UFO sighting at Ann Arbor, Michigan of many red orbs in sky above the trees, June 11, 2011.

Date of sighting: June 11, 2011
Location of sighting: Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA






Eyewitness states:

"At around 8pm, a single sphere like object had come over the tree line and jutted down in a quick motion and then continued on in a straight path. Soon after, 4 more objects appeared with the first three in a triangular pattern with two following. After about 2 or 3 minutes of the objects moving slowly through the sky, they were gone."






"About an hour later, all five reappeared from the same spot on the tree line, this sighting is from when the pics were taken. The first pic was underexposed to stop the movement, whereas the other two were with a slower shutter to capture the light too. (1st pic is a 1/160 second two (taken a second apart) were at 1/8). Again, after moving slowly through the sky, they one by one disappeared. I again saw them at around 11:20pm. Once again, came out of the same part of the treeline, moved across the sky for about 2-3min and vanished."

Source: www.mufon.com/





☯ Scott C. Waring wrote “UFO Sightings of 2006-2009” and “Dragons of Asgard” ☯

UFO sighting at Jackson, Michigan of grey disk in blue sky on May 24, 2011, Paranormal News.

Date of sighting: May 24, 2011
Location of sighting: Jackson, Michigan, USA






Eyewitness states:

"I was taking pictures in downtown Jackson Michigan, I bracket my pictures (take 3 at a time at different exposures) for HDR imaging. It takes less than a second to shoot a bracketing of 3 photos. When I got home to process them, I noticed on one of the three bracketed photos was something to the right of this stone arch i was shooting."




"I was angled up towards the sky with my canon 7D camera. The craft is only on one of the three photos, I was also using a tripod. I didnt notice anything while shooting the pictures, no sound, nothing to grab my attention. I only noticed when I got home and started processing my photos."



☯ Scott C. Waring wrote “UFO Sightings of 2006-2009” and “Dragons of Asgard”

For More UFO Information Please Come Visit My Main UFO Site, Click Here.

☯

Traverse City, Michigan UFO Sighting moving over road during sunset, April 8, 2011, Photos.

Traverse City, Michigan UFO Sighting moving over road during sunset, April 8, 2011, Photos.

Date of sighting: April 8, 2011
Location of sighting: Traverse City, Michigan, USA



Report states:

"My boyfriend was driving up his road to get to his house and he like to take pictures of the sky. He took 2 pictures that night. This one, is the first and the second one, you see the sunset he took 3 seconds later. It was not until later that there was something in the picture that seemed to look like what is classified as a UFO.



I have always seen UFOs on TV in specials and whatnot, but this, was creepy. He didn't get to see where it was going or what it actually looked like cause it was going so fast and he was driving. I had him send it to me though my phone and then sent it to my computer via email and I sharpened it it see the details. All I can say is that I never realized that they were this close to us."



Source: MUFON




☯ Scott C. Waring wrote “UFO Sightings of 2006-2009” and “Dragons of Asgard” at online bookstores, or visit my Youtube UFO Video channel TaiwanSCW. Please follow me on Twitter, I'm @SCWbooks ☯

Joe Paterno to Robert Bolden: You'll Play For Me, Or You'll Play For No One

Robert Bolden, the former starting quarterback for the Nittany Lions (he started eight games before being benched in favor of Matt McGloin) has asked for his release—and been denied.

Apparently, Bolden isn't interested in the prospect of being in competition with a walk-on (Matt McGloin) and a wild card (Kevin Newsome) as he enters his sophomore season. By all accounts, he's probably imagining that his prospects could be much better elsewhere. Unfortunately for him, Paterno expects him to honor his commitment to the Lions and play out his existing contract...oops, wrong sport, sorry.

Paterno expects him to honor the letter of intent he signed last February, and won't jeopardize his depth chart simply because some 19-year old kid is unhappy about his minutes—this might be a good time to mention that the 2011 class for the Lions is looking thin and there isn't a quarterback prospect anywhere in the mix. If Penn State loses Bolden, it's Newsome and McGloin—assuming Newsome doesn't decide to transfer. 

Translation: things could become Unhappy, in Happy Valley, very quickly.

