The Trifecta announced their P.O.T.W. today for week 1 of season 1.

Offensive P.O.T.W.

Texas QB Garrett Gilbert

Garrett had a huge day in a big win vs. Florida State going 16-24 for 360 yards and 5t’ds.

Defensive P.O.T.W. There are co- P.O.T.W. for week 1.

Ohio State CB Chimdi Chekwa

Chimdi had 2 Int’s for TD’s and a tackle in route to a 68-3 mauling of Notre Dame.

Fresno St. CB Desia Dunn

Desia had 2 FR for TD’sand a tackle to help pull away from Oregon in Fresno State’s 48-14 upset over then #4 Oregon in Eugene.

Clemson is looking to make it two consecutive wins against top teams in the Big 10. The Tigers had an impressive win over Iowa thanks to a workmanlike effort from bruising HB Harper. He ran all over the Hawkeyes’ defense, carrying the rock 27 times for 197 yards and 2 touchdowns. On the defensive side Clemson shutdown Iowa’s offense, giving up just 161 yards offense. The Tigers will need to continue that effort against an explosive Ohio State team. The Buckeyes torched Notre Dame, scoring 52 points in the first half of the game. The Buckeyes had a balanced offense in this game, led by quarterback Pryor. He threw for 176 yards and 2 TD on just 14 pass attempts. The Buckeyes’ defense also played a large role in the last match. The defense grabbed four first half turnovers, including 2 interception touchdowns by CB Chekwa.

Prediction: On paper Ohio State has the more talented roster but the game will be played in Death Valley. I expect the game to be close but I’m going with Ohio State in close game.

Ohio State 24 – Clemson 21

#10 Oklahoma (Twister) at Florida State (Pepperlink)

Florida State is facing off against its second straight Big 12 squad and they are hoping for better results than the last match. The Seminoles offense put up a ton of yards in this game but turnovers were the key. They lost the turnover ratio 4-0 in that match. QB Ponder contributed to all 4 of those turnovers but he did put up some impressive yardage numbers, 359 yards. HB Thomas also contributed some yards, 138 yards rushing on just 17 carries. On the other side of the ball the Sooners limped through a win against TCU. The Sooners managed just 117 yards in that game but they avoided turning it over while TCU gave the ball away 3 times. QB Jones passed for only 46 yards in the game and Murray struggled as well, averaging 3.7 yards a carry.

Prediction: Turnovers will be the key for this game. If Ponder can cut back on the interceptions the Seminoles may be able to pull the upset on the Sooners. For Oklahoma to win they will need a much better offensive output from Jones and Murray.

Prediction: Oklahoma 21 Florida State 17

#3 Texas (Big Slick) at Minnesota (Beazus)

This game is a mismatch on paper and Minnesota will need to play a perfect game just to stay in the match. The Gophers won their first match against lowly Temple but Texas will be a much tougher foe. QB Weber was the leader for Minnesota offense, tossing 4 touchdowns and 0 interceptions. On the defensive side Minnesota grabbed a couple turnovers, including a pick six. Takeaways will be tougher to come by against Texas, the Longhorns did not turn it over in the match against Florida State. Texas fans have already forgotten about Colt McCoy thanks to Gilbert’s performance in week 1. He tossed the pigskin for 360 yards and 5 TD. On the defensive side of the ball Texas grabbed 4 turnovers but they gave up a ton of yards, 501 total yards offense allowed.

Prediction: Texas has too much talent for Minnesota to stay in this game. The offense for Texas should put up huge numbers against Minnesota’s defense and I don’t think Minnesota has the firepower to fight back.

Prediction: Texas 35 – Minnesota 10

QB Caleb TerBush has another stellar game in his first season as the Purdue starter going 15-22 for 369 yards and 4 TD. He has been putting the ball on the money every game and finding his open man very often. Senior WR Keith Smith was a man among boys scoring 2 TDs and leading the team with 169 yds receiving.

The game started like the previous two Purdue games with TerBush hitting his receivers early and often. Al-Terek McBurse and George Brigandi punched in a rushing TD a piece to put the Boilermakers up 14-0 in the first quarter. The second quarter saw the WRs find the endzone as Smith scored and WR Keith Carlos added two TD receptions of his own. By that time Ball St. was already thinking about their trip back home.

