CoSIDA NEWS Intercollegiate Athletics News from Around the Nation August 24, 2007 Page 1 of 9 Twenty-five things to watch this season Aug. 22, 2007 By Dennis Dodd CBSSports.com Senior Writer Tell Dennis your opinion! 1. Bring it on! Or, as that great philosopher Spongebob Squarepants once said: No, people, let's bring it off. Something collegial was lost in the past year. Our sport got uglier, more personal. Certainly more public. Jim Delany posted an "open letter" on the Big Ten website basically blasting the SEC, its culture and, I think, the way it dresses. All because Ohio State's offensive tackles had a bad day against Florida in the BCS title game. Pac-10 commish Tom Hansen said last month that his league would secede from the BCS if a seeded playoff was instituted. Stanford coach Jim Harbaugh trashed Michigan, his alma mater, and its admissions policy. LSU's Les Miles took a shot at Southern California and its so-called weak schedule. That was after he dropped an F-bomb while referring to Alabama. Jim Harbaugh has made He'll never say it, but former Big 12 commissioner Kevin Weiberg resigned himself heard before even basically because he couldn't put up with the intra-conference bickering anymore. coaching a game at Stanford. (US Presswire) We haven't even gotten to the strung-out replay fiasco that was the Oregon- Oklahoma game. These people all need better media handlers or a lesson in good manners. The past 12 months seemed to be the year when decorum died. Like U.S. News and World Report turning into US Weekly. Hey, we're media, it's great for us. We can't wait for the next fuel tank to explode in our sport. Who knows what all these people were thinking. Maybe it's the stress, the pressure, the chase for wins, bucks, TV contracts. Whatever it is, bring it on. Public mudslinging is always fun. 2. We're No. 1 It's hard to pick against USC. Only Karl Dorrell disagrees. Pete Carroll has built a tank-of-gas recruiting machine similar to Miami in its heyday. He can jump in his luxury sled and scare up a world-class recruiting class within a 100-mile radius. John David Booty is the latest USC senior quarterback seemingly destined for a Heisman. Only the Pacific is deeper than the depth at running back. Ten starters are back on defense. http://www.cbs.sportsline.com/print/collegefootball/story/10313220 8/23/2007 Page 2 of 9 Buuuut ... if something does go wrong -- and there are pesky road trips to Notre Dame, Cal, Arizona State and Oregon -- who might be the dark-horse No. 1 on Dec. 2? Try the Big East champion. Any of the top three teams (West Virginia, Louisville and Rutgers) could run the table. All three go in highly ranked (No. 3 West Virginia, No. 10 Louisville, No. 16 Rutgers). That, and there is no conference championship game, an annual possible stumble in the Big 12, ACC and SEC. USC should run the table, but if it doesn't, get thee to a legal betting parlor and take the Big East champ against the field. 3. The Big Hard USC's John David Booty (US Presswire) Less than 2½ years after the horror of Hurricane Katrina, New Orleans will attempt to host two major-college bowl games in a week. The Superdome is the site of the second double-hosting format for the BCS. The traditional Sugar Bowl will be played Jan. 1. The national championship game is scheduled for six days later. It will look good on TV, but otherwise we're talking about the long-term future of the Sugar in the BCS rotation. It's no secret that the Sugar has the smallest volunteer base of the major bowls. Bowls in Atlanta, Orlando and Dallas are wanting in to the BCS if the Sugar does or doesn't make the cut in the future. Yes, NOLA has been able to stage the Jazzfest and Mardi Gras since the disaster. But those events aren't competing against other cities. The Sugar is tied to the heart of the city, which is trying to get back on its feet. Louisiana Superdome (US Will there be enough taxis? Police? Workers to man the hotels? It has to say Presswire) something that Hyatt hasn't gotten its signature property near the Superdome back online yet. Sugar Bowl director Paul Hoolahan has been grilled by his peers about whether he can pull it off not only this season, but also going forward. For a city trying to recover, losing the Sugar in the BCS rotation would be a critical blow. 4. The 30-yard-line solution Kentucky's Rich Brooks calls it "one of the most significant rules changes to come about in recent