QB - Obviously, Tom Brady. While it is definitely within reach to set the new TD passing record, it’s not a guarantee. If he gets pulled with one or two games to go in the season, that may hinder his chances significantly, but since they get to play Philly, Miami, and the Jets down the stretch, keep an eye out.

RB - As much as I’d like to buck the trend and NOT say Adrian Peterson, he has 1242 total yards and 9 total TDs, which puts him in first and tied for first amongst RBs in the NFL. He also has almost 300 more yards rushing than his next closest competitor, Willie Parker. Being a rookie, he may not have the stamina to keep playing like this all year, but if they keep him fresh with 10-12 carries per game to Chester Taylor, I see no reason why he can’t hit 1800+ yards. I think 2000 might be a stretch, though.

WR - Randy Moss appears to be the easy choice here. Averaging over 100 ypg and with 12 TDs in 9 games, he’s on pace for some very impressive numbers. A case can be made for TJ Houshmandzadeh, Braylon Edwards, and even Wes Welker, whose value exceeds the admirable numbers he has put up so far (651/7).

TE - Through the first few games, Antonio Gates was the easy choice. With the recent resurgence of Ladainian Tomlinson, Gates’ value has diminished. Enter Jason Witten. Of the top 3 scoring TEs, Witten is on the team that has the most overall weapons and the best record. Having watched a few of Dallas’s games this year, Witten is a huge reason for Tony Romo’s success. Rather than checking down to his backs for 1-3 yards, he can check down to Witten for 8-12 yards. If Braylon Edwards wasn’t having such a great season, Kellen Winslow would probably be the number one choice here, but alas, that’s not happened so far.

DEF - The defense I’d want from week to week would be the Pittsburgh Steelers. They’ve had a few hiccups this season, but they have allowed a league low 92 points. The talking heads can go on about yardage allowed and all that mess, but you don’t lose a game because you gave up 250 yards on the ground, you lose a game when that 250 ends up allowing more points than your offense scored that day. Tennessee, somehow gets honorable mention mostly due to their surprise factor.

HC - Wade Phillips. The one Head Coach who is avoiding controversy this year is Phillips. He has taken a good Dallas team and made them into a great one just by tweaking a few things and a much more light-hearted coaching philosophy. Even without Terry Glenn for pretty much the entire season, the offense hasn’t skipped a beat and the defense plays respectably enough every week.

Surprise Team - It’s tough to decide between two teams vying for this award. The Green Bay Packers and the Detroit Lions. Their forumlas are similar in that there is potency in the offense, but GB has also stepped up on the Defensive side of the ball. This is why I’m going to go with GB. Detroit looks like a playoff team, but their schedule so far has been much easier, with their real tests coming in the second half of the season.

Surprise Player - There was speculation as to how well Randy Moss would play based on his past two seasons in Oakland. Many thought he had lost a step in terms of speed and desire. While he has proven them wrong, that’s not who I’m going with. Braylon Edwards has come from virtually nowhere to be one of the top producing WRs in the NFL. Some of the writers on this board knew he had the potential, but the rest of us who follow the NFL want results right now, or you will be written off. Edwards is the perfect example of a WR coming out and playing up to his ability in his third year. I’m not sure if the maturation of Edwards has helped Derek Anderson or vice versa, but they’re both playing incredibly well.

Letdown Team - San Francisco 49ers. They were the team everyone had picked to make a wild card run this year, and begin their dynasty as a playoff contender for the next few. Something terrible has happened to that offense and they are at the bottom of the league. Injuries can be accounted for most of it, but the WRs they have given Alex Smith to throw to are just poor. Vernon Davis, Frank Gore, and Alex Smith have all missed time due to injury, and unless they all get healthy, get a good (not old) WR, and add more depth to the offensive line, they might have taken more of a step back than forward this year.

Letdown Player - We can’t include players that have succumbed to season ending injury, because it’s a long season and you never know what MIGHT have been. So, of the active players, the biggest letdown this year goes to Marc Bulger. He did play with broken ribs, yes. But his passer rating currently stands at 64.3, which is 31st in the NFL, behind the likes of Cleo Lemon and Kyle Boller. In six games he has thrown only three TDs while being intercepted eight times. While he regularly is close to the top of the league in yardage and three straight years of a rating over 92, Bulger has only completed one full season, and that was 2006. So, it appears that the term “injury prone” is finally going to get stuck to him, and unless he can do something about it, STL might have to look at taking a QB with the number 1,2, or 3 pick this coming year, depending on how badly the other teams at the bottom do from here on out.

