Jay Cutler now a CHICAGO BEAR!

Football Fiends,

I can hardly believe my poor beleagured Bears made such a savvy move!!!

I AM STOKED!!!!!

Jay Cutler is a BEAR!!!!!!!

-Your Gridiron Goddess

Tom Brady officially done for the season…

And just like that Patriots Nation takes a collective break to sob. Tom Brady has left the field folks. He will have season ending surgery on his left knee. Fantasy football players with Brady on their roster are scrambling for any available QB to replace him.

Ladies and Gentlemen, let me introduce you to Matt Cassel. Cassel has backed up Brady since chosen in the 7th round of the 2005 NFL Draft. At USC, Cassel was a pitcher on the baseball team while backing up Carson Palmer and Matt Leinart’s Heisman winning QB campaigns. He did time at tight end and wide receiver as well. But let me put it to you this way: The last time Cassel started a football game, he was in high school and Bill Clinton was President of the United States.

That not only seems like a long long time ago in a galaxy far far away, it really IS a long time ago.

And that’s not to say that Cassel won’t be good, possibly even brilliant. Maybe Belichick can work magic twice. We won’t know until he takes those first several snaps under center next week.

-Your Gridiron Goddess

Breaking News: Brett Favre calls a press conference

August 6, 2008. 12:01am

The Meadowlands, New Jersey.

Brett Favre called an emergency press conference. The media had 15 minutes to report to the Meadowlands. When Favre entered he looked like he’d lost his best friend. He took a deep breath, sighed heavily and then tonelessly began to sing:

When you’re a Jet,
You’re a Jet all the way
From your first vicious sack
To your last passin’ day.

When you’re a Jet,
If the ball hits the runner
You got linemen around,
You’re a Meadowlands man!

You’re never alone,
You’re never unprotected!
You’re home with your own:
When the Giants are expected,
You’re well protected!

Then you are set
With a capital J,
Which you’ll never forget
Till they cart you away.
When you’re a Jet,
You stay a Jet!

Then Favre sighed heavily again and left the room. The reporters all immediately said: J-E-T-S- JETS JETS JETS.

When Athletes Blog: Brett Favre’s Blog

August 1, 2008

Good God I’m bored. I mean what do normal people do when they retire? And did y’all know Deanna was such a bitch? Spend 16 years playing football and life back home changes, I’m tellin’ ya. My wife is…scary. When did she become so…scary? She won’t just let me sit around the house.

And Jesus, what’s the big flipping deal about my coming out of retirement? Why are they making it so hard on me?  It’s not like they made it this hard for Michael Jordan or Deion Sanders. Why me? Am I not the best quarterback of all time? Am I not the stud QB who played through all manner of injuries and personal tragedies? My Dad died and I didn’t miss a game. And this is the thanks I get?

I’ve half a mind to take my $20 million and invest it in an electric fence around the perimeter of my farm. Then I’d get squirrel sized electric collars and pay someone to put them on all the squirrels so they can’t get off my property. Then I’d put on one of those beer hats the fans in Green Bay are so fond of and pick up my bb gun and just start picking the squirrels off one by one. Maybe I can even pee in a bottle of somethin’ so I don’t ever have to leave my porch.  I can’t go in the house, Deanna’s there. She’s scary, y’all. How could you let me retire without warning me? And I’m sober, y’all. This is just not gonna work.

So you see why I have to play. It’s either play football or go squirrel hunting. It’s either the cheese heads in Green Bay or Deanna.

The cheese heads are less scary, y’all.

Your 2008 Pac-10 Preview

by Amy Lamare of www.gridirongoddess.net

I can make this real quick football fiends: USC will win its 7^th straight Pac 10 championship and head to a BCS bowl game.

And that concludes your 2008 Pac-10 Preview. UCLA, Stanford, Cal, Washington, Washington State, Oregon, Oregon State, Arizona and Arizona State – all y’all might as well stay home. Rey Maualuga, Mark Sanchez, Joe McKnight and the boys have got this one sewn up.

In all seriousness though, the Pac-10 does not back down from a challenge when scheduling its non-conference games. This year teams in the Pac-10 face: Ohio State, Georgia, Tennessee, BYU, Boise State, Oklahoma, Penn State and Purdue, just to name a handful. No 1-AA cupcake rivals here!

ARIZONA WILDCATS:

It’s do or die time for Coach Mike Stoops. He’s going to have to get his Wildcats to win 6 games to at least have a shot at keeping his job. If he can do this, Arizona will get to Bear Down for their first bowl game since 1998. I’m betting in Stoops’ favor since his non-conference lineup is fairly easy with games against Idaho and Toledo and at New Mexico.

Senior QB Willie Tuitama is going to have to step it up and generate some scoring this season for the Wildcats to be competitive in the Pac-10. The defense returns only 3 starters, and that’s not the only bad news for the Wildcat D. Their most experienced defensive lineman, Jonathan Turner, was suspended from the team’s summer practices after being charged with sexual assault last spring. He is awaiting his trial.

