Mallett's transfer opens door for star QB recruit in Michigan; Double-digit losses in Hawaii

According to ESPN, freshman QB Ryan Mallett has decided to transfer from Michigan. Mallett, the second best QB prospect in 2007 according to Scout.com, is not mobile enough for incoming coach Rich Rodriguez's spread option offense. The Wolverines' two best receivers, juniors Mario Manningham and Adrian Arrington, also feel like now is the time to leave, as both have declared for the NFL draft.

Mallett's transfer opens the door for this year's #1 QB prospect, Terrelle Pryor to step in and start right away for Michigan. Rumor has it that Pryor wants to play as a freshman, and has his eyes set on the NFL in three years. Michigan, and Rodriguez's spread option offense, would be the perfect stage for Pryor to display his skills.

According to Scout.com, Duke is now in the mix for Pryor's services, along with Michigan, Florida, Ohio State, and Penn State. Pryor wouldn't start at QB right away in Florida or Ohio State, but the other three teams all have openings. New Duke coach David Cutcliffe would love to kick things off with Pryor, and he'd definitely be the big fish for the Blue Devils.



Double-digit losses in Hawaii

Things haven't been very good for Hawaii in 2008. They inconceivably lost the best coach they'll ever have in June Jones (with no replacement in sight). That cost their Athletic Director his job. Star QB Colt Brennan is graduating. On top of that, both star receivers Ryan Grice-Mullen and Davone Bess are jumping to the pros early.

The way things are going, next season the Hawaii Warriors could reverse the amazing turnaround June Jones accomplished in his first season as coach. In 1998, a pre-Jones Hawaii team went 0-12. In '99, Jones' first year as coach, the Warriors went 9-4. With what Hawaii has been going through so far in '08, I wouldn't be surprised to see the team fall from double-digit wins to double-digit losses. The Warriors have to travel 4500+ miles to play a road game against the Florida Gators, road games against Boise State, Fresno State, and Oregon State, plus non-conference games against Washington State and Cincinnati.

Big Ten backer doing the Gator Chomp

I was pleasantly surprised while watching ESPN's College Gameday this morning. Kirk Herbstreit actually picked the Florida Gators to beat LSU.

I have nothing against Herbie, Lee Corso, and the "sane" guy who runs the show, but none of them have ever been Gator fans. Herbie always picks the Big Ten, and Lee is a Seminole nut.

So, Herbie's upset special is the Gators knocking off the #1 team in the country. If the Gators can pull it off, they will be right back in the National Championship picture.

I am pulling for the Gators to run the table, and for Auburn to win their side of the SEC. Then we can get revenge on the Tigers in the SEC Championship, before beating USC (or South Florida???) for the National Championship.

This week in college football: Saban vs Bowden, Big East Championship and USC challengers

Friday, September 28
West Virginia at South Florida
With Louisville tanking, this could be the game that determines the Big East Championship.

Saturday, September 29
California at Oregon
Great match-up between two undefeated teams eager to prove they belong in the same sentence as USC.

Michigan State at Wisconsin
Another match-up between undefeated teams. Neither team is as good as their records, but this should still be an interesting game.

Alabama at Florida State
As a Florida Gators and Miami Dolphins fan, I have one question: Can both teams lose this game? A clash between Nick Saban and Bobby Bowden, while interesting, makes me a little queasy.

Auburn at Florida
Florida has to be careful to not get caught looking ahead to the LSU game next week. Auburn is the only team to beat them last year, so that may be enough motivation to keep them focused on this week's Tigers.

Gators avoid upset, beat the Rebels

The Florida Gators avoided an upset Saturday, beating Mississippi 30-24. Tim Tebow, aka Superman, passed for 262 yards and two touchdowns while rushing for 164 yards and two more touchdowns. Percy Harvin, aka The Flash, had 123 yards receiving and one touchdown.

The game against Ole Miss was Florida's first road game of the season. The Gators need to work on their road game preparations. They host Auburn next week, then they play four of their next five games on the road (at LSU, Kentucky, Georgia, and South Carolina).

The Florida Gators are the best team in the country

One thing was apparent to me after watching the Florida Gators 59-20 victory over the Tennessee Volunteers: the Gators are the best team in the country. The Gators are practically unstoppable on offense and their bend-but-don't-break defense has a lot of young playmakers.

On offense, QB Tim Tebow has shown that his passing skills are just as good as his running skills. He has thrown for 835 yards and eight touchdowns in the first three games of the season.

