Part Two of my NCAA Football Opening Weekend preview:
Maryland vs. Miami
Maryland vs. Miami
Miami's serious infractions have been extensively detailed over the last few weeks. It does not look good for the Hurricanes. The NCAA may well level penalties far more devastating than the ones levelled at USC, but calls for the Death Penalty (as given to SMU in the 1980s) is uncalled for.
Miami's season has been shredded before it begins, a great shame given the optimism surrounding the arrival of new head coach Al Golden. If it's bad for Luke Fickell at Ohio State, it's disastrous for Golden, who probably has the toughest job in college football. The Hurricanes may yet be forced declare a number of their stars, including QB Jacory Harris - a guy they really need in their line-up - ineligible this week, after they were named in Shapiro's extensive tell-all.
It's going to be a long season for Miami, with the spectre of looming NCAA penalties for alleged years of infractions, coupled with the possibility of many good players rendered ineligible for this season. We'll be talking about the scandal and it's fall-out all season long. As far as gridiron performance goes, I don't think that it's out of the realms of possibility that The U won't win more than 3-4 games if they don't have guys like Harris and Sean Spence on the turf. They have a tough schedule, including Ohio State, as well as road trips to Virginia Tech and Florida State.
Maryland, on the other hand, have momentum behind them, and a good shot to give their new head coach Randy Edsall a first-up win. The Terps went 9-4 in 2010, including a 5-3 ACC record, and a 51-20 Military Bowl win vs. East Carolina.
After that win, the Terrapins fired decade-long coach Ralph Friedgen in favour of the man who took UConn to a Big East title and the Fiesta Bowl, Edsall. Former LSU offensive coordinator Gary Growton comes over, which should see the Terps playing an up-tempo aggressive style of football. It's a home game, on Labour Day night to kick off the Randy Edsall era at Maryland.
Maryland's new era will begin on a positive note, even if Harris and co. play. The distraction of the coming NCAA penalties has got to be a worry for the football team and, indeed, for the University of Miami full stop.
Winner: Maryland
Michigan vs. Western Michigan
After losing to Appalachian State a few years ago, there's no such thing as an easy season opener for the Wolverines anymore. This year, they take on the Western Michigan Broncos from the MAC in the head coaching debut for Brady Hoke, the former U of M assistant coach (1995-2002) who took over after the school fired Rich Rodriguez earlier this year, putting a period on the most disastrous era of Michigan Wolverines football that has ever been seen.
A proud program, the Wolverines see Hoke as the man to take them back to the top of the college football mountain. Luckily for the former San Diego State head coach, he inherits the remarkable talents of QB Denard Robinson, who put up gaudy numbers last year while running the spread offense that Rodriguez favoured. This year will be different for Robinson, as he will have to get used to the pro-style system that Hoke has installed. Still, he should put up some crazy numbers again.
The real problem for Michigan was defense. They were annually among the worst in the nation during Rodriguez's ill-fated tenure, leaking points and yardage on a regular basis. On average, opponents scored 35 points and racked up 450 yards of offense. New defensive coordinator Greg Mattison, a former NFL defensive coordinator, and perhaps the right man to turn around U of M's sieve-like unit. Mattison has always excelled at stopping the run.
Really, this should be a win for the Wolverines. It's merely a tune-up before next week's prime time match at The Big House against Notre Dame.
Winner: Michigan
UCLA vs. Houston
Houston's Case Keenum was granted a nearly-unprecedented sixth year of eligibility after a season-ending injury last year.
The Abilene, TX native returns at the head of the high-powered Cougars offense, and looks set to break a raft of NCAA records. Keenum is just 2,462 yards short of the former Hawaii quarterback Timmy Chang’s record for total offense, 3,486 yards short of Chang’s record for passing yards and 27 passing touchdowns behind former Texas Tech quarterback Graham Harrell’s record. Unless he's injured, Keenum should own them all. With Keenum under centre and a solid running game, Houston should be back amongst the Conference USA elite, and their QB should figure in the Heisman Trophy talk.