Junior college transfer Nick Booth hopes to boost the Arizona running game. This 225 pound running back joins Nic Grisby, Xavier Smith and true freshman Keola Antolin on the Wildcat depth chart.

Arizona‘s Non Conference Schedule: Idaho, Toledo, New Mexico

Arizona reports to pre-season camp on August 4^th

ARIZONA STATE SUNDEVILS:

ASU was picked to finish 2^nd behind USC in the pre-season Pac-10 poll. The Sun Devils are prepping for their second season under Coach Dennis Erickson and they have one MAJOR issue: The Offensive Line. They don’t have one. Seriously, last season QB Rudy Carpenter spent so much time on his back that I started to wonder if those were not linemen lined up in front of him, but rather, Fatheads.

Dennis Erickson is incorporating a quick release spread offense this season to help Carpenter’s protection. A good portion of his 55 sacks last season were due to him holding onto the ball too long. Five players have left the team since the conclusion of spring practices, including tight end Dane Guthrie. (Academic reasons for former defensive end Guthrie.)

ASU plays a doozy of a non conference game when it faces Georgia on September 20^th. If the Sun Devils do not solve their offensive line woes before then, they will not get out of that game alive. Ditto for their conference games against USC and Oregon.

If Carpenter gets the protection he needs either from his O-Line or the new offense, look out Tempe, your Sun Devils could crack the AP/USA Today top 10 with potentially their only losses coming at the hands of Georgia and USC. A Holiday Bowl berth, or should USC play for the BCS title, a Rose Bowl berth is yours for the taking.

ASU’s Non Conference Schedule: Northern Arizona, UNLV, Georgia

Arizona State reports to pre-season camp on August 4^th

CALIFORNIA GOLDEN BEARS:

Last season Cal went from #2 in the country to losing six of its eight final games to end up 7-6. A QB controversy rages in Berkeley, and it’s looking at the moment like we have a Sam Keller/Rudy Carpenter ASU flip flop of QBs brewing.

At the Pac-10 Media Day, Coach Jeff Tedford said:

“We’ll pick a starter probably the week of the first game… It may take both of them to help us reach our goals…They are both going to get some game time.”

Really Tedford? Look I know Longshore flailed around a lot in the second half of last season while he battled his ankle injury. And Kevin Riley lit it up in your Bowl Game. Against Air Force. Air Force. Is Riley really the guy you want facing USC and Oregon, or is seasoned senior Longshore your guy? Just remember Arizona 2006, Coach Koetter, Sam Keller and Rudy Carpenter and what a mess that whole situation was.

It seems from all I’ve heard and read that Tedford is leaning towards Riley. And sure, he knows things we do not know. Whoever gets the nod as QB has a whole new group of WRs to throw to. Juco transfer RB Javid Best comes with hype, but he’s also undersized.

Tedford and Co have a lot to address offensively. That said, they should finish in the top ½ of the Pac-10s final standings.

Cal‘s Non Conference Schedule: Michigan State, Maryland, Colorado State

Cal reports to pre-season camp on August 4^th

OREGON DUCKS:

Oregon lost their star QB Dennis Dixon to the NFL, but expect to reload quickly with new QB Nate Costa.

Oregon has a powerful defense with one of the best secondaries in the nation. Last year, Oregon ended up 9-4, largely due to Dixon’s season ending injury against Arizona, sending the Ducks into a 3 game losing streak.

Three Ducks are recovering from off season knee surgeries and are expected to be good to go by the first game. (QB Costa, TB Jeremiah Johnson, LB John Bacon) Tight End Na’Derris Ward, a UGA transfer joins juco transfers Jeremiah Masoli (QB) and Ellis Krout (WR) as new Ducks this season.

Oregon’s secondary is scary. Three Ducks are on the Thorpe Award Watch list: Patrick Chung, Walter Thurmond III, and Jarius Boyd.

Oregon was voted #3 in the Pac-10 pre-season poll. Look for them to challenge ASU for #2 behind USC.

Oregon‘s Non Conference Schedule: Utah State, Purdue, Boise State

Oregon reports to pre-season camp on August 4^th

OREGON STATE BEAVERS:

Oregon State’s program has put up an impressive 19 wins in the past 2 seasons, including a 2006 upset of USC. Their strong defense has been the key to their success of late. The Beavers face a challenge going into this season as they have to completely rebuild the front seven on their D, including S Brian Payton. Payton left the program this summer with no explanation. Beavs and Trojans alike may remember him as the player who had the key interception in the Beavers 2006 upset of Troy. So, good news for Trojans! (Like we need more good news, eh?)

Big things are expected of true freshman WR Jordan Bishop from West Salem (OR) H.S. Ditto to DE and juco transfer Simi Kuli, he is being touted as the key to making the new D-Line gel.

