NCAA Football 2009: In the Books

This time of year is one of the most depressing times, in my opinion. No, I am not a pessimist, I’m not a “Negative Nancy,” I’m generally an optimistic person, but the realization that there will be no college football for approximately 8 months breaks my heart. Of course, I’m not forgetting about spring practices and scrimmages, but c’mon, that’s like having an appetizer at 4 and dinner at 9; you get a taste of the meal but get even more hungry waiting for the main course. It’s a tease.

Anyway, now that I am done with my spiel we can get down to business. The BCS National Championship was a week ago, and it sure was a crazy game. With Colt McCoy being knocked out of the game on the third offensive play, I know your jaw hit the floor approximately the same millisecond mine did. McCoy later described his arm as if it were dead – which is not something the third rated QB in the 2010 draft should be saying – but either way, it’s a good thing his father took out an insurance policy that offers a payout of $3-5 million if McCoy never returns to the gridiron.

The bright side of this happening, is we got a sneak peek at who will take the reigns of the Horns with McCoy graduating and entering the NFL. Although freshman Garrett Gilbert had a rocky start, and somewhat of a rocky finish, there were bright spots. Bright spots that had Texas fighting back, and only down by 3 with 6 minutes remaining. No one can knock Gilbert for the 4 INTs – he’s an 18 year old kid getting thrust into the biggest game of the year. Despite the loss, it will be great experience, and he handled it well. Looks like the Horns will produce another productive fantasy player in the near future.

The question many people I have talked to are asking, is whether Alabama would have been able to withstand Colt McCoy, had he not been knocked out of the game. Well, Alabama’s offense looked great once they got going in the 2nd quarter. Even though QB Greg McElroy played with a hairline crack in "at least one rib," he managed the game well, getting the ball into the hands of Mark Ingram (22 carries for 169 yards and 2 TDs) and Trent Richardson (19 carries for 109 yards and 2 TDs, with a 49yd long TD in the second quarter). But what was more impressive, and more likely the answer to the question, is how the Crimson Tide defense completely dominated the Longhorn rushing attack, allowing only 81 yards total on the ground. That is obviously because the threat of a high-powered passing attack that came with Colt McCoy was non-existent, but its also because the ‘Bama defense was just plain nasty. Who knows what would have happened, but I think it would have been another nail-biter, much like the one Texas was in back in 2006.

On another note, with the stir that Lane Kiffin has created in the last 72 hours, everyone has their own opinion. Some think he’s a complete jerk, some people understand the business and personal decision he is making and don’t blame him. Personally, I feel bad for the players that bought into his system, bought into his hype, and were severely disappointed. I feel bad for the Volunteer fans who praised him, who supported him by defending his name in the face of every Gator fan, and they too were severely disappointed and angered. Either way, the only one who will be able to overcome this mess is Lane, himself. He is on his way by signing up what looks to be a superb coaching staff on paper, but Kiffin has been all talk for years. The fact that he is bringing with him one of the all-time greatest defensive coaches in his dad, Monte Kiffin, along with recruiting guru Ed Orgeron, and an offensive professor Norm Chow, recruiting shouldn’t miss a beat and expectations will be high. Having been handed two great jobs in Oakland and Knoxville, and not doing much with them (5-15 in Oakland, 7-6 at Tennessee), the best thing for him to do is to win. Lots. Now. That’s the only way he will be able to repair his reputation – and that might already be unsalvageable.

Congrats to the Alabama Crimson Tide on their big win. Now onto basketball season.

NCAA Football 2010: Winding Down the Bowls

With the New Year, comes the (sometimes tearful) goodbye to our dear friend, NCAA Football. As we conclude 2009, there seems to be a good send off party, which will be capped with tonight’s BCS National Championship game from Pasadena. But since we last spoke on New Year’s Eve, there have been some historic games, some record games, some boring games, and some great games.

Historic
Against West Virginia, Bobby Bowden’s last game as Head Coach of the Florida State Seminoles was played in the Gator Bowl. The ‘Noles showed up for the game in Jacksonville a bit late, but after being down 14-3 in the first quarter Florida State remembered it was Bobby’s last game and his players sent him out with a win, 33-21. I was lucky enough to get tickets to this game as a gift, and it was a memory that will last a lifetime. It sent chills up my spine to watch Coach Bowden throw Chief Osceola’s flaming spear at the 50 yard line, and to participate in the frequent “BOB-BY” cheers coming from both sides of the stadium. Even though I sat in the second-to-last row in the stadium (luckily at the 50), I was grateful to witness history.

Record
In true Tebow-fashion, the Gator QB set records in his final game in orange and blue. There was really no question that Florida would dominate Cincinnati in the Sugar Bowl, but no one could have guessed it was going to be like that! With a final score of 51-24, Tim Tebow completed 31 of 35 passes for 482 yards and 3 TDs, added to his 78 yards rushing, he set the all-time BCS record for yards in a game, with 533. Ridiculous.

Boring
With Tebow’s great performance, came a boring game. It really wasn’t that exciting to watch UF pile it on top of Cincinnati, but I can’t blame Urban Meyer or Tim Tebow for doing so. Especially with a 30-3 score at halftime, I found it kind of a snoozer and passed out in the third quarter.

The first half of the USF v. Northern Illinois International Bowl was another “Z-catcher.” Marked by a 3-3 score at halftime, the Bulls only managed 19 yards on the ground. But the second half seemed like a completely different game, and it was all-USF, highlighted by an impressive performance by junior Mike Ford, who entered the game with 243 rushing yards for the season, adding 207 yards and 2 touchdowns. You might want to keep him in mind while drafting next year.

