was a little shaky at times last year (9-26 against Duke and 9-28 against Miami). But in the two biggest games of the year (FSU and NC State back to back at home) O’Brien was a 63 % passer, and threw for a combined 686 yards, 5 touchdowns, and only 2 interceptions. His arm strength is more than adequate on deep balls, and he’s athletic and elusive enough to extend plays when the pocket breaks down.  

I don’t even think it’s an argument that O’Brien is the best QB in the ACC this year, something that Maryland hasn’t been able to say since I’ve been a fan. If the team will go as the quarterback goes, Maryland will be a fixture in the polls this season.

Running Backs:

Injury prone home run threat Da’Rel Scott is gone, but it’s not as big of a loss as it would appear. The Terps bring back their leading rusher (Davin Meggett) and their leader in rushing touchdowns (DJ Adams). Without Scott, the running game doesn’t necessarily have the threat of the big play. But Meggett and Adams are both hardnosed, between-the-tackles type backs who will keep the chains moving, and - more importantly - stay on the field.

Meggett is penned in as the starter, and over the past four years has been everything Scott wasn’t, for better or worse. With Meggett, you can expect a very straight-ahead, wear down the defense type running style. An optimist would say he doesn’t shy away from contact, a pessimist would say he’s inadequate at finding holes in the defense to exploit. Whatever the case, Meggett hasn’t been much of an injury concern over the years. If the now experienced offensive line can create some larger holes for him, Davin could be a solid if not spectacular option at running back for an offense that will rely more on the pass anyways.

Adams was relegated to mostly goal line back status last year, but there’s more to him than that. His 16 carry 84 yard performance against Wake Forest last year was an eye opener for most Maryland fans, and although he doesn’t have break away from the secondary type speed, he’s more capable of gashing a defense than the constant bruising that Meggett will provide. His nose for the end zone is obvious (11 TD’s last year including 4 against the terrible ECU defense), but as the season progresses, I expect to see more of a platoon between him and Meggett with Adams having the longer more memorable runs after Meggett wears the defense down.  

    It remains to be seen how fond Randy Edsall and Gary Crowton are of the I-formation, but Maryland does have some depth at fullback. After redshirting last year, it looks like Rashaan Moore or true freshman Tyler Cierski will be the starter this year.  

Wide Receivers:

53.6%. That’s how many of Danny O’Brien’s completions went to Adrian Cannon and Torrey Smith in 2010. For all of the talent that O’Brien has, he’s going to need to find some new options. Fortunately, Matt Furstenburg does return, so O’Brien will have his security blanket at Tight End to check down to. But in terms of down the field options, some individuals need to separate themselves from a group of possible targets. Quintin McCree and Ronnie Tyler are the old men of the group as seniors this year, but the smart money is on Kerry Boykins and Kevin Dorsey to step up.

Dorsey is 6’2” and runs a 4.35 40 (according to his high school highlight video, so take it with a shaker of salt). He did have 2 touchdowns last year, and had a nice game against Miami (3 catches, 63 yards, and a 42 yard touchdown). Although both of his touchdowns were over 40 yards last year, his above average size could make him very useful in the red zone.

    Boykins was a highly touted recruit out of Virginia in 2008, along with then-receiver Kenny Tate, he was supposed to lead the next wave of Maryland receivers. In his first 2 years, Boykins has only had 10 catches, but being behind a first round draft pick, and a known commodity like Adrian Cannon will do that. Boykins had his first touchdown against BC last year, and could emerge as the biggest downfield threat for the Terps because of his top level speed.
    Dorsey and Boykins both have speed to burn, and if one of them can emerge as a legitimate #1 target for an increasingly passing offense, then the receivers group would sort itself out nicely considering its depth. Senior Ronnie Tyler is the consummate slot receiver, capable of making difficult catches, and willing to go through traffic to do so. McCree could be the odd man out and playing the fourth receiver, with special teams game breaker Tony Logan possibly emerging for a few plays on offense as a senior to put some fear into safeties and corners leaguewide.
    Overall, this is a very deep group of players, but it’s just about which of them will step up to catch the balls that O’Brien will be slinging.
   