There has been a lot of hype over this week’s matchup between the Colts and Pats. The AOL Sports Blog has a good track on how Manning’s 2004 season through eight weeks compares with Brady’s first eight weeks. Through those games, they match up as so:

Manning: 26 TDs, 4 INTs, 5 sacks
Brady: 30 TDs, 2 INTs, 8 sacks

Keep in mind that Brady has been kept in the game longer than needed on several occasions so far, and once/if they lock up home field advantage, he will miss one, maybe even two weeks of playing time. But, between you and me, I’m pretty sure Belichick will be sure he gets at least 50 TD passes to prove a point.

For the record, I got the Pats this week, but I’ll be rooting for Indy. NE just seems too much like the Yankees for my taste.

 
Michael Crabtree
Credit: Bob Levey/Icon SMI

Texas Tech WR Michael Crabtree is putting up incredible numbers in Mike Leach’s Air Raid Offense, yet has attracted little national attention. Crabtree, just a red shirt freshman, was a high school quarterback in Texas who Mike Leach converted to wide receiver. Crabtree has already broken the record for touchdown receptions by a freshman, with 17. With 6 games still to be played, Crabtree is on pace to break the NCAA Division 1 record of 27 TDs held by Jerry Rice and Troy Edwards.

Crabtree, who has emerged as the top target for Graham Harrell, is a legitimate top receiving prospect, with ideal size at 6′3 and boasts a solid vertical jump of 34 inches from his days as a basketball player.  Crabtree is just starting to get some attention, but the average fan still has not heard of him. If he can keep his record breaking pace up, that will soon change.

South Florida LB Ben Moffit
Credit: Chris Livingston/Icon SMI

We finally got what many of us fellow college football fans have been anticipating since the kickoff of the 2007 season—“Upset Saturday”. Every season there is a weekend where college football goes on tilt and you just need to hold on for the ride because like any satisfactory rollercoaster it will leave discombobulated and once the ride is over you gather your senses and say “Man that was fun. Let’s do that again!” So goes “Upset Saturday” which happened to fall on week #5 this season where 7 of the top 13 teams lost and sent the landscape of college football in to a proverbial tailspin, and when the dust cleared Sunday morning, and the new college rankings were on display, it would be difficult for one who has followed college football all season long not to be stunned by what the rankings stated in black and white. (Using the AP Top 25) There is a new #1 in the land where LSU has surpassed former #1 USC, even though USC won their ball game on Saturday night. After their stunning upset of West Virginia on Friday night South Florida made a huge jump in the standings and in the consciousness of fans everywhere when they leaped to #6 this week. Boston College continues to roll on and have now reached the #7 ranking and Kentucky reached the #8 spot on the eve of their tough three game SEC tests against South Carolina, Florida, and LSU. The hits just keep on coming as this Saturday coming up there will be several huge match-ups including Kentucky vs. South Carolina on Thursday night, Florida vs. LSU, and Oklahoma vs. Texas, both on Saturday, all of which will go a long way in determining the conference champions as well as the representatives in this seasons National Championship game. Now on to this week’s “Prospect Stock Market”:

RISING:
South Florida Bulls: At the beginning of the season many pundits spoke highly about the South Florida program and how teams such as Auburn and West Virginia should be on alert when they face these Bulls. Well, even the most rabid South Florida backer would be stunned by the notion that after just five short weeks into the 2007 season the South Florida Bulls would sky rocket to #6 in the AP poll. You take a look at the South Florida schedule and all of a sudden with the recent struggles of the Louisville Cardinals and their schedule is no longer so formidable. South Florida may lose a game or two in 2007, but there is no program in America rising as quickly as the Bulls.