Great
Luckily, we have had more exciting bowl games than anything else, this season. Ohio State finally brought a Rose Bowl victory back to the Big-10 since Heisman-winner Ron Dayne and the Wisconsin Badgers defeated Stanford in 2000. Terrell Pryor threw for over 260 yards, ran for over 70, and lead his team with the skills NCAA fans have been waiting to see for a while.

Another Big-10 team that showed up to play was Iowa. In the first major bowl game since the 1959 Rose Bowl and their first BCS game, the Hawkeyes took an early lead over Georgia Tech and never let go. “Experts” said Iowa’s defense wouldn’t match up with the Option offense and the dual rushing threat of QB Josh Nesbitt and RB Jonathan Dwyer - Tech’s first pair of 1,000 yard-rushers – but the Hawkeyes managed to hold Tech to 143 total yards (GT averaged over 300 yds/game in 2009). Instead of Dwyer or Nesbitt, it was freshman Brandon Wegher who had the impressive outing, logging over 100 yards rushing and TD that was the nail in the coffin for the Yellow Jackets. He is another kid to keep an eye on for next year’s fantasy season.

In this year’s Fiesta Bowl, TCU took on the men of the blue field, Boise State. Both are considered to be mid-major powerhouses (is that an oxymoron?), and in what was most thought would be a high-scoring game, turned out to be a battle of the defenses. Despite throwing 39 TD passes on the season Boise State QB Kellen Moore only went 23 for 39 and 211 yards. But that didn’t matter much since the Cowboys defense gave him some padding to work with, after returning an INT 51 yards for the first TD of the game. TCU tried to catch up all night, but Boise State ended their season an unblemished 14-0.

Fighting not only LSU, but also the rain and mud, Penn State gave Joe-Pa his 24th bowl victory (extending his own NCAA record) in a 19-17 win over the Tigers, and continuing the impressive year the Big-10 is having this postseason. Neither offense could really get anything going, shown by a combined 542 yards of offense from both teams (that’s only 9 more than Tim Tebow had himself). But the lack of offense was overshadowed by the last-minute heroics that sports-nuts always love: a last minute field goal to put Penn State up by 2, with :57 remaining on the clock.

The East Carolina v. Arkansas match-up ended in similar fashion. After trailing most of the game, Arkansas evened the score at 17 a piece with a little over 5 minutes to go, and eventually put the Pirates down for good with a FG in overtime. Even though we have seen it a million times, you gotta love these endings!

In what might have been the most exciting game this week, Central Michigan lined up against Troy in the GMAC Bowl. Yes, the GMAC Bowl. All-time record-holder for TDs scored, Dan LeFevour, led the Chippewas to his 8th career 4th-quarter-comeback, and a win off the leg of K Andrew Aguila in the second overtime. LeFevour went 33/55 for 395yds, 1TD, 1INT, 1RuTD, bringing the NCAA record to a nice, round 150. Troy QB Levi Brown put up a very similar numbers in the box score, throwing 31/56 for 386yds and a score. Down 31-19 with 8 minutes remaining, Chips' WR Antonio Brown ran back a kick 95 yards for a TD to make it 31-26. Then with only 1:26 remaining in regulation, LeFrvour threaded the needle between 2 defenders and found Brown for a 30yd connection to put the Chippewas on the Trojans’ 4 yard line. (Brown ended with 178yds receiving). After scoring and a 2-point conversion, Central Michigan took the lead, 34-31. With 31 seconds to go, Troy K Michael Taylor nailed a 47yd FG to send the game to overtime. The excitement continued with a LeFevour rushing TD in OT, which was matched by the Trojans. After CMU blocked a FG attempt by Troy in the second OT, Aguila put one through the uprights for the victory. Dan LeFevour ends his career with 36 wins, 102 TD passes, 15,669 total yds, 12,721 passing yds, and 150 total TDs.

And we all know what is on tonight. I don’t think anyone needs an introduction to Mark Ingram, Rolondo McClain, Colt McCoy or Jordan Shipley. They will line up in Pasadena for the National Championship, which will kickoff at 8:15 on ABC, giving either Mack Brown or Nick Saban the opportunity to become only the 5th active coach with 2 or more FBS National Titles.

The countdown begins; less than 12 hours until we have a new National Champion, and the 2009 season in the books.

***CORRECTION*** This was Iowa's first major bowl win since 1959. Iowa has appeared in 3 Rose Bowls ('82, '86, '91) and 1 Orange Bowl ('03) since 1959.

NCAA Football: Conference Championship Weekend Craziness

Well, it is a bittersweet time of year. When the NCAA football season has pretty much ended, it is the first sign of what I believe is the most depressing time of year: the off season. We must now savor the sights of Bowl Season before hanging up the shoulder pads until spring practice. But even though the end of the season is upon us, the last week or so proved to be one of the most exciting in all of 2009, filled with record-breaking performances, tearful losses, and some darn good football.
ACC
In a 39-34 loss to Georgia Tech, CJ Spiller logged over 300 all-purpose yards and setting an ACC Championship record of 234 yards rushing, with 4 TDs. With how important Spiller is to his Clemson team, and how good he is, there is definitely an argument to be made that he should have been a finalist for the Heisman. Overall it was an exciting game, lading GT a spot in the Orange Bowl.