years." He's right. When the NCAA rules committee moved kickoffs back to the 30 yard line, it was the equivalent of basketball instituting the 3-point line. Say goodbye to touchbacks (for the most part). Say hello to more returns, which translates to better field position, which translates to more scoring. Putting it in terms of home improvement: Coverage teams will have to account for an additional 2,398.5 square feet of space. Kickers were beginning to dominate the game. Last season, only 3.1 kickoffs per team were returned. That's the fewest since 1985, the year before kickoffs were moved from the 40 to the 35. http://www.cbs.sportsline.com/print/collegefootball/story/10313220 8/23/2007 Page 3 of 9 The percentage of kicks returned hasn't risen above 80 percent since 2000. Expect that number now to rise to about 90 percent. Most teams don't have kickers who can boot it the more than 70 yards on the fly it will take to cause a touchback. Florida's Urban Meyer said the average kick will now land at about the 9. Factor in his opponents' 2006 return average of 19.4 yards and that suggests an average starting field position of the 28.4 yard line. That's right on the edge of a possible scoring explosion. According to Florida's 2006 stats, the odds of scoring (touchdown or field goal) go from 9.8 percent (between the 21 to 30 yard line) to 30 percent (31-40). Instead of attempting to boot it deep, expect more pooch kicks and line drives to keep Florida coach Urban return teams off balance. Meyer (US Presswire) Also, expect teams like Kansas State and Air Force to adjust accordingly. The Wildcats led the nation last season in kickoff returns. Air Force was first in kickoff return defense. 5. BCS bowls BCS championship game: USC vs. West Virginia Sugar Bowl: LSU vs. Oklahoma Fiesta Bowl: Texas vs. Wisconsin Rose: Michigan vs. Cal Orange: Virginia Tech vs. Florida 6. Upsets of the year Georgia Tech over Notre Dame (Sept. 1): Lost in the hype over, well, everything at ND is that Georgia Tech is the better team going into the game. Significantly better. The Yellow Jackets are more solid at running back, quarterback, linebacker and defensive line. That's a good way to start the season in South Bend. Yes, ND is only a slight favorite but let's see if its fans remember that when Georgia Tech wins. Vanderbilt over Alabama (Sept. 8): Vandy is getting close, real close, to breaking that 25-year bowl-less streak. This is where it begins. While Nick Saban is going to do great things in Tuscaloosa, the first road test for his defense will not go well. Kentucky over Louisville (Sept. 15): The best quarterback in the SEC (André Woodson) faces off against the best quarterback in the country (Brian Brohm). At Commonwealth Stadium, the Cats break Louisville's four-game (including seven of the past eight) winning streak. South Florida over West Virginia (Sept. 28): The Bulls repeat their 2006 upset in Morgantown. This time Matt Grothe goes nuts in Ray-Jay against the nation's 109th- ranked passing defense. Illinois over Penn State (Sept. 29): The young but improving Illini are going to beat someone they shouldn't this season. This is where Ron Zook's turnaround begins. San Jose State over Boise State (Nov. 3): The Spartans will get beat up playing UK QB Andre' Woodson paycheck games at Arizona State, Kansas and Stanford to start the season. By (US Presswire) November they will have had enough -- and Boise's number. After the Fiesta Bowl, Boise's closest win last season was by three at San Jose. Alabama over Auburn (Nov. 24): It's usually an insult to say that 'Bama fans can't count to six. This time 'Bama ends the Auburn winning streak at one hand. http://www.cbs.sportsline.com/print/collegefootball/story/10313220 8/23/2007 Page 4 of 9 7. Heisman Watch 1. Darren McFadden, Arkansas: So good that the Hogs could go 8-4 and D-Mac could still win it. 2. Steve Slaton, West Virginia: 4.3-something speed in a spread offense? Deadly. 3. John David Booty, USC: A lock if USC runs the table. 4. Brian Brohm, Louisville: If he stays healthy, forget the Heisman. Louisville could be in the national championship hunt. 5. Patrick White, West Virginia: 1,000/1,000 guy who can beat you with his feet and arm. 8. Defensive Player of the Year Glenn Dorsey, DT, LSU, Sr.: A mysterious sore shin last season didn't diminish his play, but it might turn out to be the most significant development in the SEC, and the nation.