Good news for the OSU Squad: Guard Jeremy Perry is expected to be ready to play by the start of the season. He is one of, if not the best guards in the Pac-10. Perry missed most of 2007 with a broken leg and is recovering from knee surgery this spring.

The Beavers have a tough schedule, not only do they face conference rivals USC, ASU and Oregon; they have a rough non-conference schedule this year as well. I expect the Beavers to finish near the middle of the Pac. (Pun intended)

OSU’s Non Conference Schedule: Penn State, Hawaii, Utah

Oregon State reports to pre-season camp on August 1^st.

STANFORD CARDINAL:

Yes I know. We were 41 point favorites. Yes I know, biggest upset in college football. (but? Really? Michigan-Appalachian State comes to mind as being a bigger upset.) But I point out that John David Booty should have sat out when he broke his finger, not thrown 4 interceptions.

Bygones.

The Cardinal has some questions in this second season under showboating Coach Jim Harbaugh. Sure they return a conference high sixteen starters from last year’s squad, with seven of those on offense, but who is their QB? And let’s not forget that despite their (fluke) upset of Southern California, this is the offense ranked last in its conference in yards and points per game. So yeah, the Cardinal, he has some questions to be answered. Such as will injured starters Allen Smith (OT, kneecap) and Jim Dray (TE, knee) be ready to play at some point this season. Cardinal blogs report that we may not see either of these players in 2008.

Notre Dame transfer Konrad Reuland is expected to take on the Tight End duties this year; Oct 4 should be interesting for him. (Stanford faces the Fighting Irish on this day.)

The QB slot is a three man battle between Tavita Prichard, Jason Forcier and Alex Loukas, but highly touted freshman recruit Andrew Luck could be the man the Cardinal needs at QB.

This program faces an uphill battle with the high academic standards required just to achieve admission to Leland Stanford Junior University. Can Harbaugh bring wins to Palo Alto? Sure he can-but he’ll need several years of recruiting to do it. After all, he’s not just looking for explosive athletes, he’s also looking for exceptional academics as well.

Look for Stanford to finish 7^th or lower in the Pac-10.

Stanford’s Non Conference Schedule: TCU, San Jose State, Notre Dame

Stanford reports to pre-season camp on August 1^st.

UCLA BRUINS:

High up in the hills of Westwood, offensive to the lumberjack’s eyes, Lies the Cal extension campus known as Westwood High. Fight! Fight! Fight! Home of all the Bruin bear cubs, UGLY is its name. The student body’s vile, The campus is a pile, and the football team’s a shame! Fight! Fight! Fight! U. G. L. Y, UGLY Eat my shorts!

At least that’s the way we sing it at USC. In all seriousness though, this is not looking like a good year for those Bruins who wear the powder blue jerseys. It could be considered a successful season if UCLA is bowl eligible at season’s end.

I mean, what are you going to do without a QB or an Offensive Line? Or, more accurately, a just coming off his umpteenth injury QB and no O-Line? Norm Chow may be the guru that helped Coach Carroll resurrect the storied tradition of Trojan football, but you’ve got to have PLAYERS to build a football team.

I am biased, that is not a secret. There is not a lot of love for the Bruins from this Trojan. So let’s just look at some of the facts.

• They have the 10^th ranked offensive line in the Pac-10
• Both Ben Olson and Patrick Cowan were injured on the same day in Spring practice. Patrick Cowan is out for the season with his injury.
• Olson is insanely injury prone himself.
• Rick Neuheisel is in his first year as Head Coach in Westwood. Norm Chow is in his first year as Offensive Coordinator in Westwood (traitor!). Much of the rest of the coaching staff is brand new.
• The pitiful O-Line needs to replace 4 starters from last year’s so-so squad.
• Projected starting RT Sean Sheller is out for the season with injuries sustained in an ATV accident. That’s 5 Offensive Linemen needing replacement now.
• Junior tailback Christian Ramirez will miss the season because he did not meet NCAA eligibility requirements.
• If QB Olson somehow remains healthy all season and makes it to the USC game, he will most assuredly be Maualugaed.

Do I need to go on? Neuheisel, Chow and co. walk into a bit of a mess over there in Westwood. Do they have the chops to turn it around and return UCLA to glory? Yes, they do. It’s just not going to happen THIS year.

UCLA’s Non Conference Schedule: Tennessee, BYU, Fresno State

UCLA reports to pre-season camp on August 5^th.

USC TROJANS:

Look for USC to meet Georgia for the BCS Title. We were anointed the pre-season #1 at the Pac-10 media day today and we are a favorite to win the Nat’l Championship. Not only do we face formidable conference rivals Oregon and ASU but we’ve got a September 20^th date with the Buckeyes of Ohio State at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum too.

Do it better than it’s ever been done before and never stop competing. Win Forever. Always Compete.