LSU Tigers: There is a lot of talk that the Tigers supplanted the Trojans this week in the polls due to the fact that the pollsters were just growing bored with no movement at the top. I’m not buying this propaganda, rather I am buying that so far in 2007 the LSU Tigers have flat out been the more impressive team of the two. When the smoke clears I expect the Trojans, and not the Tigers to be in the National Championship game, and become the victors of said game, but for the time being the LSU Tigers are the rightful #1 team in the nation.

The Big Ten Conference: After repeatedly slamming the Big Ten in consecutive weeks the Big Ten, Ohio State and Wisconsin specifically, fought back, with admittedly uninspired victories over Minnesota and Michigan State respectively, but at the end of the day, in today’s college football a win is a win. Both the Buckeyes and the Badgers have now entered into the top 5 in the polls so I need to give them some props. With rather lackluster schedules remaining aside from a match-up between the two, I must reluctantly admit that there is a possibility that an undefeated Big Ten team is a representative in the National Championship game. That being said, I still think both teams will lose at least one game and in my opinion neither will be in the BCS National Championship game.

California Golden Bears: I must admit that I was pulling for the Oregon Ducks in Saturday’s clash between the two, but I walk away even more impressed with the Golden Bears then I was before the game. Scoring 21 points in the 4^th quarter against a very good Oregon team on the road is extremely impressive. After Saturday’s career performance WR DeSean Jackson remains a Heisman front runner and offensively this team has everything you could ask for, and their defense is better than advertised. Now up to #3 in the country they have realized their potential. How fun is that game on November 10^th between USC and Cal going to be?

Andre Woodson QB Kentucky and Matt Ryan QB Boston College: If I had to cast my vote for the winner of the Heisman trophy today, these two senior signal callers would be #1 and #2 on my ballot. Both quarterbacks are leading their teams to unprecedented heights while having career seasons. It will be exciting to see how far each QB can lead his respective team as both are going to be tested here very shortly.
Missouri Tigers and Kansas Jayhawks: Don’t look now folks, but after “Upset Saturday” only the Missouri Tigers and Kansas Jayhawks are undefeated among Big 12 teams

STATUS QUO:
In a weekend dubbed as “Upset Saturday” where virtually nothing went as scripted there is very little to state that has remained status quo, if I was forced to state one thing, the SEC Conference continues to be the best week in and week out college football conference in America.

FALLING:
Where do I begin?
USC Trojans: They didn’t falter on Saturday as many teams did, but they did fall off the top perch for the first time in 2007 and that in itself is the most notable “fall” in week #5.

West Virginia Mountaineers: For the second consecutive year I have predicted West Virginia to make it to the National Championship game, and for the second year in a row it appears as if they are going to let me down. They were thoroughly dominated Friday night by the South Florida Bulls and after watching every game West Virginia has played this season I am beginning to become concerned about the pro potential of RB Steve Slaton. Look, I think he is a dynamic player, especially in the open field, but he needs work running the football between the tackles. The offense attack of the Mountaineers has up to this point been focused on attacking the perimeter of their opponents defense via the running attack, but at some point you have to run the ball straight forward, and that is something that WVU has yet to show they can do on a consistent basis.
The Big 12 powers—Oklahoma Sooner’s and Texas Longhorns: After both teams fell victim to upset defeats on Saturday the “Red River Shootout” has to lose a little of its luster. The winner still is the frontrunner for the Big 12 title and keeps their National Title hopes alive for the time being, but the loser will see a once promising 2007 season fall to the way side in the span of two weeks.

Florida Gators: The defending National Champions lost for the first time to an Auburn team that had been very unimpressive so far in 2007. If the Gators want to have any shot at repeating and becoming National Champions once again then they will have to dust themselves off and beat the #1 team in the land the LSU Tigers on Saturday, which will be a tall task indeed.

Rutgers Scarlet Knights: After West Virginia was upset on Friday night, and following Louisville’s struggles earlier this season the Big East was left wide open for the Scarlet Knights to grab control of, and on Saturday they reiuned this golden opportunity when they lost to Maryland. The Big East eventual champion is now anyone’s guess.

Clemson Tigers: The Clemson Tigers missed four field goals in a game in which they lost by 10 points. They also had a punt blocked, so their special teams were a huge factor in Saturday’s upset loss to Georgia Tech.