As good as Tebow has been, the real star of the Florida offense is sophomore WR Percy Harvin. Harvin is a threat to go the distance every time he touches the ball. Coach Urban Meyer does a great job of finding ways to get the ball to this young star. Harvin had 195 yards rushing and receiving against the Vols.

Not to be overlooked on offense are WRs Cornelius Ingram, Riley Cooper, Jarred Fayson and Andre Caldwell, who missed the Tennessee game with a knee injury. RB/Returner Brandon Jacobs is another scoring threat and usually sets the Gators' offense up with good field position.

The Gators defense is not too bad either. The three players that jump out to me are DE Derrick Harvey, LB Brandon Spikes, and S Tony Joiner. The Gators defense is loaded with freshmen and sophomore players who will make a name for themselves as the season comes along. Watch out for guys like DBs Markihe Anderson, Jerimy Finch, and Major Wright.

The one concern about the Gators' defense is the lack of a significant pass rush. The Gators lost four defensive linemen to the NFL, and the guys in the middle have yet to step up. To the Gators' credit, the defense bends, but rarely breaks. The Gators allowed the Vols to gain 298 yards of total offense, but forced three turnovers and only allowed the Vols' offense to score 13 points.

It is still too early to crown a national champion, but the Gators are right there with USC, LSU, and Oklahoma in the discussion. The Gators will have to travel to LSU on October 6th. If they can get the victory there, and possibly again in the SEC Championship game, then they should be playing for a repeat championship in January.

College Football: Arizona, Notre Dame, Michigan, Florida, Washington (9/8/07)

Err-izona Wildcats

I went to the Arizona Wildcat's home opener against Northern Arizona Saturday night. I won a pair of tickets in a poker game (thanks Pete, Iris, et al).

The local paper would have you believe that the Wildcats have solved their offensive problems in one week's time. They can only hope. Arizona was inept in the first half, and QB Willie Tuitama routinely over threw receivers and threw the ball into coverage. If NAU was any other PAC-10 school, the Wildcats would have been in trouble.


Football Championship Subdivision strikes again

The former I-AA scored a few more victories over the former I-A this past weekend. Northern Iowa beat Iowa State (of the BIG 12) and the Southern Illinois Salukis scored 20 points in the fourth quarter to beat Northern Illinois 34-31. Neither upset is as monumental as Appalachian State's victory over Michigan, but still embarrassing none the less.


Someone has to win

Next Saturday Notre Dame travels to Michigan. Has this rivalry ever looked so pathetic in the past as it does now? Notre Dame has been outscored 64-13 in losses to Georgia Tech and Penn State. Michigan has been outscored 73-39 in losses to Appalachian State and Oregon. Don't expect either offense to rebound next week. The "Fighting" Irish are starting freshman QB Jimmy Clausen and the Wolverines may have to start freshman Ryan Mallett. Clausen was the #1 ranked QB of the 2007 Class and Mallett #2 according to Scout.com.


The first big game of the year

We'll get an idea next week on the shape of this year's SEC. Tennessee travels to Florida and Arkansas goes to Alabama. The Vols struggled with Cal's speed in their season opener, and will have their hands full in the Swamp. Other notable games include USC at Nebraska and Ohio State at Washington.


Is Washington for real?

The Washington Huskies are 2-0. Who would have thought? The Huskies snapped Boise State's 14 game win streak on Saturday. The team has found an identity under redshirt freshman QB Jake Locker. Against Syracuse and Boise State, Locker has completed over 60% of his passes and rushed for 3 TDs. We will find out just how good the Huskies are next weekend when the Ohio State Buckeyes come to town.

Tim Tebow's long lost twin found in Washington

As I watched the Washington Huskies brutalize the Syracuse Orange on Friday night, I couldn't help but wonder if Florida Gators QB Tim Tebow has a long lost twin brother. Washington QB Jake Locker put on a very Tebow-esque performance in his college football debut, leading the Huskies to a 42-12 victory at Syracuse.

Locker was a very efficient 14 of 19 passing, and averaged over eight yards per run with two touchdowns. His longest run went for 25 yards.

Locker and Tebow have a lot in common. Both are big quarterbacks (6-3, and both weigh in over 210 lbs) with great running ability. Both are highly touted members of the 2006 recruiting class. Scouts.com ranked Tebow as the #3 QB overall, with Locker ranked #7.

Locker redshirted his freshman season in Washington, while Tebow played an instrumental role in Florida's championship run last season. Both QBs are looking to silence their critics in their first season as starters.

Tebow is the most well known of the two young QBs right now, but Locker will have plenty of opportunities to make a name for himself this season. Syracuse and Stanford may be Washington's only "easy" games this season. Locker is going to have to step up big time if the Huskies want to make a bowl game for the first time since 2002.