These are but a few of our team mottoes.

Consider these facts. Under Pete Carroll, USC has:

• Six Consecutive Pac-10 titles
• A record Six straight BCS bowls
• A record five BCS bowl wins
• Three Heisman Trophy Winners
• Two National Championships
• A Nationwide high 10 players drafted into the NFL in the 2008 Draft
• An NCAA record of 63 straight games scoring 20 or more points
• A national record of 33 straight weeks as the AP #1
• Six consecutive AP finishes in the top 4.
• A 76-14 (84.4%) record

The question is not: Will USC be good? The question is: Can USC be beat? And if so, how?

Mark Sanchez, the 6’3″, 223lb junior takes over as QB this year. Coming out of high school in 2004 he was everybody’s All American. One Pac-10 coach said Sanchez was the best QB he’d ever seen on film.

Now he gets a chance to show the Nation how good he is.

Folks, not much needs to be said about my Trojans. We will dominate if we stay focused. And focus is not something Pete Carroll’s teams lack.

In Pete We Trust.

Fight on!

USC’s Non Conference Schedule: Virginia, Ohio State, Notre Dame

USC reports to pre-season camp on August 6^th.

WASHINGTON HUSKIES:

Tyrone Willingham is another Pac-10 coach on the hot seat. He meets his former team, the Fighting Irish of Notre Dame on October 25^th at Husky Stadium but the discomfort of that is nothing compared to the November 15^th date the Huskies have with the Bruins. See, Rick Neuheisel is the Anti-Christ to Husky Nation. His very existence reminds U Dub fans of how elite their program once was and what his role was in dismantling it.

Washington has been slow in improving under Willingham’s tutelage. And slow is not what Husky fans want. They want a return to the days of glory. To winning the Pac-10-which they haven’t done since Rick Neuheisel’s second season in 2000. To winning the National Championship-their last was in 1991. Not to another 4-9 season and bottom of the Pac-10 finish.

This is the program Neuheisel destroyed in the eyes of Husky Nation. I hope he has bodyguards for the November 15^th game in Seattle.

Look at it like this: Willingham is going into his third season and is 9-16 overall. When Pete Carroll ended his second full season at USC, he was 17-8 overall and coming off an 11-2 season and top 4 AP finish. In his 3^rd season USC won a share of the National Championship with a 12-1 record.
This is the sort of thing Husky fans expect from their Coach. Miracles.

For Willingham to be successful at retaining his job-which we’ll define by a 6 win season and bowl berth-he will have to instill confidence in his squad. He will have to imbue them with the will to win. That’s going to be hard to do if he starts off 0-3 which is very likely considering the first three teams the Huskies face are Oregon, BYU and Oklahoma.

Ouch.

On the one hand, you’ve gotta respect a guy with a program trying to battle it’s way up from the doldrums of the conference who goes out and schedules BYU and Oklahoma as two of his team’s three non-conference games. (The third being his date with Notre Dame.)

On the other hand, you’ve got to wonder if he’s drinking some spiked Kool-Aid that makes him think his 2-7 in the Pac-10 last year team can post a winning season with these kinds of odds stacked against them.

It’s going to be interesting to sit back and see how it unfolds this season. Husky fans, you have my sympathy-after all, USC Football in the 1990’s was very painful, I know how it feels.

Washington‘s Non Conference Schedule: BYU, Oklahoma, Notre Dame

Washington reports to pre-season camp on August 4^th.

WASHINGTON STATE COUGARS:

41 year old Paul Wulff is new to the Wazzou coaching job. He’s inheriting a team with issues up the Wazzou. (pun intended.) What Cougar fans will like is that Wulff is a former Cougar player himself. He played offensive line for the Washington State Cougars from 1986 to 1989.

The Cougar’s have a stellar receiver in First Team All Pac-10 senior Brandon Gibson. They have a new QB in 6’7″, 233lb Gary Rogers. And Coach Wulff is bringing a new offense to Pullman. Will Gibson and Rogers be up to Wulff’s no-huddle attack? We’ll know soon enough.

Wulff also has inherited a team with a bunch of off-field issues. They lost eight scholarships when they failed to meet the NCAA’s Academic Progress Rate Standards. 25 Cougar players have been arrested in the past 18 months. Safety Xavier Hicks is spending 45 days in jail, and missing the first 3 games of the season after pleading guilty to 2 gross misdemeanors. Defensive lineman Andy Roof’s troubled past has left his fate as a Cougar player up in the air.

But signs of change are already apparent. Coach Wulff cut QB recruit Calvin Schmidtke from the team because of a number of controlled-substance violations.

With the kind of problems this team faces, a former Cougar may just be the man to clean up the face of the program while steadily improving the team. The Cougars were 5-7 last year. I don’t expect much of an improvement this year, though it could be said that maintaining a 5-7 record would be an improvement with all the changes that need to be made and questions that need to be answered in Pullman.