Colt Brennan QB Hawaii: Brennan threw 5 interceptions for the Rainbow Warriors on Saturday, which was virtually unheard of for a QB that has been praised for his accuracy throughout his career. Is this just one bad outing or a sign of things to come?

Alabama Crimson Tide: Nick Saban’s bunch did not appear to get over the hang over of losing to the Georgia Bulldogs in overtime the previous week. The Crimson Tide need to get themselves back into gear if they are going to remain a float in the ultra-competitive SEC.

*Don’t miss the SEC battle between newly crowned #1 LSU Tigers and defending National Champion Florida Gators at 8pm Saturday night.

A great week of football, with a terrific battle between South Florida/WVU on Friday and many upsets over the weekend. In fact, 7 of the top 13 teams lost! In case you missed it, here are some of the big stories over the weekend.

A player that first received draft watchers attention right here at the War Room Report, William & Mary TE Drew Atchinson is starting to be watched as a legitimate NFL prospect. 

Another WRR favorite,  Auburn DE/OLB Quentin Groves dislocated 3 toes in Auburn’s upset of Florida. Groves should be back on the field as soon as he can put weight on the foot.

Andre Woodson, our #2 rated pre-season QB and one of the top Heisman contenders finally saw his NCAA record streak of pass attempts without an interception end at the hands of Florida Atlantic. Woodson was stopped at 325. The Wildcats face their toughest test yet - going on the road to face South Carolina this Thursday. It is the first in a brutal 3 game stretch for the Wildcats who face LSU and Florida in upcoming weeks.

If you think last week was something, Mike Huguenin  of Rivals.com says this Saturday’s games will be even better, featuring some great matchups.

Credit: Rob Holt/Icon SMI

Week 5 is approaching and some spectacular offensive games should be played. Let’s take a look at the games to watch this week.

#5 West Virginia at #18 South Florida - The South Florida Bulls are ranked for the first time and now get to host the team they upset last season in Morgantown. West Virginia’s national title dreams are on the line here, as they can not afford even one slip up. The game, played on Friday night, features top 2008 NFL Draft prospects in Junior RB Steve Slaton of West Virginia and South Florida Senior CBs Mike Jenkins and Trae Williams, who are both legitimate first day draft picks. Plus the game features two exciting dual threat QBs - Pat White for West Virginia and Matt Groethe for South Florida. The Bulls will have to be at the top of their game, but this is potentially a watershed moment for Coach Jim Leavitt’s program. Prediction: South Florida 27, West Virginia 24

#6 California at #11 Oregon - QB Dennis Dixon has improved dramatically and the race for #2 in the Pac 10 heats up as the Golden Bears visit Eugene, Oregon. There will not be a lack of offensive excitement, as Cal features an accurate QB in Nathan Longshore, and a myriad of weapons, including WRs Desean Jackson and Robert Jordan, RB Justin Forsett and lightning quick freshman Jahvid Best. The Ducks are led by Dixon, who has thrown 11 TDs with no picks this season and one of the best RB prospects - bruising runner Jonathan Stewart. Still, the Golden Bear fire power will be too much. Prediction: Cal 35, Oregon 20

#13 Clemson at Georgia Tech - People seem to forget that Georgia Tech was considered among the best teams in the ACC until they lost to Matt Ryan and BC. Clemson’s two headed RB attack of C.J. Spiller and James Davis will be a great challenge for Georgia Tech senior linebacker Phillip Wheeler. Clemson is searching for an ACC Title for Coach Tommy Bowden and must win this game, which will not be easy. Clemson QB Cullen Harper has impressed this season, and thus far, held off any calls for blue chip recruit Willy Korn. Prediction: Clemson 21, Georgia Tech 10

As always, several top prospects have been lost to injury. With the college season just 4 weeks hold, and most conference games yet to be played, there will undoubtedly be more players lost.

TCU Defensive End/Outside Linebacker prospect Tommy Blake is out for the next two or three weeks and likely to request a sixth year from the NCAA.  Blake’s problems are of a “personal nature” and the TCU staff seems secretive about them. Hopefully Blake can get himself straight, or risk being the next Dimitrius Underwood.