While you must applaud Paterno's gumption in playing chicken with his young star, the first question you have to ask is why bother keeping a guy who doesn't want to play for you? Aren't you just tempting fate and taking a major risk that his discontent trickles into your locker room?

Why bother?

On the other hand, perhaps Paterno is gambling that Bolden hasn't really thought this through, and he's really just doing him a favor. After all, why waste a year of eligibility sitting behind someone else, at another FBS school, when you could feasibly come in and win the starting job in the spring.

Patience is a virtue, right?

Whatever his motivation, Paterno is taking a pretty big risk in denying this kid his out. We'll soon see if it's a gamble that pays off.

Related articles

• QB Newsome stays behind, may transfer (philly.com)

CFB Rumor Mill: Randy Shannon Out At Miami, Is Rich Rodriguez Next At Michigan?

It's not even December yet, but the Grinch has already made his annual appearance in college football's coal-giving department. There are reports that both Randy Shannon of Miami and Rich Rodriguez of Michigan will be fired from their respective posts after this season.

Shannon's fate seems a lot less surprising, if indeed true, as he stood to have the most to lose if he finished the 2010 season in poor fashion. The Hurricanes were favored by many to be the front-runners for an ACC Championship berth and, quite possibly, a sleeper candidate in the BCS.

Instead, the Cane's finished the season 7-5 overall—suffering embarrassing conference losses to both Florida State (45-17) and Virginia Tech (31-17). Adding more insult to injury, they lost their final home game to South Florida, in overtime, with Jacory Harris looking as pedestrian as ever.

There was simply no room for error this season, and Shannon's regime played too conservative a hand again.

As for Rodriguez, the verdict is still out on him, but there are just as many who would be for his demise as are for giving him another season.  His offense proved explosive through the first five games, but as Denard Robinson fizzled, and the Michigan defense exposed, the good times ended—Michigan ended the year 2-5, and finish 7-5 on the season.

On the bright side, they're bowl eligible, the spread has proven it can be effective with the right personnel, and Denard Robinson, when healthy, is a legitimate weapon. That said, how many fans and boosters in Ann Arbor can stand to give Rodriguez one more season?

The swirling rumor is they might have their eye on Jim Harbaugh.

The young coach, and Michigan alumnus, has turned Stanford football into a force in the Pac-10. The Cardinals are 10-1, in the BCS Top 10, and, possibly, on their way to a BCS berth. However, he did have some rather unsavory comments about his alma mater in 2007:

"...the athletic department has ways to get borderline guys in and, when they’re in, they steer them to courses in sports communications. They’re adulated when they’re playing, but when they get out, the people who adulated them won’t hire them."

Hmmm, don't know that too many Michigan fans have forgotten that one.

Either way, it's looking like the maize and blue might be looking for another change in the big house—we'll just have to wait and see what happens in this developing story.

College Football ATS Picks: Will Wisconsin Be Able To Run Up The Score Against Michigan?

56-64 is where the Lady Sportswriter currently stands. However, there is still hope—at least that's the story we'll agree to stick to.

So, without further ado, here are 15 more spread picks for Saturday, November 20. All courtesy of VegasInsider.com.

1. Purdue at Michigan State: Michigan State (-20)

Purdue has not been very good on the road, against the Big Ten, this season and the Spartans have too much offense to be stymied.

The Lady's Pick: Michigan State

2. Wisconsin at Michigan: Wisconsin (-4)

The Badgers pounced all over Indiana last week and posted a score that could have been easily mistaken for a basketball game. Considering Michigan's propensity to not know how to play anything resembling a defense, it seems likely that the Badgers will be able to find some room to score big points again this week as well.

The Lady's Pick: Wisconsin

3. Ohio State at Iowa: Ohio State (-3)

Iowa plays well at home and I'm not convinced that Ohio State is the best team in the Big Ten.

The Lady's Pick: Iowa

4. Iowa State vs. Missouri: Missouri (-11)

The Cyclones only need one more win to make it to bowl eligibility and while it doesn't seem likely that they will get that win here, they will be motivated to play better than they did last week against a measly Colorado team.