Wazzou’s Non Conference Schedule: Oklahoma State, Baylor, Portland State

Washington State reports to pre-season camp on August 5^th.

And that concludes Your 2008 Pac-10 Preview my football fiends. Next up is the Big 10. Give me a couple of days, this one took 2 days to do. (I’m betting because it is MY conference. I’m HOPING because it is MY conference. And because it is over 3,000 words maybe?)

-Your Gridiron Goddess

A Gridiron Goddess Administrative Note: Your Fantasy Football Reality Check – RB edition

Hello Football Fiends-

Stephen Lamare is hard at work on the Running Back edition of Your Fantasy Football Reality Check. I expect to have it posted late tonight.

Pac-10 Preview is going up in a few hours, am wondering right now if CAL’s Coach Tedford remembers ASU’s Coach Dirk Koetter and the Sam Keller/Rudy Carpenter debacle of 2006. Remember how it rotted the team from the inside out Tedford? You might want to think about that a bit.

Pac 10 Media Day is today and Jeff Tedford had this to say:

“We’ll pick a starter probably the week of the first game… It may take both of them to help us reach our goals…They are both going to get some game time.”

Now are you SURE you want to use 2 QBs this season? Are you SURE you want to bench the seasoned senior for the sophomore who lit up the game against AIR FORCE? Is Kevin Riley really who you want at the helm of your offense when you face USC and Oregon? Because that statement above, it makes it sound like you’re leaning towards Riley. Otherwise why not just anoint Longshore and say the two are still competing, like Coach Carroll does with Sanchez/Mustain?

-Your Gridiron Goddess

Your Fantasy Football Reality Check #2 – Quarterbacks

Welcome Ladies, Gentlemen, and fantasy leaguers of all ages to the QB installment of Gridiron Goddess’ Your Fantasy Football Reality Check!

This week we’re going to start talking about the specifics of each position.

Let’s begin with the field generals of football — the quarterbacks. Now I know that the standard thinking in approaching a fantasy football draft is to draft running backs first, running backs second, and take whichever best QB is left- but I just don’t buy into that conformist style.

Fantasy football scoring systems in head to head leagues are predicated on scoring touchdowns.

Who else on any team has the likelihood of consistently putting up 20+ TD’s in a season outside of the QB? I realize that not all fantasy league scoring formats are the same — a lot of leagues award less points for QB TDs than the other positions — but that still places the quarterback as one of your steadiest producers.

It seems strange to say this but QBs are a slightly undervalued commodity come draft day in most leagues. That’s why I’m going to stress the importance of acquiring a true #1 QB.

Believe me; you don’t want to have two marginal fantasy quarterbacks that you’ll have to shuffle between each week. There have been a couple of seasons when I didn’t go out of my way to draft that sure-fire producer, and not coincidentally one of those seasons was my only year at .500 or less.

You need to draft a quarterback you feel absolutely comfortable with every week regardless of the matchup. Attempting to play the “who has a better matchup this week” game, trying to determine who will have the better scoring week due to their upcoming opponent is the most sure fire way of insuring a mediocre outcome.

If your dilemma post draft day is “Do I start Clemens or Garcia?!” I really don’t need to tell you that you’re entering a world of pain.

Hopefully by reading this column we’re preventing that potential disaster from occurring.

Before I list the Gridiron Goddess Fantasy-Reality Check quarterback rankings I need to make something clear — It is imperative to have one of the QBs listed in the top 8 at best and top 10 at worst in order to alleviate any concerns about what to expect from this vital position. Make no bones about it — they WILL require a top draft choice.

I’m addressing this position first so the idea of spending one of your top 3 picks (and in many cases top 2 picks), has sufficient time to settle in before any ‘08 drafts ensue.

QBs you’ll relish owning:

From Fantasy royalty to a steady hand
1) Tom Brady

2) Peyton Manning

3) Tony Romo

4) Drew Brees

5) Carson Palmer

6) Ben Roethlisberger

7) Derek Anderson

8 ) Matt Hasselbeck

9) Donovan McNabb

10) Brett Favre- only if he is starting for the Pack though!
QB’s you’ll have to live with:

One week on- one week off- some upsides
11) Jay Cutler

12) Marc Bulger

13) Eli Manning

14) David Garrard

15) Jake Delhomme

16) Matt Schaub

17) Jason Campbell

18 Philip Rivers

19) Aaron Rodgers

20) Jon Kitna

Good luck! The rest of the field doesn’t require ratings as far as I’m concerned.

Your starter and backup are hopefully both amongst the first twenty named here. If one is in the top ten and the other in the 11-20 range- you’re gold!

However, if both your QBs are listed in the second tier you could have that week to week match up problem I mentioned earlier. With so much parity in the NFL schedule you’re better served by taking my advice and drafting the unquestionable #1 QB who you start EVERY week.