The Purdue D then got into the action forcing tons of turnovers. Ball St. QB Kelly  Page kept insisting on testing CB Charlton Williams and was rewarded with 3 INTs by the Redshirt JR. Williams has been an interception machine early on in season grabbing 8 in three games to lead the nation. DE Gerald Gooden added 2 sacks to the defensive effort.

Next week Purdue faces Toledo before they head into a bye week. After the BYE the Big Ten season begins for the Boilermakers.

“The defense was HUGE for us,” said QB Tom Savage who threw 4TD passes in the game.  “After that opening drive, they set the tone for the rest of the game.”  Savage was on his A game tonight, completing 16 of 25 passes for 264 yards and 4 scores and one on the ground.  The run game was brillant today led by JR-RB Joe Martinek, who rushed for 158 yards on 25 carries 2 scores.  Kordell Young, who took over the backup RB duties after DeAntwan Williams went down with injury, contributed with 107 yards rushing on 13 carries and a score himself.

“It’s good to come out on all cylinders before conference play,” said coach Moreecemos.

Oklahoma State (G-Unit5281) vs Georgia (Bamaboiking)

Final: Georgia (42) Oklahoma State (17)

Once Kendall Hunter went down, so did the rest of the OSU team. Boy did he rip off some beautiful runs though…slahing & dashing thru Georgia’s defense. Kendall Hunter left in the 3rd Qtr with a groin strain.

Slimmed Down Highlight’s/Low-light’s

**Click on the bottom right tab once you click play for 720p HD**

Part -1

Part-2

Coach LSU took a step back last year, what can we owe that to?

Well, we started the year off pretty good with a 5-0 record with wins at Washington and Georgia. I think we took a step back last year because our offense was below average. We were 112th in the nation in total offense. 90th in rushing and 97th in passing. The reason we were able to compete was because of our defense. Ranking 26th in total defense. If you look at our losses they were pretty close. 13-3 in Death Valley against Florida. 24-15 at Alabama and a 2 point loss at Ole Miss. We didn’t end the year on a good note going down to the Nittany Lions in the Capitol One Bowl with a 19-17 loss.

Jordan Jefferson finally emerged as the QB last year, what has he done in the off season to prepare himself for 2010?

He is trying to replicate the things he did good last year in practice day in and day out. Jordan has come a long way since first arriving. If he can develop a strong bond with Terrance Toliver this year both of them will be up for awards and even the Heisman Trophy.

What is the strength of this team ?

I think the defense is they key. Even though we only return 4 starters from last year. We are a top notch program so we recruit well each year. Our defense will reload. Patrick Peterson, Kelvin Sheppard and Lazarius Levingson will be the anchors on this unit.

With North Carolina, West Virginia, Florida, Auburn, Arkansas, Alabama, Tennesee, and the rest of the west on the schedule, what does LSU have to do to avoid another 9-4 season?

Execute on offense and play defense. We have some stars on offense. If they can come together it will benefit the defense which is not a good thing for our opponents. Jefferson and Toliver, I want everybody to remember those names. Watch out for RS Freshman Michael Ford who rushed 19 times for 139 yards in the spring game.

Looking at your roster, there are a lot of highly rated players, give me two that are the one’s that will make this team go.

Obviously, on offense the key to success is Jefferson. On defense, I would have to say Patrick Peterson. If we can keep teams from getting down the field on big plays then it gives us more of a fighting chance to key stops.

Who was your favorite pro wrestler and why?

Rey Mysterio Jr. because he is Mexican! He was a beast. Little flying effer.

COACH’S PICKS

SEC offensive player of the year- Terrance Toliver

SEC defensive player of the year- Patrick Peterson

SEC freshman of the year-I don’t know

SEC Coach of the year- Knightnoles

FLORIDA (COACH SDID22)

Coach after retiring for a day or so with the health concerns, give us an update?

My health is fine. I have been checked out and cleared to do this job at full capacity. I have learned to trust my staff more and to delegate soem things to them. Best I’ve felt since being in this profession.

What have the Gators done to get back on top of the SEC?

Well our guys have worked extremely hard in the off season with strength coach Mickey Marriotti. He’s the best in the business. We had an intense Spring Practice. we had to see if we had some guys that were going to step up and fill some important spots. We accomplished that.

With Tim Tebow, Brandon Spikes, Joe Haden, Carlos Dunlap, Aaron Hernandez, Riley Cooper, Major Wright, Jermaine Cunningham, and Brandon James, one of the Pounceys all gone, who will fill the major gap on the field and in the locker room?