The Lady's Pick: Iowa State

5. Oklahoma State at Kansas: Oklahoma State (-24)

It could be 34 and the Cowboys would still be the safer bet. Turner Gill has no offense on this team and he knows it. He's probably just hoping he can get enough out of the defense to keep it interesting—good luck.

The Lady's Pick: Oklahoma State

6. Arkansas at Mississippi State: Arkansas (-3)

The Razorbacks have their running game clicking now and that has just made Ryan Mallett that much more dangerous. The Bulldogs unraveling began last week in Tuscaloosa and continues today.

The Lady's Pick: Arkansas

7. Illinois vs. Northwestern: Illinois (-7.5)

The Illini have had trouble with mobile quarterbacks this season and they will have their hands full with Dan Persa today. Despite the goofy display of football we are likely to see—based on the fact that the field couldn't hold two fleas at a square dance—Persa should still be stellar.

The Lady's Pick: Northwestern

8. Virginia Tech at Miami: Virginia Tech (-2)

Virginia Tech looked skechy last week against Carolina, but don't expect that to happen two weeks in a row. They'll be back firing again.

The Lady's Pick: Virginia Tech

9. New Mexico State at Nevada: Nevada (-37.5)

The Aggies are awful, but you have to be cautious giving this many points to the Wolfpack at this point in the season. With Boise State looming large, Nevada could get caught sleeping a little bit—not enough to lose—long enough for the Aggies to cover.

The Lady's Pick: New Mexico State

10. West Virginia at Louisville: West Virginia (-4.5)

After a big win last week, the Mountaineers have to be feeling good about themselves, and that's just the kind of attitude that can set you up for a fall against a lesser opponent.

The Lady's Pick: Louisville

Lady's Luck Picks:

11. Oregon State (+3) vs. USC

12. South Carolina (-21) vs. Troy

13. Texas (-21.5) vs. Florida Atlantic

14. South Florida (+3) vs. Pittsburgh

15. NC State (+2.5) at North Carolina

College Football: Michigan State Remains Undefeated Behind The Arm of Kirk Cousins

You have to give a lot of credit to both teams, Northwestern for showing up from snap one to push the Spartans to the very brink of upset and to Michigan State for finding a way, yet again, to stave off defeat.

From the very start, it seemed the Spartans were shell-shocked. After a failed first possession, Dan Persa and his Northwestern Wildcats moved the ball with ease, on their second possession, converting two key third-down plays inside the 30-yard line before Persa tucked the ball and ran in for the score—7-0 Northwestern.

By stark contrast, Kirk Cousins and company found little room to breathe against the Wildcats—early—committing two three-and-outs before Edwin Baker fumbled in Spartan territory to return the ball to a rabid Wildcat team that was ready to pounce.

While that was by no means the only opportunity the Wildcats would have on the day, it was the best point for them to make a major statement. Instead, the goal line challenge was met by the Spartans, and the Wildcats would have to settle for three.

The latter point is a valid one, given the missed opportunity Northwestern left on the table to really place Michigan State squarely behind the eight ball—by entering the half with a 21-point lead instead of a 10-point one.

By the start of the second-half, Michigan State remembered their top 10 ranking and started to play like a team that actually wants to be taken seriously by the BCS. They finished the game on a 28-10 run—capped off in the final seconds by a 25-yard touchdown run by Edwin Baker.

The Spartans escape the State of Illinois undefeated and a valiant effort by Dan Persa, who rushed for three touchdowns on the game, is all but erased by defeat. 

Ohio State vs Michigan: Does The Big Ten Realignment Tarnish Their Rivalry?

The Big Ten announced its new alignment following the addition of the Nebraska Cornhuskers in 2011, and Michigan and Ohio State will be placed in seperate divisions. Will that make the annual season-ending battle against these two traditional powers less interesting?

Honestly, the one thing that made this match-up so crucial was the fact that it meant something—a trip to the Rose Bowl in many cases. Now, the Big Ten will not only maintain the rivalry in-season, but offer it the possibility of happening twice in one season via the conference championship game.

How is this a good thing?