On the other side of the field will be UCLA, under Rick Neuheisel. It was Neuheisel who arrived in Los Angeles a few years back, promising to beat USC and restore UCLA to prominence. Thus far, it hasn't happened. The Bruins have been mostly disappointing through Neuheisel's reign, and they haven't done what he promised they would do: beat USC. Even with the Men of Troy serving NCAA-mandated punishment, they still own Los Angeles football.
With no victory against USC, no real showing in the Pac-10 and some embarrassing losses, this might be the last roll of the dice for Neuheisel. And it won't be an easy roll. They have a return dates with Houston and Texas, and road trips to Stanford and Arizona and USC. Until they solve their QB issues - either Kevin Prince or Richard Brehaut, with freshman Brett Hundley waiting in the wings and expected to see some snaps in 2011 - UCLA aren't going to scare many. It's their defense that's really going to need to be on their game vs. Houston.
Winner: Houston, narrowly.
USC vs. Minnesota
It was early on last season that Trojan fans had the sinking feeling that their defense was not as strong as it had been for many years under departed head coach Pete Carroll. Despite the presence of guru Monte Kiffin, the USC defensive unit had a tough time. Teams ran on them, teams threw on them, teams scored a lot of points on them. A thin roster was made worse by the complicated new system that never seemed to quite come together as it had been expected.
Monte Kiffin and his son, Lane, the head coach of USC, are adamant that things have changed during the off-season. This year, the Trojans who signed an impressive recruiting class, thanks to Kiffin's recruiting poise, will be a stronger team on the defensive side of the football. And they'll need to be, as the revamped Pac-12 features a raft of ridiculously-talented quarterbacks led by Heisman hopeful Andrew Luck up in Stanford. It's guys like Luck who'll make USC pay if their defense is bad.
First test for USC comes vs. Minnesota at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, against a Gophers program that has been nothing short of disappointing these last few seasons, and this year features a new head coach, Jerry Kill, who will be looking to turn around a 3-9 (2-6 Big Ten) record. Moving the football down the field and coming away with points was a real problem for the Gophers in previous seasons. Kill's first priority is getting the offense rolling. Seeing his needs-to-improve offense against USC's needs-to-improve defense will be very interesting.
For USC, Matt Barkley returns, a more mature player in his junior season, and has potential All-American WR Robert Woods on his outside. Woods was a surprising revelation during a difficult 8-5 season for the Trojans last year, a season that included a disappointing loss to Notre Dame in an almighty rain storm last November. There are enough weapons on offense for the Men of Troy to put up prolific numbers and big scores. The real question mark is defense. Only time will tell, and the Trojans have a week to tune up for the Pac-12 opener vs. Utah.
Winner: USC
After that win, the Terrapins fired decade-long coach Ralph Friedgen in favour of the man who took UConn to a Big East title and the Fiesta Bowl, Edsall. Former LSU offensive coordinator Gary Growton comes over, which should see the Terps playing an up-tempo aggressive style of football. It's a home game, on Labour Day night to kick off the Randy Edsall era at Maryland.
Maryland's new era will begin on a positive note, even if Harris and co. play. The distraction of the coming NCAA penalties has got to be a worry for the football team and, indeed, for the University of Miami full stop.
Winner: Maryland
Michigan vs. Western Michigan
After losing to Appalachian State a few years ago, there's no such thing as an easy season opener for the Wolverines anymore. This year, they take on the Western Michigan Broncos from the MAC in the head coaching debut for Brady Hoke, the former U of M assistant coach (1995-2002) who took over after the school fired Rich Rodriguez earlier this year, putting a period on the most disastrous era of Michigan Wolverines football that has ever been seen.
A proud program, the Wolverines see Hoke as the man to take them back to the top of the college football mountain. Luckily for the former San Diego State head coach, he inherits the remarkable talents of QB Denard Robinson, who put up gaudy numbers last year while running the spread offense that Rodriguez favoured. This year will be different for Robinson, as he will have to get used to the pro-style system that Hoke has installed. Still, he should put up some crazy numbers again.