While Clemson will be playing in the Music City Bowl on Dec. 27, Florida State seemed to have had a visit from the Bowl-Fairy, receiving an invitation to the Gator Bowl on Jan. 1. This is (obviously) due to Bobby Bowden’s request that his final game be played in the State of Florida, against the team he started his major college football career with back in 1965 as an assistant, and took over the Head Coaching position in 1970. Wise decision, seeing as the Gator Bowl sold out within 2 hours of the announcement on Sunday night.

Big XII
A heart breaker if you’re a ‘Husker, a miracle if you’re a ‘Horn. Nebraska almost did what many thought would be impossible, but almost only counts in horseshoes. Colt McCoy played the cool-cowboy this weekend, as he got his team in place for a game-winning field goal with only 1 second remaining, and without a sense of urgency. Nebraska thought they had the game, the conference, and a BCS bid in hand, but McCoy casually shot that down with a floater-pass out of bounds, stopping the clock with just enough time for Hunter Lawrence to get the job done. And even though McCoy had a terrible performance throwing for only 184 yards and 3 INTs, he is one of the 5 players invited to NY for the Heisman presentation, and will be playing in the BCS Championship game. One-man wrecking-crew Ndamukong Suh logged 12 tackles and 4 sacks for Nebraska in the loss, but will join Colt McCoy in NY as a Heisman finalist.

PAC-10
LaMichael James ran for 166yds and three scores in a 37-33 Oregon victory over Oregon State for the PAC-10 title. LaGarrette Blount made his return to the field after sitting out for the now-infamous sucker-punching of Boise State LB Byron Hout in the season opener. But that’s not even the big news from the PAC-10 this weekend.

In one shocker, Washington destroyed No. 19 Cal 42-10. QB Jake Locker accounted for 5 TDs for the Huskies, as the Cal continued to miss stud-RB Jahvid Best. Washington had nothing to play for but pride, seeing as they will not be bowling this year. Cal will be playing Utah in the Poinsettia Bowl on Dec. 23.

Possibly the biggest news is Arizona’s upset of USC 21-17, as the Wildcats ended 2009 second in the conference, received their second consecutive bowl invitation, and recorded their best regular-season record in a decade. On the other end of the spectrum, USC had their worst season since Pete Carroll took the helm, and their first non-BCS bowl in 7 years.

SEC
Nothing big happened in the SEC this weekend. Other than No. 2 Alabama beating No. 1 Florida for the SEC Championship and a berth in the BCS Championship against Texas. Tim Tebow (literally) cried as Mark Ingram made his final argument for why he should win the Heisman, rushing for 113yds and 3TDs. Greg McElroy showed that he had a little Tim Tebow inside of him, as he went 12 of 18 for 239yds and a TD against the No. 1 defense in the nation. But along with his offensive productivity, McElroy showed that he had the leadership (and blocking skills) and other intangibles for him to ensure a trip to the National Championship, and was later rewarded with the SEC Championship MVP. But most impressive, was the Alabama rushing crew ended with a total of 251 rushing yards against the UF defense, most rushing yards allowed since Urban Meyer showed up in Gainesville.

As a consolation, UF will play in the Sugar Bowl against a (likely) coach-less Cincinnatti, seeing as Brian Kelly (who has enough of an Irish-sounding name to be head coach in South Bend) met with Notre Dame officials this past Tuesday. And after being named a finalist for the Heisman for the third time, Tim Tebow will be up against Mark Ingram one more time, but this time for a spot in the record books.

2 Minute Drill
Here are a few blurbs about how this week was crazy in other ways…..

-Regular season officially ends this weekend with Army v. Navy.

-No. 21 Houston defeated by Eastern Carolina for the Conference USA Title. Case Keenum went 56 of 75 for 527yds and 5TDs (43 total in ’09), but also threw 3INTs (9 total in 2009).

-Tennessee allegedly sending hot girls to high school football games to recruit players. Seems like an effective strategy, albeit against the NCAA rules.

-Jimmy Clausen and Golden Tate, two of the best in the nation at their respective positions will enter NFL Draft.

-Congress closing in on NCAA Playoff: House of Representatives subcommittee within the Energy and Commerce Committee approved legislation that would make it illegal to promote any NCAA football game as the ‘National Championship’ unless it is following a single-elimination tournament.

[Editor's Note: Rob Burckhard will discuss this topic in further detail at 5pm today.]

NCAA Fantasy Finals: Keep the stat-quo or make some changes?

This is it. Do or die. After blowing out my opponent by over 50 points last week, I have made it to the finals. I am competing for bragging rights, for pride, and for the (metaphorical) trophy. I am up against the team that had handed me my only loss on the season, and this being my first time making it to the finals, I am a little hesitant about making any moves on my roster. After debating with myself, I hoped there’s not much to do now but set my lineup, eat some turkey, and wait for the games to start. Or so I thought.

Eating turkey and waiting for the games to start was the easy part. Setting my lineup, not so much. Turns out my two stud QBs, Joe Webb and Kellen Moore will both face tough opponents this weekend. Moore and Boise State will face a Nevada team that is 7-0 in the WAC, and has won 8 straight games. Moore must show up big or risk losing not only the conference championship, but a BCS bid as well. On the other hand, Joe Webb tries to log one last W that would bring UAB to a bowl-eligible 6-6. This would be so much easier, if I could pick up Trevor Harris out of D-II Edinboro, who went 50 of 76 for 630yds and 7TDs (2 rushing)…in only his second game back from knee surgery. But because I couldn’t be so lucky, and because of the rushing and passing potential, I am going to stick with Webb. This should make for an interesting fantasy matchup, seeing as my opponent is starting Case Keenum, making this a battle of the top-2 fantasy players of 2009.