South Carolina linebacker Jasper Brinkley is recovering from knee surgery well. The question remains if Brinkley will return to South Carolina or go directly to the NFL. It may be best for Brinkley to return to school if a medical redshirt can be secured. There are concerns about his foot speed and recovering from a severe knee injury will not help his time.

Matthew Stafford - Credit: Lynn Bass/Icon SMI

Following Week #4 of the College Football Season I resemble a prophet in regards to some of my opinions towards the college football landscape as a whole. As inspired as I am to watch the weekly tussles that take place in the SEC and as much enjoyment as I get from watching the top-tier teams in the Pac 10, I am completely uninspired yet again by the Big Ten. As stated following the Week 3 roundup, there is nothing to take from the Big Ten teams that even resemble a National Championship contender. The Nitney Lions lost on Saturday to the Michigan Wolverines starting a true freshman QB in Ryan Mallett, this statement in itself should explain where the Big Ten resides in the hierarchy of college football conferences. What was once the cream of the crop has now fallen to the basement. I would rather watch the Big 12, ACC, or Big East as a matter of fact. Not even the Wisconsin faithful can send in hate mail this week considering that they squeaked out a victory last Saturday 17-13 over un-ranked and undermanned Iowa. Hopefully the Big Ten does us all a favor and ensure us that all of the Big Ten teams lose at least once or they take their conference out of the running for consideration in the National Championship game, because otherwise, it would be a disgrace. Switching gears briefly, the other topic I wanted to discuss prior to getting to this week’s “Prospect Stock Market” is the official arrival of the next in the line of great college football quarterbacks, Matthew Stafford QB Georgia. It takes time for a young QB to assimilate the speed and skill level of college football, but throughout the great careers of the quarterbacks you remember in college football there are several games that stand out in your memory, and most importantly there is always that one game you can point to as the “arrival” of that QB. If you missed it, last Saturday the Georgia Bulldogs visited the Alabama Crimson Tide in their backyard, following all the momentum the Tide had following the previous week’s victory against Arkansas, and beat them in stunning fashion in overtime 26-23. To use a pun “the tide did in fact turn” as Stafford threw a perfectly thrown ball into the corner of the end zone to WR Mikey Henderson to complete the win. The rest of the SEC better be on alert, because the Matthew Stafford era at Georgia has OFFICIALLY begun, and this is just one of the many, many reasons why, for my money, the SEC is the best week in and week out college football action on the planet. Now, to this week’s “Prospect Stock Market”:

RISING:
Miami (FL) Hurricanes: After getting obliterated in the opening game of the season against Oklahoma, the Hurricanes have turned what could have been a horrendous season around and are now 3-1 and a legitimate threat to win the ACC.

Michigan Wolverines: The Wolverines were left for dead following their two losses to Appalachian State and Oregon to open up the season. Following RB Mike Hart’s comments following the Oregon loss the team has rallied for consecutive victories over Notre Dame and Penn State and it is not inconceivable that in the porous Big Ten the Wolverines still couldn’t make a run at the Big Ten crown and salvage their season. Stranger things have happened.

Matt Ryan QB Boston College: He just continues to impress, and the possibility of Ryan making a run at the Heisman trophy and a first round selection are very real indeed.

Hawaii Warriors: No Colt Brennan, no problem, without their star QB, they failed to skip a beat and continue to roll on. Could they be this year’s Boise State and crash the party that is the BCS? Stay tuned…

Kentucky Wildcats: With a Heisman Trophy candidate at QB in Andre Woodson the Kentucky Wildcats have turned the college football world upside down and they are legitimate contenders for the BCS bowl games at this point. Their talent was evident on Saturday night, but was most impressive to me anyway was that they displayed some moxie in taking down a very talented Arkansas team down on the road, and scoring three touchdowns in the 4^th quarter only increased the impression left on the fans who watched the game. Their remaining schedule is vicious including three games in a three week stretch that includes: @South Carolina, then home games against top 5 teams LSU and Florida. This stretch will in most likelihood eliminate them from National Championship contention, but they will most assuredly be a team to keep your eye on during that stretch and for the remainder of the 2007 season.