You can’t replace guys like that. Those guys were part of my first couple recruiting classes. They won a hell of a lot of games. They put GatorNation back on the map. They were huge for us.

But I think we will be OK. Johnny really came into his own at QB and enjoys this team being his finally. We have recruited well so Florida should never have a down year. We should be in the hunt every year.

You lost 5 starters on defense and moe importantly your right hand man in defensive coordinator Charlie Strong, what can we expect from the Gator defense?

Chuck Heater and Teryl Austin have done a hell of a job getting this defense ready to go. We lost 5 starters but we got 5 guys jumping in there with a lot of experience. We will be good on defense.

Any changes on offense with the loss of Tebow?

Johnny has a different skill set. We will do what gives him the chance to be most successful. We are not changing our entire offense. Trey can come in and do some of the things that Tim did for us in the run game. They both will play.

COACH’S PICKS

SEC offensive player of the year- Mark Ingram BAMA

SEC defensive player of the year- Craig Loston LSU

SEC freshman of the year- Andre Debose Florida

SEC Coach of the year- knightnoles

ALABAMA (COACH FOREVER97)

Coach Alabama brought the Sears Trophy back to Tuscaloosa, a statue was erected in your honor, your team is a consensus #1 by almost any respectable media source that does college football rankings, how have things gone with your team since January 7th?

We have had a pretty productive off-season to this point. Spring practice gave us a chance to look at guys in different positions and how they would respond to the change. I was rather pleased at what I saw. We still have a long way to go, but we’re getting there.

Alabama has lost a lot on the defensive side of the ball, who are your leaders and who has to emerge to make that defense satisfactory for Kirby Smart (DC) and yourself?

As everyone who is and isn’t a football fan knew; we relied heavily on our defense to help us win games. I am a defensive minded person and believe that if the other team doesn’t score, then I always have a chance to win the game. With that being said, I think its impossible to replace the talent that we lost. Those guys did their job week in and week out. They are a special group of young men and we only hope we can compete at the level in which they brought to this program.

Safety, Mark Barron has emerged as the front-runner to lead this in-experienced unit. He is the leading tackler from a year ago and had seven ints. Also, players such as Dont’a Hightower, who missed most of all last season with a knee injury, looks to be in good form and ready to take over the role that All-American Ralondo McClain held down. He has some BIG shoes to file, but I think he’s up for the challenge. DT, Marcell Dareus also show signs of greatness last season. Although he only started four(4) gms, he played exceptionally in the national spotlight. He made the hit that put Texas QB, Colt McCoy out of the game in the NC. He also scored a td off of an int in the same gm. These guys and some great incoming freshman should help Alabama retain its edge as a team to be reckoned with.

You guys are potent to say the least on offense. You return an under rated national championship quarterback. The best tandem of runningbacks in the country. A freak of a WR who has not really dominated in the fashion most thought he would, and a very good offensive line. What is to be expected from this group this season?

We will basicly adhere to the same philosophy which garnered us much success last season, RUN THE FOOTBALL!!!. We will try to get the football to Julio Jones and our other talented WR’S more this upcoming season, but I’m a firm believer of the phrase, If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it!!!

With 7 new starters on defense, will the offense looked upon to carry this team until that unit gels?

I think we will be just fine on defense. Although we lost a lot of starters from a season ago, we do have players with a lot of game experience. To say the least, our defensive unit will compete and Coach Smart will have them ready to play!

Alabama hasn’t repeated as national champions since the ‘78-’79 squads, can this team repeat history?

Anytime you talk about doing something twice, its that much more harder the second time around. Every team is going to give you their best shot every week because you are the reigning champions. Can it be done, YES, will we do it, we will have to wait and see. And to go perfect in what I consider the best conference in college football, need I say more.

Do you think you could take Paul “Bear” Bryant in a fight?

Shit nall!!! Do you know what they did and how they practiced during his time!

COACH’S PICKS

SEC offensive player of the year- A.J Green

SEC defensive player of the year- Answer later tonight!

SEC freshman of the year- Answer later tonight!

SEC Coach of the year- Answer later tonight!

KENTUCKY (COACH KNIGHTNOLES)

This is your first year as a HC in the big bad SEC, are you ready?

I believe so, I have always done a decent job anywhere I have been and my staff is top of the line.

What has this team done to prepare itself for the 2010 season?