I had to do a bit of work on my team in other areas, seeing as both James Cleveland and Naaman Roosevelt, two of the top-15 WRs in the nation are at best questionable this weekend. Averaging over 8 receptions per game, if Cleveland is listed as injured, it will surely hurt my productivity this week. This, along with early reports stating Roosevelt will not be playing on Friday night, cause some concern. In order to quash that, I dropped Roosevelt and was somehow able to pick up Dexter McCluster from Ole Miss.

What’s great about McCluster, is the fact that he’s a RB listed as a WR, and only needs 97yds against Mississippi State in order to eclipse the 1,000yds on the season, making him the sixth-best fantasy WR in the nation. Chances are, you won’t get as lucky as I did, seeing as he is started in 90% of leagues, and owned in 94% on CBS. Starting Golden Tate and Danario Alexander, and with the addition of McCluster, my starting WRs make up three of the top-6 WRs in the nation. Hopefully this will ensure victory and year-long bragging rights.

Unfortunately, my backfield is in a similar position. Top-10 RB Bernard Pierce, who has been extremely productive averaging over 20FPts for 2009, will sit out as Temple plays Ohio for the MAC East title. Additionally, even though Darius Marshall will be back after sitting out last week with a knee injury, the Thundering Herd showed that they had plenty of depth at RB and would play the man with the hottest hand. This makes starting Marshall a risky move. In order to avoid such a risk, I dropped Pierce and picked up Frank Goodin out of Louisiana-Monroe. I have mentioned Goodin several times this season, and finally have the chance to utilize his talents, albeit in the last fantasy matchup of the season. If any of you need assistance at RB, Goodin is the way to go since he is owned in only 6% of leagues.

This is the season to be thankful, and I sure am thankful for college football, the internet, and thus, NCAA Fantasy football. Lets hope I can be thankful through the offseason. Happy Thanksgiving to all!

Round 1: NCAA Fantasy Playoffs

The offseason always seems to creep by at a nearly unbearable pace as we all yearn for the football season to begin. Come summertime, we start to get anxious; we start reading scouting reports, discussing Heisman probabilities, and drooling over the fantasy dream-team we hope to put together. Once Week 1 comes around, we get excited, we pull out our game-day jerseys, our lucky hats, and schedule our “honey-do” days around which games we must watch. But now, we are at that point in the season where things are coming to an end – which means the fantasy playoffs are just beginning.

If you’ve made it into the playoffs, you either (a) know what you’re doing, or (b) you’ve found some luck along the way. Even if you and lady luck have had a couple of nice "outings", you are the one who picked up players, you are the one who set your lineup, you are the one who now controls his/her own destiny. On that note, there’s not much I can suggest, other than two “rules of thumb” that I live by, if and when I make it into the playoffs.

1. “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.”
Throughout the season, I have tried to give you new players to look out for every week. As a result, my team has become synonymous with “revolving door”, dropping one just to pick up the next hottest guy. In NCAA fantasy, it is much easier to find the next big thing. But not this time of year. Stick with what works. Trust your gut.

My gut tells me Joe Webb will continue his hot streak this week against East Carolina. Even though Kellen Moore and Boise State play 3-7 Utah State, Webb’s ability to throw and run have proven to be valuable to my success.

2. Beware of the schedule
Unlike in the NFL, some schools still have Bye weeks. For example, Cincinnati, Pitt, and Idaho all have the week off. As a result, Mardy Gilyard (930yds rec, 8TDs, 135FPts), Dorin Dickerson (top fantasy TE in 2009), and Max Komar (926yds rec., 8TDs, 137FPts in 2009) will all have to be replaced.

With Gilyard on my squad, this is something I had to be aware of. I will play Golden Tate, Danario Alexander, and James Cleveland. Alexander has recorded 200yds receiving the past two weeks, and is one of the top 3 WRs in the nation along with Tate. Cleveland is stud/QB Case Keenum’s favorite target, and despite on recording 88yds last week, he will get the start. Houston plays a 2-8 Memphis squad that Joe Webb demolished with 378yds passing last week, so it looks as if Keenum and Cleveland will have a field day.

All-in-all, if you’ve made it this far, you’re doing well. Keep it up. Just make sure you don’t blow it by thinking too much and not trusting your gut, or not thinking at all by failing to pay attention to obvious factors such as a scheduling conflict. Good luck this week. I’ll let you know if I survived.

NCAA Fantasy Football Week 11: The end of the regular season

This is it – the last match up of the regular season. After demolishing my opponent by 103FPts last week I currently sit in third place overall and on top of my division, so it looks like I will be extending my season for at least another week. A lot of the players that have proven successful for me are still available in a majority of leagues on CBS, and would be great additions to your roster with the playoffs on the horizon.

The beat-down given by my team was led by a monster performance by Joe Webb. The UAB quarterback accounted for 6 touchdowns on his way to scoring a Week 10-best 59FPts. Webb looked impressive as he threw for 292yds and 4TDs, and ran for 120 and 2 scores. Even with these numbers, he is only owned in 41% of leagues, and only started by 16% of owners. Both numbers are surprising. If you’re in that other 59%, I would highly suggest picking him up; if you’re in the 16% that’s got him on the bench, you’re making a big mistake. On that note, Webb will keep his starting job against a disheveled Memphis squad.