That’s it this week everybody, visit Gridiron Goddess for the Running Backs preview next Thursday.
-Stephen Lamare

This post sponsored by NFL Odds and Betting.

A Harem of the Gridiron Goddess post: Walker Sports on ACC Preview 2008 – Coastal Division

Gridiron Goddess welcomes back Walker Sports with his ACC Coastal Division Preview.

Your ACC Preview – Coastal Division

by Walker Sports

Welcome back to part two of Walker-Sports ACC preview. In this section we will take a look at the Coastal Division. Of the two divisions the Coatal is without a doubt the tightest, and will prove to be the most competitive. It could also make for some interesting results come November once all these teams have tangled and a couple upsets go down.

Virginia Tech Hokies: The Hokies have been a terror to the ACC since the day they arrived in the league. They have played in 3 out of 4 ACC Championships. There is no doubt the ACC made the right move bringing these guys in. This year the Hokies are likely the only legitimate threat to the Clemson Tigers if the two can meet in the ACC Championship game. However, this year will take a little more effort than Beamer and company are used to. The Hokies lost several key players on both sides of the ball including star running back Brandon Ore and linebackers Xavier Adibi. The Hokies will also continue their battle at quarterback that began last season between Sean Glennon and Tyrod Taylor. Lucky for the Hokies they have the best of both worlds with these guys, Glennon being a scrambler and Taylor a drop back passer.

No matter who is at the helm at QB you can bank that Virginia Tech will play solid defense and great special teams. That will make them a top contender in the ACC and a possible factor in the BCS.

Record: 10-2

Key Games: East Carolina, Nebraska, Florida State

Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets: Change was the theme of the off-season for the Yellow Jackets. Paul Johnson’s option offense scared off a couple players, but they will be stronger because of it. Josh Nesbitt will be charged with running the offensive this season, and he has the tools to make it happen, if he stays healthy, a groin injury has sidelined him for much of the spring.

What the Rambling Wreck will do very well this year, is attack opposing offenses. The Yellow Jackets have one of the top ends and one of the top tackles in the league, Michael Johnson and Vance Walker will test any offensive line. The D-Line alone will keep the Yellow Jackets in most any game they play this season.

Record: 7-5

Key Games: Florida State, Mississippi State, Georgia

Miami Hurricanes: Don’t go crazy with this one, the ‘Canes fell into this spot by accident, not because they have done anything special. Miami will be pretty much all freshmen or first year players. Lucky for them their freshmen tend to be better than an average teams seniors.

The Hurricanes are moving in the right direction, and they appear to be doing it the right way. That meant getting rid of a lot of players and coaches. That will lead to disappointment in the short term, but if the Alumni can hang in there and just trust in their coach, they will find themselves back on track, especially with this talented group of freshmen.

Record: 7-5

Key Games: UCF, Virginia, Texas A&M

Virginia Cavaliers: Al Groh must go, was the chant heard round Charlottesville after an embarrassing opening lost on the road to Wyoming. However, a 9-4 campaign seemed to make many Cavalier fans forget Groh’s shortcomings and he even received a contract extension. However, after a meltdown in the Gator Bowl and an embarrassing off season that saw seven players kicked out of school perhaps Groh’s job should still be on the line.

Despite all the setbacks the Cavaliers are looking to employ a more wide open attack and actually toss the ball down field some this year, Combine a revamped passing game with the return of Cedric Peermen and Mikell Simpson at running back and the Cav’s could have a decent offense, but don’t hold your breath.

Seven wins this season would be a phenomenal achievement. (Your Gridiron Goddess says: ESPECIALLY since they open their season against USC.)

Record 6-6

Key Games: Miami, East Carolina, Clemson, USC

North Carolina Tar Heels: Butch Davis is entering his second year as head coach in Chapel Hill, and while that does mean something, Davis alone is not enough to put the Tar Heels back on the winning track. The Heels will be much better than their 4-8 mark of their last year, however due to a tough schedule; the improvement may not be seen in the win column. Out of conference games against Rutgers, Notre Dame and UConn can mean trouble for the Heels.

The bulk of their success will depend on how their backfield gels together. Greg Little is the sophomore who moved to tailback from receiver late last year and he will carry the load this season. T.J. Yates is supposed to be the starter at QB comes August, but he has not thrown much at all since shoulder surgery in December. If he is unable to go the Tar Heels will depend on backups Paulus and Sexton to step up and run the offense.

Record: 5-7

Key Games: UConn, Boston College, North Carolina State

Duke Blue Devils: I won’t lie this is just hard to do because, I don’t want to be too tongue and cheek, and Walker-Sports is not about sugar coat anything, so sorry Blue Devil fans. David Cuttcliffe has challenged his team to improve their fitness, and their team speed. To this point the team has responded well. However, Duke simply does not have the athletes to compete at the high levels of the ACC. Nonetheless, the Blue Devils will be an improved team.
Record: 2-10

Key Games, James Madison, Northwestern

ACC Championship Game: Clemson vs. Virginia Tech

Clemson wins ACC Title and Tommy Bowden goes to the Orange Bowl where the ACC can hopefully regain some respect on the national level.