Granted, right now, Michigan doesn't seem to pose any threat of giving Ohio State a run for its money— this year or the next. But, the Wolverines will not be down forever, they will eventually get rid of the stain that is Rich Rodriguez and this rivalry will return to its former glory. When that happens, how much juice will it have if neither team is playing for anything of importance—nationally?

It hurts both Michigan and Ohio State on a national level because no one outside of those who reside in Columbus or Ann Arbor will be able to get excited to see the two teams play—especially if they feel it will happen more than once.  It will cease to be must-see tv for a large segment of college football fans who love not only the rivalry itself, but what it stood for.

Here is what ESPN's Andy Katz had to say about the realignment:



Beyond this, though, the real losers are the Big Ten basketball fans—wow. 

This alignment essentially gives Michigan State a red carpet to March Madness every year while giving the finger to the fans of Penn State, Illinois, Purdue, and Indiana. No doubt the fans of those programs are staging a silent protest as we speak—just another reminder that college football rules the checkbook.

Georgia Bulldogs: Ten Things To Watch For in Week One

We are quickly approaching the first game of the season for the Georgia Bulldogs and many are anxiously awaiting kickoff. Georgia will face the University of Louisiana-Lafayette's Ragin' Cajuns in week one—a cupcake by the standards of most any Division I school.


That said, Bulldog fans won't take any match-up lightly, especially when it's one that will feature a Georgia team that has a new-look front seven, a new-look quarterback, and a new-look secondary. Even still, it's tough to imagine Georgia losing to the Cajuns—then again, the same was said about Michigan when they played Appalachian State—just saying.


So, what do I hope to see when the Bulldogs take the field on September 4th at 12:21 pm (EST) on ESPN3.com?...


1. How does the offensive line look?

This is the season that Georgia is going to depend on their offensive line to protect Aaron Murray and jumpstart the running game—which will be leaned on heavily to start.

However, if the 2009 version of this stellar 2010 unit shows up to play in game one—remember, the one that seemed to have trouble getting the needed push up front in short-yardage situations—be afraid...be very afraid.

2. Speaking of Murray...does he look comfortable?

The one thing that seemed to give Georgia fans some concern was the shell-shocked nature of Aaron Murray's play at G-Day. He equated it to jitters and being overwhelmed by the expectations of the fans, but if he thought playing in front of 40,000 fans who are all pulling for you was daunting, wait until he sees the 90,000 strong who have spent all summer hearing about what a tremendous young talent he will be for Georgia.

Expectations couldn't be higher for Murray than they are right now—is he ready to step into the spotlight and make it happen? Or will he fold under the glare of the national spotlight?


3. Who will emerge as the legitimate No. 2 wide receiver that can compliment A.J. Green?

If ever there were an opportunity for Marlon Brown to stake his claim to greatness, it's going to be in week one. He hasn't done much this off-season and, after an injury setback late in the spring, all anyone has heard about is Rantavious Wooten, Tavarres King, and Logan Gray.

However, Brown is the guy you hope to see come into his own this year (his size alone makes him an intriguing target) because you want to see A.J. have an opportunity to really bust loose this season—he can do a lot more damage if opposing defenses have to focus on more than just him.

4. How effective will the pass rush be?

I expect to see a lot more pressure on the quarterback this season. There were far too many games in 2009 where QB's were allowed to sit in the pocket or roll out to their left/right, and fire at will. That needs to stop.

Georgia cannot allow average quarterbacks to look like Heisman candidates this year.


5. Is the 3-4 jelling?

This is a biggie.

I expect to see some growing pains as players transition from running scrimmages and drills to actually implementing the concepts into a game. Even with that, there is still a level of competency that one will be hoping to see from this unit, against a lesser opponent, in that first game.

This game should be a tune-up, not a speed bump, of what we can expect to see this season. 



6. Hutson Mason?

Let's not kid ourselves here, Mason is the No. 2 QB at Georgia this season—barring a complete catastrophe. So, it stands to reason that if we are going to see what he has to offer, then this is the game to see it—right?

If things go as most fans hope, the game will be over by halftime and the second-unit (both offensive and defensive) will start getting its reps somewhere around the tail end of the third-quarter.