The real problem for Michigan was defense. They were annually among the worst in the nation during Rodriguez's ill-fated tenure, leaking points and yardage on a regular basis. On average, opponents scored 35 points and racked up 450 yards of offense. New defensive coordinator Greg Mattison, a former NFL defensive coordinator, and perhaps the right man to turn around U of M's sieve-like unit. Mattison has always excelled at stopping the run.
Really, this should be a win for the Wolverines. It's merely a tune-up before next week's prime time match at The Big House against Notre Dame.
Winner: Michigan
UCLA vs. Houston
Houston's Case Keenum was granted a nearly-unprecedented sixth year of eligibility after a season-ending injury last year.
The Abilene, TX native returns at the head of the high-powered Cougars offense, and looks set to break a raft of NCAA records. Keenum is just 2,462 yards short of the former Hawaii quarterback Timmy Chang’s record for total offense, 3,486 yards short of Chang’s record for passing yards and 27 passing touchdowns behind former Texas Tech quarterback Graham Harrell’s record. Unless he's injured, Keenum should own them all. With Keenum under centre and a solid running game, Houston should be back amongst the Conference USA elite, and their QB should figure in the Heisman Trophy talk.
On the other side of the field will be UCLA, under Rick Neuheisel. It was Neuheisel who arrived in Los Angeles a few years back, promising to beat USC and restore UCLA to prominence. Thus far, it hasn't happened. The Bruins have been mostly disappointing through Neuheisel's reign, and they haven't done what he promised they would do: beat USC. Even with the Men of Troy serving NCAA-mandated punishment, they still own Los Angeles football.
With no victory against USC, no real showing in the Pac-10 and some embarrassing losses, this might be the last roll of the dice for Neuheisel. And it won't be an easy roll. They have a return dates with Houston and Texas, and road trips to Stanford and Arizona and USC. Until they solve their QB issues - either Kevin Prince or Richard Brehaut, with freshman Brett Hundley waiting in the wings and expected to see some snaps in 2011 - UCLA aren't going to scare many. It's their defense that's really going to need to be on their game vs. Houston.
Winner: Houston, narrowly.
USC vs. Minnesota
It was early on last season that Trojan fans had the sinking feeling that their defense was not as strong as it had been for many years under departed head coach Pete Carroll. Despite the presence of guru Monte Kiffin, the USC defensive unit had a tough time. Teams ran on them, teams threw on them, teams scored a lot of points on them. A thin roster was made worse by the complicated new system that never seemed to quite come together as it had been expected.
Monte Kiffin and his son, Lane, the head coach of USC, are adamant that things have changed during the off-season. This year, the Trojans who signed an impressive recruiting class, thanks to Kiffin's recruiting poise, will be a stronger team on the defensive side of the football. And they'll need to be, as the revamped Pac-12 features a raft of ridiculously-talented quarterbacks led by Heisman hopeful Andrew Luck up in Stanford. It's guys like Luck who'll make USC pay if their defense is bad.
First test for USC comes vs. Minnesota at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, against a Gophers program that has been nothing short of disappointing these last few seasons, and this year features a new head coach, Jerry Kill, who will be looking to turn around a 3-9 (2-6 Big Ten) record. Moving the football down the field and coming away with points was a real problem for the Gophers in previous seasons. Kill's first priority is getting the offense rolling. Seeing his needs-to-improve offense against USC's needs-to-improve defense will be very interesting.
For USC, Matt Barkley returns, a more mature player in his junior season, and has potential All-American WR Robert Woods on his outside. Woods was a surprising revelation during a difficult 8-5 season for the Trojans last year, a season that included a disappointing loss to Notre Dame in an almighty rain storm last November. There are enough weapons on offense for the Men of Troy to put up prolific numbers and big scores. The real question mark is defense. Only time will tell, and the Trojans have a week to tune up for the Pac-12 opener vs. Utah.
Winner: USC
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