That’s it for me, hope you enjoyed the preview feel free to drop a line with your comments. This is going to be a special year in college football, there’s a lot of variables out there, and a lot of new faces on the scene so buckle up and get ready for what will be a hellUVA a ride.

[Your Gridiron Goddess says: S-O-U-T-H-ERN C-A-L-I-FORNIA SOUTHERN CALIFORRRRRRRNIA. AUGUST 30TH BABY!]

A Harem of the Gridiron Goddess Post: Walker Sports with ACC Preview 2008 – Atlantic Division

Your Gridiron Goddess is happy to welcome Walker Sports to GridironGoddess.net with the ACC Preview for the Atlantic Division. He’ll be back on Saturday with the ACC Coastal Division preview. Enjoy!

Your ACC Preview – Atlantic Division

by Walker Sports

College football season is just over 50 days away, and I cannot wait. While traditionally Saturday is a Rugby day in Walker-Sports land, even rugby takes a back seat to college football. Walker-Sports originates in ACC territory and lives and breathes ACC football, yes the conference is now 10 years removed from their glory days, but better days are coming, and as out of conference scheduling picks up for many schools the ACC will soon be flexing their muscles for all the NCAA to see once again.

So saddle up, make yourself a pull pork sandwich, pour yourself a shot of Southern Comfort (or a glass of Merlot if you’re at a UVA game) and get ready to watch to some ACC football the way it was meant to be. Tough and gritty with a wide open race to the finish.

ACC Preseason Preview Atlantic Division

Clemson Tigers: There is no doubt that the Clemson Tigers are the cream of the crop when it comes to ACC football, they may even be among the elites in the NCAA. However, there is one small problem. They are the Clemson Tigers, their coach is Tommy Bowden and we have all heard this story before and it always has the same sad ending. The Tigers are stacked with talent Cullen Harper at QB is a stud who completes a high percentage of his passes. At tailback Clemson has arguably the best two tailbacks in the ACC with James Davis and C.J. Spiller. On the defensive side Clemson is returning eight starters and will look to use their speed to apply pressure to opposing teams and knock them off their game plan early.

The biggest problem Clemson will face will be keeping focus and finishing what they started. Too often Bowden’s crew has been the most talented team in the ACC, but not the most disciplined team and the result is another, 8-4 season; great if you’re Duke, but a waste if you were thinking BCS in the preseason. Let’s hope they don’t do the same this year.

Record: 10-1

Key Games: Alabama, Florida State,

Florida State Seminoles: Okay, so this was a tough one, and I’ll be the first to admit that the ‘Noles got the nod because of who they are and prior reputation, but nonetheless they made it into the second spot. Drew Weatherford has been in college since about 1990 it feels like. By now he has to be the most experienced QB in the NCAA, and that will be a big help. Weatherford was aided by the addition of Jimbo fisher as an offensive coordinator last year, and he will look to build on that previous success.

The biggest asset for Florida State is a weak schedule. They open with four consecutive home games. Matter of fact the ‘Noles won’t leave the state of Florida till mid October. This means Florida State has a good chance to rack up some quality wins at home and that could go a long way in an average ACC conference.

Record: 8-4

Key Games: Colorado, Virginia Tech, Clemson,

Wake forest Demon Deacons: Wake is in the middle of their greatest run in school history. While the coffers don’t have the talent they once had two seasons ago, they still have enough to get the job done. That means they will be .500 at the very least and with a little bit of luck they can jump into the second spot in the Atlantic Division. The bulk of their success will depend on if they can move the all on offense. Last year the Demon Deacons were routinely out gained and it cost them.

Record: 7-5

Key Games: Clemson, Virginia, Boston College

Maryland Terrapins: The Terps have struggled the past few seasons. The bulk of their problems have resulted from inconsistency at the quarterback position. Despite the instability the Terps are a tough out especially for ACC opponents. Ralph Friedgen seems to get his teams to play just well enough to keep his job. That means the Terps will be playing spoiler to a couple of ACC opponents. I would like to say that dropping WVU from the schedule would help Maryland this season, but adding Cal is no cakewalk. Look for the Terps to upset some ACC’s teams bid for a title, just hope it’s not yours.

Record 6-6

Key Games: Cal, Boston College, Wake forest

Boston College Eagles: The honeymoon is over for Coach Jagodzinski and company. Last year Jags was a first year coach and he feasted on the fruits of Tom O’Brian’s labor, mainly his grooming of QB Matt Ryan. Now Ryan along with a load of other talent is gone, and the Eagles are ready to return to earth. BC is only returning 10 starters meaning they will be very inexperienced and that leads to mistakes and close loses. As usual BC will be solid on both lines, but they just won’t have enough fire power to be in the mix. This will be one Boston team that does not bring home a championship.