Mason is someone that we would like to see getting some time early—just in case—so that we can gain a better understanding of just how concerned we should really be–if at all.


7. Which newcomers are going to be special this season?

We all know about T.J. Stripling and Alec Ogletree. However, we'd like to see what Zander Ogletree can do on special teams—can he be special? Better still, how good is Logan Gray going to play at wide receiver?  All signs point to a good season for him there, if he can stay healthy—has he been in the wrong position all along?


Furthermore, what of Mike Thornton?  Garrison Smith? Derek Owens?...this is the game to see if they are could be something special at Georgia.

8. Fundamentals!


Last season, unfortunately, it wasn't uncommon to see poor tackling, bad angles taken on balls, big time lapses in coverage, and costly turnovers on offense. This offseason the coaching staff has taken a much tougher approach to stamping out that sort of play and, hopefully, it translates to a much more disciplined looking team on the field.

9. How well will the secondary play?

As mentioned briefly in the previous section, the secondary was a sore  spot last year—so many miscues and mistakes. They will definitely be something to look at in week one.

How well have the philosophies and teachings of new defensive backs coach, Scott Lakatos, sunk into his players?

Boykin, Cuff, Williams,Owens, Hamilton and Smith will all be called upon to make a difference this season, but the overall product will need to be the same—more consistency, less catastrophe.


10. Will this team be special in 2010?


Believe it or not, a true follower of any particular program can tell you after the first game is in the books, whether or not this is going to be a team that will win all season. The way they do so might not be scientific—typically it's a "gut feeling" or they "just know"—but it doesn't have to be; a well-coached team isn't hard to recognize.

If the Georgia Bulldogs are going to challenge in 2010, they will show their grit early and it will reflect on the scoreboard. This Cajuns team may be good but they are not better than Georgia and that message should ring loud and clear in the final score, in other words...it shouldn't be close.

Georgia Is No. 64 According to the Orlando Sentinel...Guess What I Say?

The Orlando Sentinel has been counting down the Top 120 teams in the nation and the Georgia Bulldogs have landed at No. 64.

"Why Georgia at No. 64?: It’s been a long time since Georgia has been pushed outside of the national top 60, but the Bulldogs must prove themselves on too many levels to be deemed a major factor in the preseason. Georgia must win with a new quarterback, a new defensive scheme and find a way to improve last year’s unspectacular performance on both sides of the ball." (6/28/10)

I find it comical that the Georgia Bulldogs can come off an 8-5 season and suddenly be plagued with this much doubt. Two close losses early on in the season to both Oklahoma State and LSU all but sealed the 8-5 finish, otherwise Mark Richt likely would have had another ten win season.

That being said, this is the same publication that places Iowa State above Michigan and Kentucky ahead of Tennessee—credibility is in doubt.

While I can appreciate the challenges that Georgia faces in implementing a new defense, I don't believe for one second that it will be any worse than it was in 2009.

Furthermore, despite the inexperience at the quarterback position, I don't see any reason why Georgia will have trouble moving the ball this season—particularly if the line can avoid serious injury and play up to its potential. The presence of Clint Boling and Ben Jones will be key in the development of both Aaron Murray and the running game.

The presence of A.J. Green is a definite plus but the emergence of both Orson Charles and Aron White as legitimate forces in the passing game cannot be discounted.

Georgia at 64 is insulting and, in many ways, shows a great deal of blatant idiocy on the part of the author—especially when Kentucky is No. 65.

Seriously...Georgia is only one spot better than the Wildcats?!?

Ohhh, Jeremy Fowler, how you kid. Let me know when you remove your lips from the fluffy pillows attached and protruding just beneath Urban Meyer's back—maybe then you can regain perspective.

64?....Jeez, what a moron.

The Most Disappointing College Football Preseason Teams of the BCS Era

For many, the official start of the college football season begins with the publication of the Associated Press’ (AP) preseason rankings. It is typically released in mid-August, and its arrival ushers in the first legitimate conversation regarding which team will be the best.

The discussion generated ranges from who is over- or underrated to who was snubbed altogether.
At times, fans agree on how the rankings shake out but, to be completely honest, after No. 10, it’s mostly subjective and doesn’t seem to be derived from any reasonable formula.

