NFL Draft: Can Cam Newton Play His Way Into The No. 1 Spot?

Andrew Luck has made the decision to return to Stanford for his senior year—forget the money, give him the degree—good for him. However, that now means the Carolina Panthers have a decision to make about which player deserves to be taken No. 1 overall.

Enter Cam Newton—playing in the Fiesta Bowl this Monday night—is it possible that if he performs well in that game, he'll be able to vault himself into the No. 1 spot on draft day?

The problem won't be his resume. He's clearly proven himself to be a great talent, and a game-changer, but is he technically sound enough to be a starter in the NFL from day one?

He hasn't taken many snaps from under-center this season, at Auburn, and that gives some pause when considering his overall ability to execute a pro-style offense at the next level.

Even so, his athletic ability and instincts with the football would make him the type of quarterback that the Panthers—especially if both DeAngelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart remain healthy—could use to bolster their stagnant offense.

Carolina needs a spark now more than ever, and if Newton decides to leave early—which many assume he will—there is little reason to doubt he won't be taken in the first round, possibly in the Top 15.

So the only question is his worthiness as a possible No. 1.

If Carolina decides Newton is too great a risk, they could always look to A.J. Green (the star wide receiver for the Georgia Bulldogs)—who has remained mum on his future—but is also thought by many to be on his way to the NFL.

Carolina's current star receiver, Steve Smith, is as unhappy with the direction the team has gone in of late, and the thought of him being in a Panthers uniform much longer looks to be a long shot. Green is projected to be a phenomenal pass-catcher at the next level, and could step into the role of the Panther's number one guy at wide receiver—should Smith exit this year or the next.

The sleeper in this could be Nick Fairley, the big-time defensive tackle out of Auburn.

The Panthers need a guy who can make opposing quarterback's nervous and help neutralize the run game—Fairley could be that guy and he would be a welcome addition to a defensive line that has a lot of nice pieces, but lacks that one explosive piece to complete it.

Carolina has a decision to make about their future, starting with the head coach, and with Luck out of the equation, that future just added a few more question marks.

Related articles

• Andrew Luck returns to Stanford (profootballtalk.nbcsports.com)
• Andrew Luck skipping NFL draft, will return to Stanford Cardinal (sports.espn.go.com)

Randy Edsall Imploring UCONN Fans To Buy Tickets to Fiesta Bowl

It's safe to say that no one figured on UCONN making a trip to a BCS bowl game this year. They slid in by the hairs of their chinny-chin-chin and will now reap the benefit of a nice little payout.

Unfortunately for UCONN, their fans aren't as excited about their trip to Arizona as the players and coaches. So far, according to Darren Rovell's Twitter feed, the Huskies have only sold 4,700 of their allotted 17,500 tickets.

That puts them well shy of where they'd like to be at this point in the bowl season—financially—and makes the possibility of them taking a loss on this trip a major probability.

In response to the slow-going sales, UCONN head coach, Randy Edsall, has asked that fans and supporters of the program consider the magnitude of this opportunity to see their football program play on the national stage.

Said Edsall, "If you have the opportunity and the wherewithal to make it happen, (you) should make it happen, because this is a once in a lifetime experience for the most part,” Edsall said. “There’s (other) BCS (games), but this might be the only Fiesta Bowl we go to. We hope it’s not, but if you have the opportunity to go, (you) should spend the money and go."

You would hope that fans wouldn't need such prompting but, the truth is, times are tough for many, and UCONN football doesn't have the following of an SEC or a Big Ten school—convincing people to spend upwards of $700 (tickets are $111 minimally) is going to be a much tougher proposition.

Edsall isn't naive to the fact that the school could lose more than it gains, from a financial standpoint, but he wouldn't trade it for anything—the recruiting benefits alone could speak volumes for his program's future.

That said, there are still those who wider if it's worth the cost. If maybe the BCS shouldn't have been bait more cognizant of the locales before making their decision to allow UCONN to play in the Orange Bowl—they stand to lose just as much if no one is watching.

It'll be interesting to see how it all shakes out but, right now, it doesn't look like anyone is winning.

Related articles

• UConn coach confident heading into Fiesta Bowl matchup with Oklahoma (nypost.com)

BCS Bowl Game Head-Scratchers: What Games Are Likely To Bore You The Most?