The Heisman candidacy of Tim Tebow QB Florida: I understand the argument that sophomores very rarely win the Heisman trophy, but what Tebow is doing so far this season for the Gators does deserve some consideration. So far in 2007 Tebow leads the team in passing, obviously, but also leads the team in rushing. He has produced a combined 1454 yards and 17 touchdowns in just four games so far this season. Tim Tebow is the engine that makes the car that is the Florida Gators go. Do I think he will be able to run the football 20 times against LSU? No I think Glenn Dorsey and Co. will make mince meat of him before that happens, but what he has been able to do via the air and ground this year is impressive.

STATUS QUO:
The Major Powers: USC, LSU, Oklahoma, Florida, West Virginia, California, and Texas continue to roll own without a hiccup and any incidents that would cause concern. Status Quo remains the optimal term for these teams.

The Up-Starts: You have to be impressed by Oregon, Boston College, and Clemson respectively. They continue to win games in impressive fashion and won’t be too much longer before the ‘major powers’ notice as well and feel them on their heals.

FALLING:
Brian Brohm and the Louisville Cardinals: A week after watching their defense get portrayed as fraudulent on national television by the Kentucky Wildcats, they manhandled again by the Syracuse Orange who one reporter had dubbed earlier this season as “the worst team in college football”. Things just went from bad to worse. They lost 38-35, but they rallied for 3 touchdowns late to make the game look much closer than it actually was. They got thrashed plain and simple. The Heisman candidacy of Brian Brohm is over, the possibility of him going #1 overall in the 2008 NFL Draft has taken a serious body blow of which he may never be able to overcome.

The Big Ten Conference: I know I’m beating a dead horse here, but in case I didn’t make myself clear in the opener, none of these teams are ANY good.

Notre Dame Fighting Irish: Well Notre Dame fans…trust me…it can’t get any worse. A year or two from now when QB Jimmy Clausen is leading the Irish to winning seasons you will look back at the 2007 season as a necessary evil. Kind of like the Big Ten.

* If you get a chance this weekend football fans, please by all means do yourself a favor and check out the California Golden Bears face off with the Oregon Ducks. This game will prove to be one of the better college games all year long.

Credit: Greg Drzazgowski/Icon SMI

Four weeks of the college season are in the bag, and several Heisman candidates are out of the running due to their team’s early failures. I’m looking at you Brian Brohm and Chad Henne. Still, at this juncture, the best performers are likely not to be there at the end of the season due to their team’s suffering losses in conference play.

So who is still alive? USC is still undefeated, as expected, and John David Booty has put up solid, if not spectacular numbers. He has been very efficient, but is averaging just 213 yards per game. Booty still remains the favorite in my eyes, due the USC having the best chance of running the table.

LSU and Oklahoma do not have true stars on the offensive side of the ball, which probably cancels them out. Tim Tebow and Percy Harvin have been terrific for Florida, and if they can manage to go undefeated in the SEC, both would get consideration. However, it is almost impossible for a true sophomore to win th award.

The West Virginia duo of Steve Slaton and Pat White have been phenomenal and will likely continue to shine. If WVU can defeat South Florida this week, the Mountaineer players take a big step forward, but still run the risk of “splitting” the vote

Cal’s Desean Jackson has gotten a lot of hype and looked good in the national game against Tennessee. However, his receiving stats leave something to be desired. The game against USC will determine his fate.

Wisconsin’s P.J. Hill has been solid, but is likely to run into some bias of a weak Big Ten conference. If Rutgers can win the Big East, Ray Rice looks like a shoe in for the top 5 in voting. Hawaii’s Colt Brennan is putting up video game numbers, but missing last week’s game with a sprained ankle pushes him off of the top five for now.

However the two biggest risers in the early season at the QBs for a pair of undefeated teams - Andre Woodson and Matt Ryan. Woodson has led the Wildcats up to #14 in the polls and has received a lot of attention. A victory over LSU or Florida would catapult Woodson to the top of the pack.

Boston College’s Matt Ryan has really impressed me so far this season. He is a much better player than I ever thought. NFLdraftdog’s Robert Bryant has always loved Ryan, but the Golden Eagles look to have a strong chance in the ACC and he has blossomed under coach Jeff Jagodzinski’s system.

If Ryan can run the table in the ACC - no easy task with games at Clemson and Virginia Tech, he might just bring the Heisman back to Boston College for the first time in 23 years.