That being said, it’s not hard to imagine how many times the rankings have ended up being dead wrong about a team’s place on this heralded list.

What follows are the teams ranked in the preseason AP Poll, during the BCS era, that failed to live up to the hype. I’ve chosen only one team for each year of the era—simple enough.

As usual, there will be some disagreement on either the team chosen to represent that year’s disappointment or on the reason why they failed to meet the expectations given—I’m always okay with that because it can encourage healthy, intelligent, debate.

What you see are simply my opinions. You should feel free to leave yours—respectfully of course.

1998: Arizona State—AP Preseason No. 8

Despite the loss of Jake Plummer in 1996 and Pat Tillman in 1997, there were still high hopes for the Sun Devils in 1998.

They entered the season ranked in the Top 10 and coach Bruce Snyder was being counted on to continue the success of his prior two seasons—one of which saw the Sun Devils go 11-1 and win the Pac-10 Championship (1996).

Apparently, people in Tempe took the attrition of guys like Damien Richardson (DB), Jason Simmons (DB), and Jeremy Staat (DT) for granted because, without them, the team was no longer the defensive juggernaut they saw shut Pac-10 offenses down in 1997.

The season began with two quick losses, in succession, to Washington and BYU respectively. After that, the team struggled to find any rhythm on the field—offensively—for the rest of the season.

They finished a disappointing 5-6 and failed to qualify for a bowl bid.

1999: Arizona Wildcats—AP Preseason No. 4

In 1999, Sports Illustrated writer, Ivan Maisel had this to say about the Arizona Wildcats:
 
“Tomey has his best team since arriving in Tucson in 1987. If you don't see the Wildcats in Pasadena on Jan. 1, look for them in New Orleans three days later, playing for the national championship.”

The Wildcats were coming off a stellar 1998 season in which they finished 12-1. High hopes followed them into 1999 because so much of both their offense and defense was returning—including both Trung Canidate (RB) and Dennis Northcutt (WR).

However, despite the talent that returned on offense, they failed to even get out of the blocks on a strong note as a season-opening road loss to No. 3 Penn State officially blew the wind out of their sails.

They stumbled through conference play play as well, finishing 3-5 on the year, and essentially sank any dreams of going to the Rose Bowl.

They completed the season at 6-6 and failed to make it into the post-season play.

2000: Alabama, AP Preseason No. 3

The Tide seemed to be going in the right direction following the success of 1999. They’d won the SEC Championship and, although they lost a heartbreaker to Michigan in the Orange Bowl, were feeling good about the team’s chances for a better outcome in 2000.

The brilliant one-two punch of Tyler Watts and Andrew Zow was set to return at quarterback and it was hoped that running backs, Ahmad Galloway and Brandon Miree, would be able to ease the pain of losing Shaun Alexander to the NFL.

What happened instead was an early season injury to Tyler Watts that ended up exposing the glaring weaknesses in Andrew Zow’s play.

Couple that with an ineffective run game and you have a team that spiraled into mediocrity in a hurry.
The Tide finished 3-8—losing five straight games to end the season.

2001: Florida State, AP Preseason No. 6

In hindsight, it seems a little peculiar that the Seminoles were ranked this highly coming into the season. After all, they lost their offensive coordinator (Mark Richt), they said goodbye to their Heisman winning quarterback (Chris Weinke), and they still had not recovered from the devastating loss handed to them in the Orange Bowl by the Oklahoma Sooners the prior season.

Perhaps it was their 14 straight seasons of 10 wins or more, their complete and utter dominance of the ACC, or the total measure of respect given to head coach Bobby Bowden for maintaining such a high level of success that granted them such high regard in the polls.

Whatever the reason, people were willing to give Bobby Bowden the benefit of the doubt because he knew how to win.

The season started off handily enough with two breezy victories over both Duke and UAB, but an embarrassing loss to UNC humanized the Seminoles and the ACC smelled blood in the water.

Miami and N.C. State took advantage of their window of opportunity as well, and the Nole’s ended the year at 8-4.