We worked hard in the weight room all offseason and had a very good spring ball. Our offense should be a little more potent and the defense will be scrappy. We just have to go out do our jobs and play damn good football.

You have several playmakers on this team on both sides of the ball. Talk about these players.

Randall Cobb our go to guy, Clay Matthews big tall receiver.
Winston Guy should be a solid safety for us

Who will start at QB?

Morgan Newton will most likely get the nod

Can this team win the East?

We really have one game (user) circled in the East and that is Florida. We win that and break the streak against them and Tennessee we should represent the East.

If you could get John Wall and Demarcus Cousins to skip the NBA draft and come play for you, would they start and where?

Wall would be at either receiver or DB while Cousins would be a TE or on the Dline.

COACH’S PICKS

SEC offensive player of the year- Alabama HB Mark Ingram

SEC Defensive player of the year- LSU CB Patrick Peterson

SEC freshman of the year- Florida Defense Ronald Powell

SEC coach of the year- controllerabuser

2011 SH Draft Prospects

PICK	NFL	NAME	POSITION	SCHOOL	COMMENTS
1		AJ Green	WR		The Rams are definitely on the right track. I have them drafting first, however, because their quarterback is not pro-ready, their offensive line is a work in progress and the defense still has major holes.
2		Marcell Dareus	DE/DT		I’d like to give the Browns a franchise quarterback, but Mike Holmgren doesn’t believe in drafting one in the first round. Marcel seems to be the perfect selection for the Browns.
3		Jake Locker	QB		Jake Locker is the No. 1 quarterback in the 2011 class – for now. Locker should have declared for the 2010 NFL Draft because a billion things can happen over the next 12 months.
4		Andrew Luck	QB		Buffalo’s front office apparently doesn’t care what its fans think because they’ve decided to go back to Trent Edwards, Ryan Fitzpatrick and Brian Brohm. What a disaster.
5		Ryan Mallet	QB		Seattle didn’t select Jimmy Clausen in the 2010 NFL Draft because they’ve dedicated too many resources to Charlie Whitehurst. But if the Seahawks finish with one of the five worst records in the league they’ll go with Mallet.
6		Patrick Peterson	CB		One can only wonder what the Jaguars are doing. They pass on Tim Tebow, who could really help them generate money and fan interest, yet the Broncos-Jaguars opener will be sold out quickly (based on reported interest) because Tebow fans want to see their hero hold a clipboard on the sidelines.
7		Robert Quinn	DE		I’m really shocked the Buccaneers didn’t upgrade the defensive end position in the 2010 NFL Draft, as it was their No. 2 need going into that weekend. Robert Quinn could be the solution a year late; he had 19 TFL and 11 sacks as a sophomore last season.
8		Cameron Heyward	DE/DT		Are the Broncos really going to ride Patriots cast-off Jarvis Green as a starting defensive end for more than a year? Doubtful. Cameron Heyward would have been in the 9-18 pick range had he declared for the 2010 NFL Draft.
9		Aaron Williams	CB		I’m going to stop mocking the Lions a left tackle because they’re apparently sold on Jeff Backus being able to keep Matthew Stafford out of a wheel chair. At any rate, the top player available is arguably Aaron Williams, who would fill a huge need for the Lions as a No. 1 corner.
10		Gabe Carimi	OT		I think the Cardinals made three crucial mistakes this offseason: Not trading for Donovan McNabb; passing on Jimmy Clausen in the 2010 NFL Draft; and failing to acquire an upgrade at offensive tackle. If the big three quarterbacks are unavailable, Arizona would probably take someone like Gabe Carimi, an athletic 320-pound left tackle.
11		Julio Jones	WR		When’s the last time the Bears haven’t needed a No. 1 receiver? I can’t even remember. Julio Jones is an amazing top-five physical talent, but he dropped a ton of passes as a sophomore. He’ll need a strong junior campaign to regain his draft stock.
12		Mark Ingram	RB		New England acquired this selection from Oakland for Richard Seymour. If Tom Brady and Wes Welker are healthy, and either Rob Gronkowski or Aaron Hernandez pans out, imagine how explosive New England’s offense would be with Mark Ingram as a threat coming out of the backfield.
13		Jonathan Baldwin	WR		With a potential franchise left tackle on the roster, the Redskins will need to concentrate on finding weapons for Donovan McNabb. McNabb would love having a dynamic receiver like Jonathan Baldwin at his disposal. Baldwin, at 6-5, 225, caught 57 balls for 1,111 yards and eight touchdowns as a sophomore in 2009.
14		Jurrell Casey	DT		Giants general manager Jerry Reese usually takes the best player on his board, and that would likely be Jurrell Casey. Luckily, Casey also fills a huge need. I know New York drafted Linval Joseph in the second round two weeks ago, but the defensive tackle position is still in dire need of help. Barry Cofield, a free agent in March, was nearly traded on Draft Day. Jay Alford, also a free agent to be, is coming off a torn ACL. Rocky Bernard and Chris Canty were bust pickups last offseason.