My other option is Kellen Moore. Moore threw for nearly 350yds and 3TDs, but also logged a rare interception. This brings his 2009 totals to 27TDs and only 3INTs – a ratio that’s brought a lot of Heisman talk. So, its not that I don’t like Moore, I just like the state of upheaval that is the Memphis Tigers football, in terms of the potential for Joe Webb. If Moore is available in your league (owned in 29%), he would be a great addition even as a bench player.

Temple RB Bernard Pierce also showed up big in the Owls’ 34-32 win over Miami (OH). Pierce carried the ball 40 times for 178 yards and 3 touchdowns (35FPts). Since no one knows about him, he’s only on 18% of rosters, so there is a good chance he’s available in your league. If this is the case, pick him up!! Temple is playing a 2-7 Akron team, who is in the bottom 30% of the nation in rush yards allowed, giving Pierce an excellent opportunity to have another big week.

Now that Darius Marshall is back from a bye-week, I have to decide whether to start him, or Lance Dunbar alongside Pierce. The proverbial straw on the camel's back, comes in the form of defenses these players are rushing against. Marshall might have a shot at having a great game against Southern Miss, seeing as they allow an average of close to 120 yards per game. But Dunbar will be up against a Florida International defense who doubles that of Southern Miss, allowing nearly 250 yards rushing yards per game. I’m sticking with Dunbar, despite his off week of only rushing for 40yds and no scores.

Marshall, Dunbar, Fresno State RB Ryan Mathews, and Texas El Paso RB Donald Buckram are all owned in no more than 40% of leagues, so they might be available for you to pick up. Leading the nation with over 1400 yards in 2009, Mathews has also logged 14TDs. Buckram led the nation last week with 234yds and 3TDs (57FPts). Any/all of these RBs should be picked up in your league if available. They will only assist in adding to your arsenal.

Someone who should not be picked up, is LeGarrette Blount. Yes, he is a good running back and was supposed to be one of the best this season, but his shenanigans in Week 1 led him to an 8-game suspension. The Pac-10 and Oregon announced this week that Blount's has been reinstated and he is cleared to play. The bad news for fantasy coaches, is twofold: (1) We're not sure how he is going to come off of this hiatus in terms of strength and conditioning, and probably more importantly, (2) LaMichael James has had six games over 100yds rushing and 8TDs since Blount's midfield ruckus. James is an integral portion of the Ducks' offense and it will likely stay that way.

While Jordan Shipley (273) and Danario Alexander (214) led the nation in receiving yardage in Week 11, James Cleveland (WR – Houston) currently leads the nation in touchdowns (11) and fantasy scoring. Both Shipley and Alexander only scored once, while Cleveland found the endzone 3 times. I mentioned picking him up last week, but as of now he is owned in 40% of leagues and started in nearly all of them. Its likely that neither Shipley (94% owned) or Alexander (86% owned) are available in your league, but there is a chance that Cleveland still is. I am lucky enough to have both Alexander and Cleveland, but if I had an extra roster spot open, I would pick up Freddie Barnes (WR – Bowling Green). Barnes is second in fantasy scoring and touchdowns (10), but leads the nation in receiving yardage (1176)…and available in about 70% of leagues – so pick him up if you can!

At this point in the season, you should have a pretty good idea about who you should keep on the field. You might already be out of the competition (as I am in one of my NFL leagues), but if not, seriously take a look at some of these guys, because they could be the player that pulls you over the hump.

NCAA Fantasy Football Week 10: Setting up for the playoffs

Last week proved to be quite productive for my team, seeing as I beat my opponent by approximately 70 points. Kellen Moore put up 35FPts while passing for 3TDs and rushing for one. Lance Dunbar accounted for over 260yds of total offense and one score (31FPts). Luckily, I had the foresight to bench ‘Cuse WR Mike Williams who only put up 3FPts before being suspended from, and subsequently quitting the team. Knowing Tony Pike was injured, I should have done the same with Mardy Gilyard (6FPts). Hindsight is 20/20. So, what are the directions for a successful Week 10?

Step 1. Drop Mike Williams. The only thing he seems to be consistent at, is finding reasons not to play. Last year it was academics. Two weeks ago it was a violation of team rules. Going forward, it looks as if he decides not to quit, he will be suspended for another violation of team rules. Even when he does play, he has only scored an average of 13FPts per game, and scoring over 20 points only twice. All-in-all, there are much better fantasy prospects out there.

Step 2. Pick up a replacement WR. I have two options for you: Danario Alexander and/or Freddie Barnes. Either would be perfect to fill the void left by Williams. Alexander has racked up over 800yds and 7TDs on the season for Mizzou, placing him near the top of the list for receivers nationwide. But holding down the top spot with nearly 1200yds and 10TDs, is Freddie Barnes out of Bowling Green. Barnes has four consecutive games over 100yds and is obviously a huge part of the BGSU offense, but he won’t be available until Week 11 seeing as the Falcons played Buffalo on Nov. 3. The reason I even bring him up this week is because the playoffs are fast approaching, and he is worth the spot on the bench until then. If you can't grab Alexander and Barnes, or if you need to do a complete overhaul on your WR core, a third possibility is James Cleveland. The Houston WR is one of Case Keenum's favorite targets and it showed last weekend when Cleveland caught 13 balls for 190yds and 2TDs. With nearly 700yds and 8TDs in 2009, the transfer from Iowa has been a huge part of the 7-1 Cougars reaching no. 15 in the BCS rankings. After slumping the past two weeks, Cleveland bounced back against Southern Miss and should only continue against Tulsa this week.