2002: Nebraska Conrnhuskers, AP Preseason No. 10

Take your pick for 2002, Tennessee, Florida, Florida State, and Washington were all in the Top 10—all fell short of expectations. However, Nebraska was the least successful of the bunch and struggled to make it to .500.

Perhaps the Cornhuskers felt they could get by using just their running backs since they no longer had the legs of Heisman-winning quarterback, Eric Crouch to lean on. They were set to return some game-breaking talent in Dahrran Diedrick, and Jamaal Lord was expected to be competent at quarterback—even if he was inexperienced.

At first, it seemed, Solich had everything under control. Nebraska won their first three games with ease, but the road proved tougher and the senior presence on offense and defense became a glaring thorn in the side of the Cornhuskers as they began to completely unravel towards the end of the season.

In hindsight, Nebraska (Like FSU before them) may have also received an obligatory Top 10 ranking based on their glorious history. However, a 7-7 finish to the season proved a painful dose of reality for the many who wouldn’t dare to imagine a season in Lincoln with less than nine wins.

2003: Auburn Tigers, AP Preseason No. 6

The team entered the season poised to finally start receiving the national respect they wanted under coach Tommy Tuberville.

For his part, Tuberville was ready to start showcasing the pro level talent he had stockpiled on his roster; that included guys like Carnell ‘Cadillac’ Williams (RB), Karlos Dansby (LB), Jay Ratliff (DE), Carlos Rogers (DB), Devon Aromashodu (WR), and Reggie Torbor (DE).

He had a stable of talented tailbacks in Carnell Williams, Ronnie Brown, and Brandon Jacobs and it was expected that the Tigers would be able to use them to their ultimate advantage that season.

The team finished 2nd in the SEC West the year before and it was felt that a return trip to Atlanta was imminent if the team could 1) field a healthy Carnell Williams for the duration of the season, 2) keep offenses from picking apart an inconsistent secondary, and 3) beat some tough road foes in LSU and Georgia.

Unfortunately for the Tigers, USC and Georgia Tech didn’t care about their plans and Auburn lost their first two games of the season without putting up a fight.

Even though they would recover as the season progressed, the year was ultimately a disaster as the team ended the year at 8-5—finishing 3rd in the SEC West.

2004: Kansas State—AP Preseason No. 12

The Wildcats were hoping that the speed and elusivity of running back Darren Sproles would keep them in the hunt. Unfortunately for Bill Snyder, the Wildcats needed more than a healthy dose of Sproles to keep those Big 12 defenses honest.

Despite his 1,300+ yards rushing, neither the passing game (which sputtered mightily minus the arm and legs of Ell Roberson), nor the defense (which yielded 30+ ppg), was able to get going on the field.
The result was an ugly 4-7 season for Bill Snyder from which the team has yet to recover.

2005: Tennessee—AP Preseason No. 3

The Vols had plenty of talent returning in 2005—including nine guys on defense. The achilles heel, at least in 2004, was the pass defense. The thinking heading into 2005 was if they could right the secondary, and find an adequate replacement for the departed Cedric Houston, they would be fine.

Unfortunately, no one seemed to care that the Vols had an ugly SEC schedule that included road trips to not only Gainesville (UF), but to Athens (UGA), Baton Rouge (LSU), and Tuscaloosa (Bama) as well.

The team was talented, no question, but the schedule was brutal and the secondary was only marginally better than the year before.

Add the two together, and you have a team that was likely snake-bit from the beginning. They struggled in SEC play and failed to find any true playmakers on offense until the second-half of the season (Arian Foster proved to be a true find).

Their 5-7* record resulted in their first non-bowl post-season in more than two decades.

*This was their record as it stood in 2005. Alabama later vacated the win.

2006: Notre Dame—AP Preseason No. 2

Charlie Weis was expected to bring a title back to South Bend in just his second season. He, supposedly, had all the ingredients on offense to get the job done: An experienced leader at quarterback (Brady Quinn), a dynamic talent at running back (Darius Walker), and a sure set of hands at wide receiver (Jeff Samardzija).

The offensive line had some holes, and was a bit thin depth-wise, but it was still thought to be solid enough to keep the Irish offense chugging along quite nicely.