LSU, I am not a believer

OK, so it was a foregone conclusion that LSU would beat Mississippi State Thursday night. The final score was outrageous. But don't start hollering to me that LSU is the top dog. Miss State's defense put up a hell of a fight in the first half. They shut Mr. "JaMarcus Russell's replacement" down, along with the rest of LSU's offense. But frankly, when your QB throws four interceptions in the first half, it doesn't matter how well your defense is playing.

LSU showed that they have depth. Lots of it. And that is great. But the second string ain't seeing time against Florida, Arkansas, Virginia Tech or Auburn this season. While the Bulldogs of Mississippi State put up a fight in the first half, these four big dogs will bring it for four quarters. Show me you can stand up to them and I will believe.

Five Things To Watch For This College Football Season (Since USC has already won the National Championship)

I've got bad news everyone. There is no reason to watch college football this year. USC has already been crowned National Champions. At least according to 49.5% of the players surveyed in SI.com's Football Preview. Also according to the preseason Coaches' Poll, which gave USC 45 of 60 first place votes. And Sporting News' preseason college football guide. Bodog.com gives USC 5:2 odds of winning it all, by far the best odds of any team.

So what to do? Stick to the NFL? Watch soccer? NO! I present to you my list of five things to watch for this season in college football. Consider it my free gift to you for taking the time out of your busy day to read my blog.


Five Things To Watch For This College Football Season (Since USC has already won the National Championship):

1. Hawaii's QB Colt Brennan passing for 6,000 yards and 60 TDs.

Last season Brennan set records with 5,549 yards passing and 58 TDs. He returns for his senior season with the Warriors, and could break those records. Hawaii has arguably the weakest schedule in the country playing two 1AA teams, powerhouses Idaho, Louisiana Tech, UNLV, and Utah State. Defensive coordinator Jerry Glanville left to coach Portland State, and the defense should be weaker for it. I expect lots of shootouts and I think odds are good for Brennan putting up such Tecmo Bowl numbers. If the Warriors make it to a bowl game, that means Brennan only has to average 462 yards and 4.6 TDs a game.


2. USC not winning the National Championship.

I have nothing against the Trojans or coach Pete Carroll. The Trojans are loaded and should be the favorites. But seriously, how much fun would it be if they just steamrolled everyone and won it all? Ohio State proved last season how hard it is to go wire-to-wire as the #1 team. I'm hoping USC falls a lot earlier in the season. The schedule is not that difficult. Their first test will be at up-and-coming Nebraska September 15. The Cornhuskers could stamp their return to prominence with a victory over the Trojans. The next test, and this could surprise you, will be October 13 against Arizona. The Wildcats have a lot to prove this year and Coach Mike Stoops needs to show something if he wants to keep his job. Also, the Trojans will be coming off a cupcake game against Stanford and could be looking ahead to the game at Notre Dame on the 20th. This could be a trap game. Road games against Oregon, Cal and Arizona State could also prove tricky.


3. Urban Meyer's offense clicking on all cylinders in Florida.

Much fuss has been made about Tim Tebow's lack of experience. It is all for naught. Tebow is the perfect QB for Urban Meyer's offense. He's like a bigger, tougher version of Alex Smith (and he's a lefty too). Tebow's running ability will allow Meyer to run his offense exactly like he wants it, for the first time since coming to Gainesville. Sophomore sensation Percy Harvin, WRs Andre Caldwell and Cornelius Ingram and four returning o-line starters will make sure this offense goes. They will need all the firepower they can get, as they have many holes on defense and could have to outscore opponents to win this year.


4. The Battle for the Big East

I'll admit, when Miami, BC, and Virginia Tech left the Big East a few years ago, I thought the conference was done. In fact, the Big East is as strong as its ever been. Not only is West Virginia in the National Title hunt with RB Steve Slaton and QB Pat White, but Louisiville with QB Brian Brohm, Rutgers with RB Ray Rice, and South Florida with Montana-like QB Matt Grothe are all top 25 material. Weak non-conference schedules aside, these four teams will have an impact on the National Title picture. Don't discount the USF Bulls. They beat West Virginia last year and if they can pull off the upset September 8 at Auburn, they will be in line for a BCS bowl.


5. The Sun Belt

Are you watching the Sun Belt? It is full of exciting drama: Can QB Omar Haugabook lead the Troy Trojans to back-to-back league titles? Will Texas high school coaching legend Todd Dodge be successful in the college ranks with North Texas? Can Howard Schnellenberger, the man who put the Miami Hurricanes on the map, take the next step with the Florida Atlantic Owls? Will the Florida International Golden Panthers put up more of a fight (or less) in their rematch with cross-town rival Hurricanes? Still not interested in the Sun Belt? I tried. Now my charity work for the football season is officially over.