Step 3. Snag Bernard Pierce. The Temple RB I mentioned last week is only owned in 10% of leagues on CBS, and he is the reason the Owls haven’t lost a game since Pierce started carrying the load. Last week, I was skeptical about his performance against a pretty solid Navy team, but Pierce’s 267yds and 2TDs are surely what led his team to a 27-24 victory over the Midshipmen. I can only assume this will continue against a Miami(OH) defense that ranks in the bottom-20 in rushing-yards allowed this season. Pierce will be my replacement for Darius Marshall (RB – Marshall) who has the week off with a bye. My dilemma will be in Week 11, when I have to decide whom to play alongside Lance Dunbar, but I'll cross that bridge when I come to it.

Step 4. Decide on a QB. The bridge to cross this week, is deciding between Kellen Moore and Joe Webb. Both consistently put up some serious fantasy numbers. Moore did great last week, but Webb did better (8/15, 127yds, 2TD passing; 20att, 163yds, 1TD rushing; 46FPts). My two options are seemingly polar opposites: Moore can throw; Webb can run. Webb leads QBs nationwide in rushing yards (over 900), with four consecutive games over 100. Both Webb and Moore are playing pretty equal defenses this week, making this decision somewhat of a toss-up. Both defenses rank in the top 25% of the nation in passing yards allowed, and the bottom 25% of the nation in rushing yards allowed. That being said, the dual-threat, mobile QB seems to be the better choice.

Step 5. Be Diligent. You need to stay on top of your team. If you don’t, all the “hard” work you’ve put in this season will go by the wayside, likely in a round 1 loss in the playoffs. Check out the players on the "Walk-On" list. Dump the non-producing players. Sign some of the point-producing-machines that are still out there.

College Fantasy Football: Mid-Way Tips to grab bragging rights for the rest of the year

Now that we are more than halfway through the college football season, we have a much better idea of which players you should sign to your fantasy squad. I know, you say we still have all of November, December, and into January to look forward to, but much like NFL Fantasy, playoffs in my league start at the end of the regular season – weeks 12 and 13. What this means, is we are just past halftime, and already nearing the end of the fantasy season. (Tear.)

The entire nation has their eyes on Heisman hopefuls Sam Bradford, Tim Tebow, and Colt McCoy, but none of them have been transferring into big fantasy numbers - so beware. I drafted Bradford at the beginning of the season, but have yet to play him. In fact, I dropped him this week as a result of his bum-shoulder. Tebow should be somewhat of a tossup this week. He seems to have bounced back from his concussion, but it also seems to have made him a bit timid. Never stellar to begin with, his numbers seem slumped the last couple of weeks, but will be facing Mississippi State (1-2, 3-4) this week. As for Colt McCoy, even though he leads 6-0 Texas into Missouri (4-2), McCoy has thrown at least 1 INT per game and a grand total of 1 rushing TD this entire season – which doesn’t translate well into fantasy points.

With none of the top-10 QBs coming from BCS-ranked teams, I am sticking with Kellen Moore out of Boise State. Moore will face Hawaii, who is in the midst of a four game losing streak, and even though the Broncos are 4th in the BCS standings, they will have something to prove for the rest of the season if they even want to have a chance at Pasadena – and Kellen Moore will be real important in that equation. I took a risk on Moore last week and it worked out nicely for me, and he should be able to keep it up.

A new face to keep an eye on is Lance Dunbar (RB – North Texas). Dunbar was sidelined with an MCL injury in 2008, but it seems as if he has found his was back into the groove of things. In fact, I am giving Dunbar the nod over Evan Royster (RB – Penn St.). Yes, Royster is a good running back; yes, the threat Royster poses is extremely important to the success of his team and their 6-1 record; no, Royster is not a good fantasy-back. This year, he has rushed for a mediocre 641yds and only 4TDs. On the other hand, Dunbar has over 500yds and 9TDs…in the last 3 weeks. The fantasy value is evident in the numbers.

Every year, the second half of the season generally is pretty exciting. Now that we are done with “cupcake” games, every Saturday has conference and national implications. As a Fantasy coach, this means that you have 2 options: (1) get your act together and sign some fantasy point-producers; or (2) If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. Even if you find your starting line-up in the category under (2), you need to make sure you stocked your bench with some of the better “Walk-Ons” (collegiate version of the Free Agent). The scheduling in the NCAA gets a little weird in November, with only some teams playing into Week 13.

Now is the time to make your moves, because before you know it we will be full-swing in Basket/Soccer/Hockey-Ball season, and the guy in the cubicle next to you will have bragging rights for an entire year.

Week 7 - Still Sticking with Smaller Schools' Studs

QB Update

Ok, so I was wrong about Christian Ponder…again. The Seminoles’ QB had a career day, going 26 of 36, throwing for 358yds and 5TDs in a loss to Georgia Tech (45 fantasy points). But, I don’t take back what I said about inconsistency – as a result of the obvious up-and-down play of the rest of the team. Even though he is a top-15 fantasy QB, I would play him with caution (not this week – FSU is on a Bye).