The first thing that might have struck many of you when the bowl selections were made on Sunday night is this: is Connecticut really getting a shot to play in the Fiesta Bowl?...Seriously?

While it's through no fault of their own, the Huskies have become the poster team for just another thing that's wrong with the BCS.

The Huskies, by default, are the Big East Champions. They beat West Virginia—a team that has a slightly more Fiesta-friendly record (9-3)—and won the tie-breaker. It happens and, as Randy Edsall (Connecticut's head coach) stated, "We played by the rules. Those are the rules, that the Big East champion gets an automatic bid to a BCS bowl game and we’re the conference champions and we’re going to accept that invitation".

He's absolutely right. The BCS made those rules, not him, and thanks to that his team will appear in the Fiesta Bowl to take on the Oklahoma Sooners.

While it's safe to assume the Huskies will be the underdogs in this contest, it is also safe to assume that the Sooners will surprise no one if they lose. After all, Bob Stoops has seen his team get beat on multiple occasions—in a BCS contest—during the last decade. So, as disinterested as many a football fan (outside of Stoors, CT) will be in seeing this game played, Sooner fans better hope that the Oklahoma of old doesn't put in an appearance this season.

But enough people are picking on the Huskies and, to be honest, there are quite a few uncompelling match-ups to be had. Below are the Top 5 candidates for the most boring bowl game the 2010 season will have to offer:

1. BYU vs. UTEP, New Mexico Bowl: December 18th at 2pm

BYU started the season losing 5 of 7, but closed out the year 4-1—including a near defeat of Utah—to become bowl eligible. That said, not many are likely to care about their match-up with the Miners. The former WAC foes don't have much to offer in name or excitement this season and the 2pm start (on a Friday no less) isn't likely to have many people rushing home.

2. Kansas St. vs. Syracuse, New Era Pinstripe Bowl: December 30th at 3:20pm

Perhaps the fact that this game will be in Yankee Stadium will give it some appeal—to Yankee and Syracuse fans—but to those of us who could give a flip about new Yankee Stadium, and are still wondering how on earth Syracuse got bowl eligible in the first place, there is little appeal.


3. Nevada vs. Boston College, Kraft Fight Hunger Bowl: January 9th at 9pm

By the time these two play, the Auburn/Oregon talk will be in full-swing and few people are likely to notice this final bowl game—played a mere 24 hours before the biggest game of the college football season. Oh, and the fact that Boston College, on offense, has been about as exciting as watching paint dry doesn't help much either.

Seriously, this is the best opponent they could find for the Wolfpack?

4. Notre Dame vs Miami, Hyundai Sun Bowl: December 31st at 2pm

Explain this: how do two teams from Indiana and Florida, respectively, end up playing in Texas...on CBS? Not only does the match-up not make any sense, the chances of anyone outside of Indiana or Florida stumbling across it on CBS (after the other 68 games have been played on ESPN or an ESPN affiliate) seems unlikely.

Even more, both Notre Dame and Miami were supposed to be great this year—both fell far short of expectations—this game seems more like consolation than reward.

5. Florida Interational vs. Toledo, Little Caesars Bowl: December 26th at 2:30pm

Many forget just how many teams the state of Florida fields...this one is no different. This game might  look good to some, but most will probably take a giant pass and return this college football gift to sender—just saying.

Related articles

• No. 9 Oklahoma To Face UConn In Fiesta Bowl (newyork.cbslocal.com)
• BCS breakdown: Looking at the biggest of bowl season (cbssports.com)

Virginia Tech vs Boise State: Frank Beamer Is In An Unenviable Position

Here are the three indisputable facts about the Boise State Broncos:

1) They have one of the best records in college football over the last four years.
2) They have beaten BCS competition.
3) They play in the WAC—for now.

That last fact is the one that raises the ire of most every college football fan who detests the endless hype Boise State has received—since stunning the Sooners in the 2006 Fiesta Bowl. That infamous "Statue of Liberty" play, executed perfectly by former Broncos signal-caller, Jared Zabranski, both announced Boise's arrival to the rest of the college football world and began the conversation that continues to intrigue us all today—"is Boise really that good"?

The fact that the question continues to exist and pose heated debates among fans and experts alike, nearly five years later, has made it difficult for Chris Petersen's program to receive the two things they are certain they deserve the most—respect and a shot at the BCS Championship.