15		Joseph Barksdale	OT		Jason Peters is fat and lazy, and he has no interest in playing football. Peters was helpless against DeMarcus Ware in Philadelphia’s back-to-back losses to Dallas at the end of the 2009 season, so unless he improves, the Eagles won’t be interested in keeping him around at his 2011 salary of $5.9 million.
16		Allen Bailey	DE/DT		Three numbers for you: 33, 37 and 35. Those will be the respective ages of Brett Keisel, Travis Kirschke (currently a free agent) and Aaron Smith at the start of the 2011 NFL season. The Steelers drafted Ziggy Hood in 2009, but they’ll need another 3-4 end in a year.
17		Marvin Austin	DT		Marvin Austin is very athletic and has a ton of upside, but has never lived up to it on the field. Cincinnati is the type of team that would take a chance on him, however.
18		Prince Amukamara	CB		The Titans had to find upgrades at defensive end and corner this offseason. With a dry free agent market and only one first-round pick, getting upgrades for both positions proved to be difficult. Tennessee can take care of the cornerback position with this selection.
19		Adrian Clayborn	DE/DT		I was pretty surprised that the Patriots passed up on Jared Odrick and allowed him to fall into enemy hands. Bill Belichick failed to address the 3-4 end position in the 2010 NFL Draft until very late, so he’ll have to do that here.
20		Greg Romeus	DE		The Falcons are once again going to have major problems getting to the quarterback this season. If Thomas Dimitroff can acquire someone like Greg Romeus in the 2011 NFL Draft, I think he would jump at the opportunity. At 270 pounds, Romeus accumulated 11.5 TFL and eight sacks as a junior. I’d like to have him earlier in my mock, but there are just so many 3-4 teams that wouldn’t consider him.
21		Von Miller	DE/OLB		The 49ers have a big decision to make regarding Manny Lawson. Lawson is entering the final year of his contract. He’s been a bust as a pass-rusher, but he’s a very good run defender. San Francisco has to get more pressure on the quarterback, however, so they may decide to let Lawson walk. If so, the front office will be looking for a replacement next offseason.
22		DeAndre McDaniel	S		With Chris Harris traded to Chicago, Sherrod Martin is expected to start in his place. Martin was just a rookie last year, but he struggled. If he plays poorly again, Carolina will be in the market for a new safety.
23		Jared Crick	DT		The Texans had major problems at defensive tackle in 2009, but aside from drafting Earl Mitchell in the third round, they failed to address the position. They may fix things in the 2011 NFL Draft.
24		Deunta Williams	FS		The Dolphins tried to upgrade the free safety position this offseason, but failed to do so. Deunta Williams broke up eight passes and collected six interceptions last year. If Will Allen doesn’t cut it, Williams could be his replacement.
25		Ras I Dowling	CB		Charles Woodson just won Defensive Player of the Year, but he’ll be 35 a month into the 2011 season. He can’t possibly keep up this level of play into his mid-30s, can he?
26		Rahim Moore	FS		Unless Akwasi Owusu-Ansah can step into the starting free safety role, the Cowboys will have major issues at the position this year. Rahim Moore picked off 10 passes as a sophomore.
27		Michael Floyd	WR		Michael Floyd is the best player on the board. If he can stay healthy for a change, he’ll probably be selected in the top half of the 2011 NFL Draft – though that’s easier said than done based on his extensive injury history.
28		Mike Pouncey	C/G		Baltimore’s offensive line has no issues right now, but will that be the case in 11 months? Center Matt Birk will be a 35-year-old entering his contract year. Right tackle Jared Gaither could be gone. And right guard Marshal Yanda will be a free agent a couple of years removed from a torn ACL, MCL and PCL.
29		Travis Lewis	OLB		Chris Berman harped on it during the 2010 NFL Draft: As long as there’s a possibility that Brett Favre will return, the Vikings are not drafting a quarterback. So, as much as I’d like to mock Pat Devlin or Christian Ponder here, it’s not happening if Favre plays his annual offseason guessing game.
30		Jack Crawford	DE/OLB		The Jets will likely have to defeat the Colts to advance to the Super Bowl in the next couple of years. To do so, they’ll need to put as much pressure on Peyton Manning as possible without sending multiple blitzers and in turn exposing their secondary. Upgrades are needed at 3-4 end and rush linebacker.
31		Sam Acho	DE		The Saints apparently had their sights on Jerry Hughes in the 2010 NFL Draft before the Colts snatched him off the board one pick beforehand. If New Orleans still has pass-rushing issues going into the 2011 NFL Draft, they may target Sam Acho, who had 13 TFL and seven sacks as a junior.
32		Anthony Castonzo	OT		Even though the defensive side of the ball has been the weaker half of Indianapolis’ roster, general manager Bill Polian has spent seven of his 11 first-round picks on offensive players.