Aaron Opelt threw for 85yds and 0 TD, but received an injury to his throwing shoulder in the first quarter and will likely not be in the lineup in Week 7. Even if he does play, I would be hesitant as a result of the injury, and with the multitude of options in NCAA Fantasy, its kinda fun to switch it up and try new guys.

On that note, I gave Kellen Moore a shot last night. Honestly, the main reason is because of Boise State’s need to blow out Tulsa in order to impress the BCS voters. (Not to mention Tulsa’s 48^th-ranked pass defense). Well, even though the Broncos failed to blow Tulsa away, Moore went 21 for 29 with 187yds and 3 scores. He landed me a pretty good 25 points, to give me a pretty good start to this week. We all know about the recurring (read: nagging) Boise State controversy – they can’t get into the BCS Championship because of their schedule – which makes Moore someone to look out for throughout the remainder of the season…he has the potential to put up big numbers against weaker opponents.

Tight Ends

Until I saw on the Bottom-Line on ESPN, I didn’t realize I had failed to talk about TEs. I had been playing Caz Piurowski out of FSU, who was a top-10 fantasy TE up until he suffered a season-ending knee injury on Saturday against Georgia Tech. I would have liked to grab Dorin Dickerson out of Pitt, but he was already taken in my league. Dickerson seems to be able to find the end-zone, recording 7TDs and 230yds on the season, so take him if you can.

Instead, I am going with Jesse Rack out of Buffalo who, along with Naaman Roosevelt provide the primary red-zone targets for Zach Maynard. Buffalo is not doing so hot this year, but they play Akron (0-2, 1-4) this weekend, so it could end up being beneficial. Again, the obvious risk is if Maynard has a terrible passing day, I could shoot myself in the foot going with both Rack and Roosevelt. But, I’ll give it a shot and let you know.

Running Backs

Obviously, if you can grab fantasy production-machine Jacquizz Rodgers out of Oregon State (13TD on almost 700yds), do it! But if not, Darius Marshall panned-out for me in Week 6. He ran for 98yds and 2TDs, giving me 21pts. Even though Marshall plays a solid West Virginia squad, I’m going to keep Marshall in my active lineup, because he seems to be the Thundering Herd’s go-to guy.

But, you might also want to consider either of a pair of RBs from a surprising 5-1 Idaho. This scary dual-headed monster plays a Hawaii team that’s dead-last in the WAC. Both Princeton McCarty (125yds/16att/TD) and DeMaundray Woolridge (93yds/18att/2TD) put up some competitive fantasy numbers, although Woolridge has 8TD on the year. If you’re a risk taker, pick ‘em both up, but that seems too rich even for my blood.

Just some things to think about.

College Fantasy Football Week 6 Preview – Look to the Non-BCS teams For Studs

A couple weeks ago, I spoke all high and mighty about Florida State Football and the ‘brilliance’ they were about to show. I was wrong. Christian Ponder didn’t pan out, and it showed on my total score for weeks 4 and 5. Even though he went 29-for-42 and 341yds against Boston College, he had no TDs. (And don’t even get me started on the USF game). I think he is one of the best QBs FSU has seen in a long time, but the rest of the offense is not giving enough support for him to be a viable fantasy QB. And with all the coaching distractions going on around Tallahassee this week, I doubt it will get much better. So, it’s time for me to take my own advice, and not choose players based on my love for a particular team.

My next move for QB is Aaron Opelt out of Toledo. Other than the Zips’ game against Ohio State, Opelt has thrown for no less than 319 yards, eclipsing the 400 yard mark twice. After rushing for 109yds against Colorado, Opelt also showed he could get the job done on the ground. He seems to be a fantasy machine. Along the same lines, Eric Page (WR – Toledo) seems to be a good candidate as well. I have both won and lost many games based on starting a QB/WR combo, so its risky business, especially in pay-leagues. But, the Opelt-Page combo looks pretty nice this week against a 2-3 Western Michigan.

With big-time-scorers Golden Tate (WR – Notre Dame) and Mardy Gilyard (WR – Cincinnati) both on out a bye-week, you should also take a look at a pair of WRs from upstate New York: Mike Williams from Syracuse (averaging 125yds and a TD per game) or Naaman Roosevelt from Buffalo (nearly 600yds on the season). Page, Roosevelt and Williams are my 3 wideouts this weekend – we’ll see if I have to eat my own words.

My latest pick-up in the backfield is Darius Marshall out of (none other than) Marshall. The Herd travel down to the Big Easy to take on Tulane, who have allowed over 200 yards three times this season. I’m hoping that Marshall can take exploit this weak defense and rack up the points for me. I picked up Marshall instead of Toby Gerhart out of Stanford, only because of the Tulane defense. Gerhart’s 650yds and 8TDs on the season are pretty impressive, but you never know what might go on over there on the West Coast and in the PAC-10. Finally, another viable (yet not-quite-proven) candidate for one of my starting RB positions has been Frank Goodin out of LA-Monroe. Goodin has 8TDs, finding the end-zone three times against both Florida International and Texas Southern. He seems to be somewhat inconsistent (only 62yds and 0TDs against Arizona State in week 3), but hopefully Goodin will be able to capitalize against a 1-3 Arkansas St. this weekend.

Lessons learned since my last appearance 2 weeks ago: I am taking my own advice and staying away from “my” team’s players – they let me down both as a fan and as a fantasy coach; so be careful. Additionally, I am concentrating more on the smaller schools’ studs. They are definitely the ones at the top of the stat-sheets. Play the numbers; they don’t lie.