You see, in 2006, it was okay that Boise won a lot of games and dethroned the big bad Sooners—it was a Cinderella story and every dog is entitled to its day. But, now that they've stuck around long past midnight, long enough to make a fuss about not having a shot at a national title, all anyone wants them to do is go away.

They are supposed to go back to being the "little school" in the "soft conference". The message from the peanut gallery it loud and clear: We don't want you here at the big boy table.

The oft heard refrain has become: "If they played (insert your automatic-qualifying BCS school here) schedule, then they wouldn't go undefeated every year".

However, we all forget that college football left the door open for teams like Boise State, and their "soft" schedules when they decided, in 2004, to omit 'strength of schedule' as a factor in determining the BCS standings—it's merely a consideration now.

With that fact in mind, Boise State has only done what they were supposed to do—play the schedule they have in front of them, and beat every team on it. The WAC may not be a powerhouse conference but that's hardly Boise's problem—is it? Even more, is the schedule they play soft because the opposition is so bad or because Boise is so good?

Think about it, objectively for a moment, why hasn't any other team in the WAC been as consistently good as Boise State has? Fresno State and Nevada have both had opportunities to come out on top—why haven't they?

Admittedly, the latter is a debatable point because there are so many factors to consider—recruiting, coaching, out-of-conference (OOC) schedule, etc. However, when you consider the fact that Boise has beaten Oklahoma, Oregon (twice), TCU, and Utah in the last four-years while Fresno and Nevada have fallen short when given their shot to shine, you have to give a little credit to the Broncos.

Boise has, consistently, shown up when given the opportunity. So, again, what's the problem? Why the outcry of "they're not worthy"...an outcry that this author has, at times, screamed quite loudly as well?

For one, the fans of college football still consider the difficulty of the schedule when assessing Boise as a contender. They simply do not respect the fact that the Broncos play cupcakes all season—no way around that fact.

Secondly, the arrogance of the fan who has a team in one of the BCS "power" conferences immediately cries foul at the fact that their school's road is so tough while the Broncos, seemingly, skate through theirs—remember that refrain mentioned above?

Whether or not 'strength of schedule' is a factor, perception is still reality for the everyday college football fan. They don't give a hoot about Boise getting respect because, in their minds, they haven't earned it yet.

That said, even if Boise defeats a legitimate power, the natural inclination will be to belittle Boise and make excuses for the other team—several examples follow.

Against Oklahoma in 2006, the excuse was Stoops' teams always choke when the opposing team has time to prepare. People referred to the Sooners as "Choklahoma" and pointed to the loss as yet another example of an overvalued team getting their jocks handed to them—Boise didn't win, the Sooners were just overrated.

When Boise beat Oregon last season, it was, "Yeah, but if they played Oregon later in the year, that game would have been different"...uh-huh, well, they played them in August—what can they do about that?

Again, Boise didn't win, the Ducks just weren't ready to play yet.

Their win against TCU in the Fiesta Bowl prompted more excuses: "So what? TCU didn't get stomped or anything. The game was won by the Broncos because TCU's offense stunk"—Boise didn't win, TCU lost.

Excuses, excuses.

So, here we sit, eight-months later, still talking about how good the Boise State Broncos aren't, how they do not deserve to be ranked in the Top 5, and how Virginia Tech will prove all of this on September 6th when the two teams meet—poor Frank Beamer.

This game was just supposed to be the one that replaced their home-and-home series with Syracuse. However, what it has transformed into is a lose-lose for the Hokies.

If Frank Beamer's team wins the game, the Boise naysayers will rejoice and say, "see, we told you". If they lose, the Boise State "we deserve a shot" train continues—with nothing to stand in its way.

In either case, the Hokies are shouldering a monumental burden because the media and the fans have made this game into an epic event—for both teams. 

In truth, however, this is just a game between two teams in the Top 10. Nothing is guaranteed–despite what anyone tries to tell you. Boise State could win this game, run the table, and still not get their shot. Or they could win and be upset later—it doesn't matter—that's why they play the games.

As for Frank Beamer, no coach in college football wants to be in his shoes right now. Win or lose, the rest of his teams' season will be judged according to what they do in this game. The kicker is, his team has question marks coming into this match-up too, they have some holes to fill too—there is a reason the Broncos are favored to win.