Offensive Line:

    At first glance, the offensive line is a group that shows a solid amount of talent all the way down the depth chart. From converted defensive end De’Onte Arnett backing up senior Andrew Gonella at left guard, to blue chip recruit Pete White backing up Josh Cary at left guard. There are the questions as to why Arnett is now playing O-line, and why White wasn’t able to beat out a walk-on for his spot, but by all accounts there’s no need to worry, as Maryland’s offensive line is widely regarded as above average.
    The first thing that jumps out at you is the sheer size of the starters. All of them are atleast 6’4” 290 lbs, which screams good run blockers to me if the continuity is there. Max Garcia will be protecting Danny O’Brien’s blind side this fall until Justin Gilbert’s knee is all the way healthy after he reinjured it this spring. RJ Dill will bookend on the right side, and in a pinch could fill in at left tackle if Garcia is overwhelmed when the season starts.
    5th year senior Andrew Gonnella will be the starting left guard, and walk-on Cary is currently the starting right guard after he apparently beat out White for the spot during the spring. Bennett Fulper will be back at center. Cary is the only new player to break in here, so logically the line should be slightly improved from last year. The line allowed 22 sacks last year, good for 4th fewest in the conference, and realistically 3rd fewest if you realize that Georgia Tech runs a triple option where sacks are very difficult to come by.

The Terps also averaged 4.15 yards per rush, good for 5th in the conference, even though they only ran the ball about 33 times a game (2nd fewest in the ACC). The line doesn’t have any real dominators, but if a team is built from the lines up, then Maryland should have a steady foundation where there were once cracks and creaks. 

A few Mets and Jets thoughts on my day off

I haven’t written a blog on the Mets yet during this season. It hasn’t been because I haven’t been following them (I try to do the write ups for every Mets out of town game at work), but rather because they’re essentially in baseball purgatory. They’re 55-53, and are unfortunately stuck in the division with two of the best three teams in National League.

 It’s genuinely refreshing to have a team of mostly underpaid, and underappreciated players outperform their expectations, a very uncommon sight amongst the usually payroll-bloated New York teams. My breaking point for writing a full blog on this team has been the same all season. Just dust off the Phillies or the Braves in a series. Maybe then the object in their rear view mirrors will actually be closer than it seems. For now, just a few notes on the players:

I’ve already made it clear that I think Carlos Beltran was one of the most unfairly judged players in Mets history. Beltran’s understated, almost effortless brilliance was as good of a fit for this fan base as serving a vintage wine to a construction worker. Combine that with his constant health issues, and you get plenty of stupid callers calling into WFAN shooting off at the mouth about a guy who would be a welcome addition to the middle of any team’s lineup in all of the major leagues.

Fortunately, when that suitor did come calling in the form of the San Francisco Giants, the Mets got a fair return and more. With the addition of Giants top pitching prospect Zack Wheeler, the Mets now have a promising future at SP in the minors (don’t forget the Bryce Harper-whiffer Matt Harvey) to look forward to in the coming years. I hope that Beltran makes the playoffs and can replace that one Adam Wainwright pitch with some postseason success.

Looking back on my preseason blogs about the Mets lineup, there is one glaring omission, and it’s looking more egregious by the day. In the absence of Ike Davis, Daniel Murphy has proven that he deserves much better than to be a bench bat on a fringe contender next year. If I were to have known before the season that Murphy would be the starting first baseman regularly, I would have said that there was no more deserving guy on the roster. It’s nice to see that he’s finally getting his due, and is proving what only Mets fans have known for the past three years; he can rake like few others in the league. I’ve tried to tell a few people before, but they either didn’t believe me or didn’t care.

Murphy is not only a tremendously talented hitter, but he also works at it tirelessly. By all accounts of people more in the know than myself, coaches have to actually pull him out of the cage and the video room so he doesn’t overanalyze things. He has the rare ability to not only hit lefties, but excel against them (.294 BA vs LHP this season). He hits well when runs are at stake (.360 with RISP), and when they’re at a premium (.280 in late and close situations). Since June 1^st, he has the 2^nd best average (.346) in the N.L., behind only his shortstop.

He may not have a cork in his bat (6 HR), but there is a place in any team’s starting lineup for a guy who can flat out hit and effectively man 1^st. Hopefully in the offseason the Mets can get a good deal from a team who sees what is plainly obvious to me; Daniel Murphy is a starting MLB player.

Nice to see David Wright come back and silence all of the haters (I’ve been among them before). An exhibition of opposite field hitting, and some dazzling plays at 3^rd (yesterday’s bare handed grab at the bag stands out). I still don’t think he fits in Citi Field, but he appears to be Tempurpedic comfortable since his return, and hopefully he can reclaim his spot among the best 3^rd basemen in the game.