Coach, Penn State lost some major talent on the defensive side of the ball to the NFL Draft and graduation. How did unit look in Spring practice?

Our defense did lose some great players to the Draft and Graduation and we wish them the best of luck. We have plenty of depth on the defensive side of the ball. Losing Lee was heartbreaking, but we do have guys who can fill the gaps in the linebacking corps. Colasanti, Stupar, and Bani are front runners for the starting 3 at the moment. However, with the signing of Hull and Fortt, we still have depth. Losing Odrick really hurt, but we do have Devon Still to fill the gap, and the 3 returning lineman, Ogbu, Latimore, and Crawford will keep it together. Our secondary as well is prime with Astorino, Sukay, Lynn, and Morris. I’m not worried about this defense.

Word is that Kevin Newsome will get the nod at QB, what does he bring to the table? Strengths/Weaknesses?

Kevin is definitely the guy will be going with. He has great mobility with his legs and among the 3 guys in contention, he does have some experience from last season. With the offensive line we will be giving him, he will get time in the pocket. So although he does still have work to do with his arm, we should see a productive year out of Kevin. I think he will surprise these analysts.

Will the offense be ultra conservative to protect him?

Not at all. We will play to win and play in the Penn State way. Again, our offensive line is one of the best in the country, and with the running backs Royster and Green being such weapons in the backfield, we are not worried about our offensive production.

Evan Royster is on most experts short list for a Heisman run. What are you expecting out of him this year?

Big things. We are expecting him to carry this team. He is a proven leader and proven talent. We have some tough games, especially on the road and we expect him to lead the team and control the tempo of the game. Yes, it is alot to handle, but we know he can do it. Last season we depended on him heavily again and he did pull through.

Kirk Ferentz has . . . well. . . dominated Penn St. what will you do to avenge the heart breaking, season shattering loss from last year?

Beat Iowa, in Iowa. Simple. Next question.

You play the defending National Champs at their place, any message for Nick and the boys in Tuscaloosa?

Nope. None. It will definitely be a tough game, but we will doing our talking on the field in this one. We are the underdogs for sure, everyone is against the defending National Champs. It will be a great game for sure, but it isn’t the only game for us. It does not affect our run for the Big10 Championship and it is early, so we can bounce back from any trouble. Remeber though, we play to win, and we do have that came circled!

Coach’s Picks

Big 10 Champion-Ohio State

Big 10 Offensive player of the year-Evan Royster

Big 10 Defensive Player of the year-Adrian Clayborn

Big 10 Freshman of the year-Kahiri Fortt

Big 10 Coach of the year-Ryty

IOWA (COACH EMMDOTFRISK)

Coach 11-2 season last year with some memorable wins. Great bowl win vs Georgia Tech down in Miami. Has your team been able to use that momentum and carry it into off season drills and spring practice?

Absolutely. We had a tremendous season and with a ton of starters returning and we plan to build on that. With returners at most of our skilled positions, leadership has been outstanding. Our young guys continually push our leaders to get better making practice a intense atmosphere. With Fall practice starting in the next couple weeks, I am impressed with the hard work and dedication of a few guys in the offseason.

Coach Iowa has one real road test at the Big House. With the talent returning, Iowa should be playing for a National Title, right?