The Only Accurate Preseason Top 25

Lets face it, a preseason college football Top 25 is ridiculous. No games have been played. At this time of year it is all about reputation and appearances. Voting should not be done until after at least four or five games have been played.

Teams like TCU are punished for their low early ranking, while a team like USC will be rewarded. What happens if USC, ranked #1 in the newly-released Coaches' Poll, loses one out of their first five games while TCU, ranked #22, wins their first five? Lets say USC loses to Nebraska and beats Idaho, Washington St, Washington, and Stanford. TCU's first five games are against Baylor, Texas, Air Force, SMU, and Colorado St. Chances are USC will still be ranked higher than TCU based on where the teams started the season. I would argue that TCU's five victories (especially the one over Texas) would make them a more impressive team than USC.

My general disdain for preseason poll's aside, I feel compelled to release my own College Football Preseason Top 25. I think it is the most accurate one you will find anywhere.

God Loves The Gators Preseason College Football Top 25
1. (TIE) Florida, USC, LSU, Michigan, West Virginia, Texas, Oklahoma
According to Bodog.com, these seven teams have the best odds to win it all. On paper they definitely look like the best teams in the country. Florida and LSU play each other this season, as does Texas and Oklahoma. USC, which starts the season #1, is trying to go wire-to-wire. Ohio State proved last season how hard that is to do.

8. (TIE) Everyone else.
Well maybe not everyone else. Even I can't make a case for a team from the Sun Belt, at least half of the teams in the MAC, Conference USA, WAC, and Mountain West, Stanford, or Duke. But you get my point. Let the kids on the field determine who the best team is. Of course that would probably require a playoff, huh?

College Football Playoffs Coming In 2011?

According to a report by Lenn Robbins of the New York Post, we could see a four team playoff system in Division IA college football by 2011. The full article can be read here: A Football Final Four.

Robbins reports that the playoff would seed the top four teams (most likely using something like the current BCS), with the winners playing in a newly created bowl game for the national championship. This idea has floated around for a few years under the "Plus-1" moniker.

I am a big proponent of a playoff system in college football. I favor an eight team playoff, but I think a four team one would work just as well. Any type of playoff system is definitely favorable over the old and busted BCS.

If this system was in place last season, the match-ups using the BCS formula would have been: #1 Ohio State vs #4 LSU and #2 Florida vs #3 Michigan.

Would the results have been any different? In theory, less time would have elapsed between the Buckeye's season ending victory over Michigan and the final game against Florida (50+ days). Certainly too much time off was a factor in their performance against the Gators.

It would be erroneous to assume that Michigan's poor performance in the Rose Bowl loss to USC would have translated over to the playoff game against Florida. Michigan was demoralized after being passed over for the BCS game, and therefore did not play their "A" game against a Trojan team looking to prove that their season ending loss to rival UCLA was an aberration.

Florida definitely played with a chip on their shoulder in the BCS title game. Would they have played with the same intensity under the four team format?

It would also be a mistake to overlook LSU. The Tigers won their last six games of the regular season and demolished Notre Dame in the Sugar Bowl. They had similar team speed (specifically on defense) as the Gators did and would have matched up well against the Buckeyes.

My complete and unbiased view: Ohio State wins a tight one against LSU, and Florida struggles early against Michigan before pulling away at the end. The Gators would then go on to beat the Buckeyes in what I believe would have been a closer, more exciting national championship game.

The timing of this report is great, as I was just about to write an article on how to revolutionize college football's postseason. That article should be up sometime this week.

It has begun!

Welcome to the first post of the "God Loves The Gators" blog. My name is Mike Register, and I will be your host, storyteller, entertainer, and all around best friend while you are here reading my blog.

I would like to go over a few things that may improve your reading experience on this blog:

1. The name "God Loves The Gators" came from a bet I made with a good friend. To find out more, just click here: Florida/Ohio St bet.

2. I am a huge Florida Gator and Miami Dolphin fan. But don't worry about me being biased, as I am extremely intelligent, kind, and basically, I know my football. I promise to you I will not let my loyalties distract me from presenting "Fair and Balanced" commentary on all things football.

3. I have been called a smart ass before. I take it as a compliment. If something offends you on this blog, its probably best to just assume that I am being a smart ass and/or you have no sense of humor.

4. Any and all proceeds from this blog go to support my college education. So, read my blogs, post comments, click on advertiser's links, and have fun!