Record 5-7

Key Games: UCF, North Carolina, Wake forest

North Carolina State Wolfpack: Tom O’Brian is a hell of a coach, and he will be put to the test with this NC State team. They lost 10 starters from a 5-7 team, and they only have freshmen to replace them. Combine that with a brutal non-conference schedule and you can bet the Pack will slide before they are ready to climb again. But hang in there NC State supporters, this year may be rough but positive results will be coming down the pike very soon.

Record: 3-9

Key Games: Wake forest, East Carolina

CFB wrapup: MADNESS, I tell you, MADNESS

Hey there football fiends-since my BRONCHITIS (lovely, right?) is keeping me up I figured why not write the CFB wrap up now? A win-win…at least until I start coughing up internal organs with this painful bronchial cough thing I have. Ah…fun times here on the couch of your Gridiron Goddess. Fevered dreams of Matt Leinart being madly in love with me aren’t bad, though….

But I digress. I blame the Ny-Quil and diet Coke combo.

College Basketball season kicked off last night around the country with Midnight Madness. Now, had your Gridiron Goddess not been coughing up a lung, I would have trucked my butt down to Southern California’s Galen Center to report on all the O.J. Mayo goodness. But there is plenty of time for that once CFB season is over.

Two weeks ago we had the Wacky Weekend of Upsets. Then #3 Oklahoma lost to an unranked Colorado. Then #7 Texas fell to an unranked Kansas State. Then #10 Rutgers took a dive against unranked Maryland. Then #21 Penn State got beat by unranked Illinois. #22 Alabama got beat by unranked Florida State. Then #4 ranked Florida fell to unranked Auburn. #11 Oregon got beat by then #6 Cal. And my then #1 ranked USC Trojans squeaked past UDub.

At the end of the weekend the top 25, but the top 10 especially, were in disarray and heading into the 5th weekend of the CFB season the top 10 were:

1. LSU

2. USC

3. California

4. Ohio State

5. Wisconsin

6. South Florida

7. Boston College

8. Kentucky

9. Florida

10. Oklahoma

Then LAST WEEKEND, tragedy struck in the heart of Your Gridiron Goddess and her fellow Trojan fans. And I am sure other things went on too, like Florida losing to the hated LSU, but all was eclipsed by my melodramatic heartbreak.

Heading into this weekend, the top 10 was:

1. LSU

2. California

3. Ohio State

4. Boston College

5. South Florida

6. Oklahoma

7. South Carolina

8. West Virginia

9. Oregon

10. USC

Today, more insanity occurred. LSU lost to Kentucky. Cal lost to 3-3 Oregon State. Oklahoma handed Missouri their first loss today in Norman. Penn State drilled Wisconsin. Ohio State and BC won–but Ohio State’s quality win comes against one of the teams at bottom of the Pac-10 ladder: UDub. And who has BC played to convince us they are as strong as they look? No one yet. South Florida beat Auburn at Jordan Hare and beat WVU, so IMO have a more legitimate claim on the #1 position this week.

Now, concerning USC, interestingly enough we’re in about the same position as 2003. 1 loss, ranked 10th. That was the year we ended up winning the AP Nat’l Championship while fellow 1 loss teams LSU and Oklahoma played in the BCS Title game.

Um, deja-vu anyone?

This Trojan team we have now is not as strong as 2003’s squad but only for one reason: INJURIES. Our vaunted O-Line is now made up of back ups and in many cases the back ups back up. Our D is decimated, and today we lost the lynchpin of our defense in Rey Maualuga after primo O-Line go to guy Sam Baker went down for duration of the game.

BUT, while our loss last week to Stanford shows the world we ARE beatable, doesn’t this week’s loss by Cal to Oregon State show the same thing and shouldn’t they fall to 10 or below in the rankings while we move up to 9 or higher? I don’t know. LSU, I’d keep them in the top 6 or 7 at the lowest, since their sole loss comes from a strong Kentucky team.

Consider this–every single AP pre-season top 10 team now has at least one loss and it is only October. This is the craziest college football season ever, people.

The first BCS rankings come out in the morning.

It’s not going to be pretty for many of our teams. I have a feeling traditional power houses like LSU and Oklahoma will fare better than South Florida and BC, even though those two teams remain unbeaten.

Is it fair? Nope. But when did I ever proclaim the BCS fair? LSU and Auburn fans would agree with the USC crowd, though for their own reasons, on that statement.

Oh, but I did go 11-5 today, which considering the #1 and #2 ranked teams losing, is pretty flipping good IMO. And now, I must sleep.

-Your Gridiron Goddess, signing off with a picture representative of how I feel right now with this bronchitis thing