The defense, however, was a touch suspect—particularly in the secondary—despite the presence of Tom Zbikowski, Chinedum Ndukwe, and sophomore talents Kyle McCarthy and David Bruton. This was the one area that the Irish needed to shore up the most if they expected to be playing for a national title—if they could do that, the sky was the limit.

In the end, the title talk turned out to be for naught as the Irish lost to Michigan, in a blowout, at home, in their third game of the year. They went on to win the next eight games but a regular season finale loss to USC all but sealed any chance they had of playing for the national championship that season.

2007: Michigan—AP Preseason No. 5

The Wolverines finished the 2006 campaign in impressive fashion. No one was looking for them to end the year No. 2 in the nation, but they did, behind a suffocating run defense and a strong penchant for controlling the clock (No. 2 in the nation in Time of Possession).

They lost key players on both sides of the ball, including Steve Breaston, Leon Hall, Alan Branch, and LaMarr Woodley, but the bulk of their offensive unit (Chad Henne, Jake Long, Mike Hart, and Mario Manningham) was returning and they had enough playmakers on defense to make it through their brutal schedule—Shawn Crable and Jamar Adams were both back to play their senior seasons.

Most felt that even with the question marks surrounding their pass defense, the Wolverines would be able to get through the first half of their schedule relatively unscathed by using the home field to their definite advantage.

Sadly, for the Wolverines, their first opponent didn’t get the memo.

Appalachian State, a Division I FCS team, came into Ann Arbor and defeated Michigan on a last second field goal. They became the first FCS team in history to defeat an AP Top 25 team. It was an embarrassing loss for Michigan and, abrubtly, ended any shot they had at winning a championship.

The blowout loss the following week to Oregon added more insult to injury as the Wolverines ended the year 9-4—effectively ending Lloyd Carr’s coaching tenure at Michigan on a sour note.

2008: Georgia—AP Preseason No. 1

The Georgia Bulldogs were the hottest team in the nation at the end of the 2007 season. They finished the year winning six straight games, including three against ranked opponents.

However, a loss to Tennessee that season sealed their fate (nationally and in the SEC) and they were forced to settle for a spot in the Sugar Bowl against Hawaii—they won the game and carried high expectations into 2008.

The return of Matthew Stafford and Knowshon Moreno, coupled with the presence of a seasoned offensive line, made hope spring eternal in Athens.

The hopes lessened with a loss to Alabama, at Sanford Stadium, and ended with a stomping by the Gators just a few weeks later. Add in an ugly home loss to in-state rival, Georgia Tech, and you have a team that simply didn’t live up to the hype of being No. 1.

The Bulldogs ended with a 9-3 record—earning a Capitol One bowl bid for their troubles.

2009: USC—AP Preseason No. 4

If Oklahoma had not lost both Sam Bradford and Jermaine Gresham to season-ending injuries, they would easily be the team earning this distinction. However, their injuries likely played a huge role in the Sooner’s disappointing season. That said, the ax falls on the Trojans, who were ranked only one spot below the Sooners that year.

The Trojans lost eight players on defense, returning only three starters from the 2008 team, but no one believed for a second that Pete Carroll didn’t have more guys waiting in the wings to make it happen.

Even if the Trojans faltered slightly on offense, minus Mark Sanchez, there was no way they weren’t still capable of winning the Pac-10 with all the talent they had on their bench.

Pete Carroll’s reputation for churning out winners and reloading his team was a well known, bitterly appreciated, fact. USC was USC—things were going to be fine.

In reality, though, even the mighty Trojans were due for a fall at some point. There was just too much good talent gone and too little experience returning at QB.

The Trojans found a way to win against Ohio State but hiccuped early against a Washington Huskies team that was just starting to catch fire under former USC offensive coordinator, Steve Sarkisian.

Throw in losses to Oregon and Stanford (both of which were uncharacteristically gut-wrenching) and the team limped through the Pac-10 and fell out of BCS favor altogether.

Their 9-4 record on the year marked the first time in seven years that a Pete Carroll led team failed to reach ten wins.

(This article appears courtesy of The Lady Sportswriter—Check it out!)