I wouldn’t say that. Ohio State tends to have our number. We have never had great success against them. With the talent, coaching, and leadership they have this year I wouldn’t be suprised if they bring home the Big 10 a National Championship.

Why have Jim Tressel and the Buckeyes been able to dominate this series?

Tressel and the Buckeyes play Tressel ball, or in other words “keep away.” Ironically that is along the same lines of our gameplan. So when two teams meet who pride themselves on great defense and long clock chewing drives it all boils down to raw talent. The Buckeyes have some of the best talent in the world so that is definitely something that is difficult for us to handle.

Ricky Stanzi is a guy Iowa fans have embraced despite the 31 to 24 TD’s to INT, and being sacked 55 times in his two seasons starting. What does he have to improve to get you guys over the hump?

Stanzi is known for making incredible plays in the clutch. He performs very well under pressure, but at the snap of the fingers on a low pressure play he can lose focus and crack. We will need to work on his focus during the course of the game to limit his mistakes.

Adrain Clayborn is a beast. No other way to describe him. What has he done to lead this defensive unit into the season?

Adrian Clayborn is something special. He turned down the NFL draft to come back for his senior season. That will make our defensive line very tough with all 4 starters returning. He shows outstanding leadership on the field and is an intense competitor. If he stays out of trouble and healthy he will have an incredible season.

Every team has a song each season that is their theme whether they admit it or not, what song fits this team?

Coach’s Picks

Big 10 Champion- Ohio State Buckeyes

Big 10 offensive player of the year- Evan Royster, PSU

Big 10 defensive player of the year- Cameron Heyward, tOSU

Big 10 freshman of the year- Willy Gholston, MSU

Big 10 Coach of the year- Ryty

MICHIGAN (COACH JCA312)

No sugar coating. Things have not gone as expected since you took over. You are not only on the hot seat, I’d say your ass is on fire. What will you do to fix the Wolverines and return them to relevance in 2010?

It’s always hard when you are coming in and making the kind of overhaul we made. I’m not saying that we shouldn’t have done better, but I think we’ve learned a lot in our two years here. I think this is by far the best the roster has been for the system we are trying to run and I expect us to be a successful football team this year. As soon as the kids came back from Christmas break, they immediately got to work. On their own, of course. We know who we are and how good we can be, now we just have to go out on the field and prove ourselves.

Simple, Tate or Shoelace or both?

I don’t see why we wouldn’t play both of them. They are both exceptional quarterbacks that bring different things to the field. Devin Gardner has also been impressive, so we will have to see where he factors in in all of this once we are ready to kickoff Week 1. I think everyone knows that if they are both healthy, you will definitely see both Tate and Denard, Devin is the Wild Card.

The defense gave up 42 to Ohio State, 48 to Purdue, 45 to Illinois, 42 to Penn State, and 35 to Notre Dame and Michigan State, what will be changed and who are you depending on to get it done on the field?

Yeah, you’re not gonna win many games when you give up 5 and 6 touchdowns, but I don’t expect to see that this year. We lost Brandon (Graham) to the NFL, so that will obviously hurt, but I’m really happy with what I’ve seen from the Defensive Unit as a whole. When you look around the field, there are solid guys at every level, I don’t know if you look and say, wow, he really stands out. Some people will look at that as a bad thing and think we don’t have any studs, but I think we have a really good cohesive unit and I think we are very talented on defense. We have some depth this year that we haven’t had since I’ve been here, so we are excited about that. Bottom line is, it’s gonna take all 11 guys to shut down all of these teams in the Big 10; it only takes one guy blowing an assignment to give up a big play. That is what we have to get rid of.

3 big road trips that you have to find a way to get at least one win from Notre Dame, Penn State, and THE Ohio St., what team do you match up against the best?

As the Head Coach, I have to believe that we match up best with all of them. Bottom line is, if we want to get where we want to be, we need to win all of those games. All of those teams are very talented with rosters full of NFL players. We have to work hard to prepare ourselves for those teams and go out on the field and execute. Assignments are assignments no matter where you are. Our young guys have a little more experience this year, so I expect us to be less wide-eyed going out on the road in the Big 10 this year.

You lost your last 5 games, when you needed 1 maybe 2 wins to be bowl eligible. Has that left a sour taste in the players mouth or is it business as usual?