Can’t wait for Isringhausen to get 300 saves at home. Hopefully he can transfer some of his wealth of knowledge on how to relieve effectively to the ulcer-inducing Bobby Parnell during his presumable one-year ride on the 7 train.   

Another very solid performance from Niese yesterday going toe to toe with one of the best pitchers in the NL . If you haven’t seen Jordan Zimmermann pitch, then just trust me when I say that the Nationals will have a nightmare inducing 1-2 punch with him and a healthy Strasburg next year. It’s been a little bit of a bumpy road for Niese this year, but more smooth than rough, and with plenty of reasons for optimism (Last 3 starts vs. PHI: 2-1, 1.37 ERA, 15 K, 7 BB). The guy isn’t a 1 starter, but he looks to be developing into a fringe 2, or very effective 3. The last hurdle is reaching the finish line without tripping up like last year (4.43 ERA in August, 7.11 ERA in September).

I’m done with Mike Pelfrey. It’s maddening watching this guy pitch. Where is that bowling ball sinker that dominated the first half last year? It’s mutually beneficial that he pack his bags and head elsewhere. The bright lights of New York are not exactly showing his good side, if that side exists anymore.

NFL free agency turned me into a Twitter crack addict. After a two day daze and one night bender, here are a few of the conclusions that I have.

If the Eagles are healthy (and that’s a big if with Vick’s idiotic steadfast refusal to slide, and Maclin’s strange and apparently very serious illness), there are no expectations too lofty for them. In every unit (besides possibly the linebackers), this team boasts explosive playmakers. Trent Cole now has a bookend pass rusher to prevent double teams (2010 revelation Jason Babin) and a run stuffing DT (Cullen “Kris’ brother” Jenkins). 

The defensive backfield will induce Eli face’s league wide. If Castillo wants to create migraines instead of headaches, why not occasionally slide Asomugha back to his college position of safety, or let Samuel take his unparalleled ballhawking skills to centerfield for a few plays each game. Overall, still bummed out Asomugha’s not a Jet, but happy my team only draws the Eagles once during the regular season (sorry Giants and Cowboys fans).

I’m a big fan of the Plaxico Burress deal. Maybe he won’t be able to roast corners like he did in ’05-’07, but what Plax is and will always be is a towering red zone presence. Seriously, watch that video at the top. The majority of those plays involve Eli just lofting it up, occasionally into double coverage, and Burress wrestling it down by virtue of being taller than whoever was guarding him.

 Last year the Jets had trouble busting down the door from inside the 20, and now Sanchez has a 6’5” target with soft hands to loft the ball up to in the corner. Plax says he’s in great shape, and he’s a man with a lot to prove after getting out of a bullshit jail sentence. If he’s 70% of what he was in his prime, the Jets made a worthy investment instead of bending to Braylon’s requests for a probably Holmes-esque deal. Here’s hoping that Plax will be pulling down plenty of short corner fades for Gang Green this year.

I am not the President of the Cromartie fan club to say the least. Anybody would have preferred Asomugha, and I would have preferred the lesser known Jonathan Joseph or possibly taking a flyer on the recently released Nate Clements. If you were to bring Cro on a fishing trip, he would come with all bait and no tackle. He’s unphysical (the best “word that’s not a word” to describe him), and he is only effective at covering receivers who mirror his style (very athletic, but sloppy route runners who are afraid to get their hands dirty).

For all of the great interceptions and returns he had last year, my lasting memory of him is Pierre Garcon taking him to the cleaners in the playoffs. However, he still probably is a top 15 corner in this league, and he is capable of making the big play because of his athleticism. I hope that Kyle Wilson shows why he was a first round pick last year, because I think Cromartie is far too comfortable at his #2 CB spot and needs a kick in the ass from somebody to get the most out of his considerable raw talents. 

            If the Jets trade Cotchery, I’m going to be pissed. He’s been on this team forever, and is only on the books for $1.8 million this year. On team that has had mercurial receivers (Braylon throughout all of 2010, and Santonio at times last year), Cotchery has been the rock for Sanchez. He’s only had a brief case of the drops once that I’ve noticed, and he has put it all on the line to get this team to a Super Bowl. 

I want the Jets to win a Super Bowl more than anybody, but it would not feel right without J-Co on this team the same way it wouldn’t feel right without Ellis on the D-line (if he chooses to come back). If Mike T needs to cut salary, cut Bryan Thomas. He will not find a more able, and more importantly willing, slot receiver on the market than Jerricho Cotchery.