One thing is for sure, if the Broncos win this game, in convincing fashion, the rest of the season will be a calling card to the BCS...sponsored by 'No More Excuses'.

College Football Preview: TCU, Cincinnati, and Northwestern Are On "Upset Alert" in Week One

The college football season is just around the bend now and we are all steadily watching the injury reports and scrimmage outcomes as we get ever-so-close to snap one of the NCAA football season.

Even more, if you are anything like me, you are taking a closer look at the match-ups taking place in week one and wondering who might be caught sleeping a little while still basking in the glow of their preseason hype.

In 2009, it was Oregon. So enthralled were they with the accolades and the prognosticators who thought they would be a potential sleeper pick for the BCS title, they forgot to show up against a very hungry Boise State team with a lot to prove and one very huge chip on their shoulder. The result, a loss for those Ducks and a permanent place in history for one Oregon player who couldn't keep his hands to himself.

So, who should be very careful tip-toeing into week one of 2010:


1. TCU vs Oregon State (TCU -12.5)

The Horned Frogs are eager to right the wrong that was their loss to Boise State in the Fiesta Bowl last season. They came in with just as much pomp and circumstance as those Broncos from Idaho, but failed to deliver on the goods as they walked away with a bitter loss.

2010 promises a new look to their defense, minus Daryl Washington and Jerry Hughes, but the corps of their offense and plenty of talent on the defense still remains. That said, they will be looking to run over and place a firm set of handcuffs on the Mountain West again this year in hopes of gaining another shot at BCS glory.

However, they would do well not to overlook the under-appreciated and under stated talent of the Oregon State Beavers. The Beavers were one win away from making a Rose Bowl appearance in 2009 and played very well against the Pac-10 last season.

They have a solid offensive line, two phenomenal talents in both Jacquizz and James Rodgers, and a chip that sits similar to the one that Boise came in with against Oregon last season. If the Beavers can find an adequate replacement for QB, Sean Canfield, this game could be a lot more interesting than many think.

2. Cincinnati at Fresno State (No Line Yet)

Despite the fact the Bearcats lost Tony Pike (QB) and Mardy Gilyard (WR) to the NFL Draft and their former head coach, Brian Kelly, to Notre Dame, people still seem to feel they will be the team to beat in the Big East this season.

The Bearcats have options at quarterback, most notably QB Zach Collaros who fared well in relief of Tony Pike last season. Even more, the receiving corps, even minus the talented Gilyard, has just as much promise with Armon Binns leading the way and former USC recruit, Vidal Hazelton, finally able to contribute as well.

Plus, there is plenty of reason to feel that Butch Jones, who replaced Brian Kelly when he moved on from Central Michigan as well, will do a more than capable job of replacing him at Cincy too—at least that's the thinking.

No matter what the Bearcat hopeful are shooting for this season, the fact remains that they are still questionable on defense and apt to give up more points than you'd like to see on any given Saturday—a weakness that shone most brightly near the tail end of the year.

Fresno State gave the Bearcats all they could handle last season in a 28-20 loss in Cincy, look for the Bulldogs to come out firing on all cylinders in this rematch as they try and avenge that bitter loss on their home turf—minus the stellar running of Ryan Matthews but with the, hopefully, much improved arm of Ryan Colburn.

3. Northwestern at Vanderbilt (Northwestern -3.5)

The Wildcats lost a significant portion of their offense with the departures of QB Mike Kafka as well as their two leading receivers, Andrew Brewer and Zeke Markhausen. Even still, they return the bulk of their offensive line so new QB, Dan Persa, will have a firm foundation as far as that is concerned.

Their defense will be solid up front, despite the loss of Corey Wooton, but their secondary will need an overhaul after losing all three starters.

Vanderbilt may seem like a relative throw-away opponent for the Wildcats who are much more steady in several key areas than the Commodores who will not only be breaking in a new head coach, but are also shaky on the offensive line—at best.

So, how could this game possibly be an "upset special"...well, no one thought Northwestern should have lost to either Syracuse or Minnesota either. The Commodores may have plenty holes to fill but their fiery new coach will have them more prepared for this game than any other this season and that makes this a dangerous proposition for the Wildcats.