Fanhood and Fantasy: The splendors and spoils of drafting the home team

Just like any other fantasy team, you have to play for the points in college. Being from one of the states where football reigns supreme, college football in Florida reigns supreme. Now, this could be my opinion, maybe go as far as I say as my bias, but it seems to me that college football is a fan favorite down here. The problem with this, is that many times fantasy coaches will base their team off of what Bobby/Jimbo or Urban Meyer do on the field. Sometimes, these choises can be real good, but other times it fails to translate into points on the computer.

1. Don’t pick a player just because they’re on your team……most of the time.

Tim Tebow is big down here (as all over the place), but I doubt anyone out there has picked up Christian Ponder out of Florida State – and they’re both top 10 fantasy QBs. In fact, only 6% of owners on CBS have picked him up. Ponder put up some stellar numbers against BYU last week. Everyone thought that FSU would get embarrassed, but Ponder (21 of 26, 195yds, 2 TDs, passing; 77yds rushing on 11 attempts) scored 32 points and led the Seminoles to a big (read: huge) win. He laid down 31 points in week 1 against UM, and if it weren’t for that terrible game, in the rain, against Jacksonville State, Ponder might be a top 5 QB.

2. Leave your comfort zone; go to California.

Obviously, everyone knows who Jahvid Best is. If you hadn’t before last weekend, you sure do now after 5 TD on 131 yds rushing against Minnesota. Best is a beast, and you cant go wrong with him. But, you also might want to check out Fresno State RB Ryan Matthews. After 234 yds on 19 attempts and finding the endzone 3 times against Minnesota, the most impressive part of him was the ability to break a big play not once or twice, but all 3 TD runs were over 60 yards. I don’t see either RBs slowing down soon.

3. Offenses win games; Defenses win championships.

The National Champs and the Runner-Up have 2 of the best defenses in the nation. Florida is pretty good. They’re consistent. And even though they only have 4 INTs and 4 sacks, they have allowed only 672 yds all season. Yes, one of those teams was barely a notch-above a high school team, but even in their SEC schedule, I see the Defense scoring consistent points. Keep an eye out for Oklahoma. 12 sacks + 9 takeaways – (only) 670 yds allowed = a real good squad. But, a team that some – but might not all – would have guessed to dominate is Boise State. They own the WAC (and your fantasy league) and will continue to do so.

4. The moral of the story.

Use your knowledge of your team and its schedule…but don’t let your fanhood get in the way of your fantasy success.

College Fantasy Football: The Next Big Thing?

[Editor's Note: Guest columnist Matt Meyers takes a look at NCAA Fantasy Football and why it might just be the next big thing in fantasy sports.]

Seeing as we are now in the middle of September, football season is now in full swing. Many of you – including myself – have already drafted your NFL Fantasy team, or teams, but what about NCAA Fantasy Football?

With the advent of, and increasing participation in fantasy leagues of other mainstream sports such as golf, NASCAR, it's somewhat bizarre as to why NCAA Fantasy Football hasn’t taken off; especially since these leagues are strikingly similar to the common play of Fantasy with the NFL. Maybe it’s because there isn’t a well-known website to play? Maybe because it’s too difficult? Maybe because the bandwagon hasn’t passed-by your neighborhood.

Where can I play?

It’s simple. Even if you have never used the internet before in your entire life, I am sure you’ve heard of all-knowing, omnipresent Google. That’s where I started. After doing a general search for ‘NCAA Fantasy Football,’ I wasn’t surprised to see that there aren’t that many sites that offer a collegiate fantasy league, but then again, I was surprised to find that one of the biggest names in fantasy sports, CBSSportsline.com, offers a fun and easy way to become a collegiate ‘coach’. Additionally, AthlonSports.com offers another venue to play – possibly even a better, more user-friendly locale than CBS. ESPN.com is offers a ‘College Football Challenge’ which essentially offers the same thing: you pick your players and earn points, but you play in a nation-wide league vying for a single prize, none of which include bragging-rights amongst your friends.

How does the draft work?

This is where there is biggest difference between NFL and NCAA Fantasy hits home. Some might be too overwhelmed with the fact that there are over 100 Division-1 football teams to choose from. Well, for those of you who consider yourselves fantasy ‘gurus,’ you can draft from as many as all of the major conferences, or slim it down to only your favorite conference. That’s thousands of points available. With the right pick, you could have ended up with Case Keenum from the University of Houston, who threw for 366 yards and 3TDs against BCS contender Oklahoma State. The opportunities, combinations, and possibilities are endless.

Scheduling

Much like in the NFL, you can play head-to-head against others in your league. (Athlon offers a total-points option if you want to “spice” things up a bit). Generally, the season lasts for 10 or 11 games, with the playoffs lasting the last 2 games of the regular season. Again, its not difficult, especially since most of you are already versed in the fantasy football ways. Not much difference here.

Athlon? Or CBS?

Personally, I like the options AthlonSports gives its users. First off, CBS doesn’t offer any flex positions, but Athlon offers 4 (yes, 4! Including QB/RB/WR/TE and other variations). Athlon also allows for a minimum of 4 teams in your league, with a maximum of 36 (including odd-numbers), as opposed to CBS’s standard 6, 8, or 10. Finally, Athlon allows the commissioner a lot more leeway in choosing: draft order, roster limits, and scoring weights.

Now, some of you might not “have time,” but seriously? You have 4 pro teams, why not one NCAA? The bandwagon is cruising around – time to jump on.