I love that everyone thinks there has been this seismic shift in the culture of Michigan football and we don’t care about winning anymore. This is the winningest program in college football history and losing 5 games in a season, let alone in a row is unacceptable here, so no, it’s not business as usual. This is a proud program, with a rich tradition, and a huge fan and alumni base. Everyone associated with the program expects to win and the kids that came here didn’t to be mediocre. “Those who stay will be Champions.”

What is a realistic goal for this team?

Going into the season, we want and expect to win all of our games. We expect to be playing in January. If those weren’t our expectations, we wouldn’t and shouldn’t be here. There is no reason for a program like ours’ not to strive to be the best in the country. We think we are more talented than other people think we are and we think we can compete with anyone in the country on any given Saturday. Now, we have to go out on the field and quiet all of the naysayers.

If Bo Schembechler were alive what would you say to him?

If Bo were around, I wouldn’t say much. I would do a lot of listening and ask him about instilling a winning spirit in young men. Bo was one of the best coaches in the history of football and there was so much to learn from him. This is Bo’s Program and we are all just caretakers. It is our job to come in here everyday and work as hard as we can to be Champions. That is what he did and that is what he expected. It is a privilege and honor to be a part of this program and we owe it to the people who put in the work to make Michigan Football what it is to leave the program in better shape than it was in when we got here.

Coach’s Picks

Big 10 Champions- Ohio State

Big 10 Offensive Player of Year- Terrell Pryor

Big 10 Defensive Player of Year- Cameron Heyward

Big 10 Freshman of Year- William Gholston

Big 10 Coach of year- ryty

I think Ohio State makes a run at the National Title this year, so they will dominate the conference awards. William Gholston looks very impressive coming in and should make a big impact right away. I expect Terrell Pryor to be in New York for the Heisman Trophy Award ceremony, so he was a clear pick for me. Should be a fun year in the Big 10.

OHIO STATE (COACH RYTY32)

Coach 11-2 season and a huge Rose Bowl win. This season, you could win an unprecedented 6th straight Big 10 title. How has your team prepared?

We realize that all of the preseason hype is nice but it means nothing. We have to go out and execute. Fortunately, we have great leaders on this team that won’t allow us to lose focus. Ross Homan, Terrelle Pryor, Cameron Heyward, and Brian Rolle just to name a few. We will be ready.

Pretty tough schedule with trips to Madison and Iowa City. You also host the Hurricanes and rival Wolverines. Do you have the fire power to run the table and get back to the BCS Championship game?

Absolutely. The talent is there. This is probably the most talented team that we have had here since 2002’s National Championship team. The schedule is very tough this year. Miami will be a good early season test, we always struggle with Wisconsin, and we have to travel to Iowa which is never easy. Oh…and don’t forget Penn State.

Terrelle Pryor is heading into his third season as quarterback. He is a Heisman front runner. What has he improved to make this team better?

Two things – Decision making and accuracy. Earlier in the season and especially against Purdue, turnovers were a problem (he had 11 of interceptions). Towards the end of the year, Terrelle started to clearly get it. The Rose Bowl Game is the best example of the potential that Pryor has. In that game, Pryor had his best performance in college, throwing 266 yards through the air and 76 yards on the ground. He had two passing touchdowns and a 62.2 completion percentage.

The skill guys are plentiful and it compliments a very good offensive line. Will the playbook be wide open this season?

Maybe a little more this season. Of course, we will never deviate too far from our overall philosophy of running the ball, tough defense and minimizing turnovers! (Tressel ball!)

Very solid defensive unit to go with the powerhouse offense. Who are you looking to for leadership for that unit?

The defensive leaders are linebackers Brian Rolle and Ross Homan. Rolle is extremely vocal and the team responds to him. If you haven’t heard of him, you definitely will this year. Homan is on the 2010 Nagurski watch list and looks to improve on his team leading 108 tackles and five interceptions.

If you could have a beer with anyone dead or alive who would it be and why?

Jesus – to see if he would drink it. Lincoln, Einstein, Newton, and Ghandi also up there. Oh…and Mr. Honda.

Coach’s Picks

Big 10 Champion – Ohio State (Homer pick. But with the talent level, anything less would be a failure.)

Big 10 offensive player of the year - Evan Royster (Easy pick – Royster is the best back in the conference and Coach Cimmy likes to run….a lot.)

Big 10 defensive Player of the year – Cameron Heyward

Big 10 freshman of the year – Khairi Fortt

Big 10 Coach of the year – JCA – With Michigan, he has nowhere to go but up!