A pair of QBs off to hot starts also join our top five - Oregon’s Dennis Dixon has 11 TDs and 0 INTs, while Purdue’s Curtis Painter is invoking memories of Drew Brees with an incredible 16 TD to 1 INT for the undefeated Boilermakers.

While Desean Jackson is getting a lot of attention, the best WR so far this season has been Texas Tech wide out Michael Crabtree, who is on pace for a record season. Like many of the top players so far, Crabtree’s success is going to be tied to his team’s. Crabtree also lacks the pre-season hype typically needed to win the award.

The Week 4 Heisman top five:

1. Matt Ryan, BC, QB
2. Andre Woodson, Kentucky, QB
3. Curtis Painter, Purdue, QB
4. Dennis Dixon, Oregon, QB
5. Michael Crabtree, Texas Tech, WR

The college football season continues to roll on and after week #3 is in the books, the landscape of the collegiate ranks is beginning to come into focus. We are now beginning to separate our ‘contenders’ from the ‘pretenders’. Sure the Big Ten is still an awkward mess and the South Carolina’s and Hawaii’s of the world are still unbeaten and in the top 20, but they are not national championship contenders, let’s just be realistic shall we. After awakening from the stupor I was in on Saturday night after watching my arch-nemesis the Michigan Wolverines trounce my beloved Notre Dame Fighting Irish I came to one realization—that every team in the nation has a fatal flaw that they can’t overcome—except for a selected seven teams that I feel have LEGIT national championship aspirations. Those seven in no particular order are: USC, LSU, Oklahoma, Florida, West Virginia, California, and Texas. And there in lies the beauty that is college football, there is at least one major elimination game each and every weekend. Don’t get me wrong, I would absolutely love a ‘tournament’ style playoff system for college football, but while that doesn’t appear to be on the immediate horizon, you have to appreciate what college football is offering currently. Of the top seven teams listed above, USC will have to square off with California, LSU and Florida will have to battle it out for the SEC crown, and the annual celebration that is Oklahoma vs. Texas will also take place in a couple weeks. West Virginia doesn’t have it easy by any means, they will have to play Louisville as well as Rutgers. I just hear this hyperbole that there will be several undefeated teams at the end of the regular season, and I know better than to join these bold conclusions, at the end of the day, there will only be two undefeated teams remaining (if were lucky, hopefully it’s not one because that would open up a whole new can of worms) and those two teams are going to be the USC Trojans and the West Virginia Mountaineers.

Now that this week’s rant is complete, let’s move on to “The Prospect Stock Market”:

RISING:

USC Trojans: The Trojans were absolutely dominant on Saturday night against the Nebraska Cornhuskers. They were impressive in several fashions, but their offensive line stood out more than most. Anchored by potential 1^st round prospect Sam Baker the Trojans were opening up monstrous holes for their running back by committee to run through. The Trojans are already #1 in the polls so they can’t rise there, but their overall perception should rise in the minds of college football fans everywhere.

LSU Tigers: Once again they did not play the greatest competition in Middle Tennessee, but the LSU defense is flat out scary. With star defenders Glenn Dorsey and Ali Highsmith leading the way, this team might be on their way to the SEC crown.

Florida Gators: Their offense is high octane, and hanging 59 point on the Tennessee Volunteers, down year or not, is always impressive. I still worry about this team’s defense and wonder if it will lead to their downfall eventually, however, they have been really impressive and their chance for back to back championships are much more legit than originally thought.

Andre Woodson QB Kentucky: I mentioned in this very segment two weeks ago that eventually there would be debates in draft circles whether Andre Woodson or Brian Brohm would be the top QB selected in the 2008 NFL Draft. Well, after Kentucky’s upset of Louisville on Saturday night…let the debate begin.

Matt Ryan QB Boston College: How impressive have Matt Ryan and the Boston College Eagles been so far in 2007? Three consecutive wins over ACC opponents, including knocking off last years ACC Champion Wake Forest as well as a very impressive win this past weekend at #15 ranked Georgia Tech. Last week I wanted to see how Ryan did against better defenses, point proven Matt Ryan. His stock is climbing significantly as many scouts see a Matt Schaub comparison in Ryan. Don’t look now folks, but the Boston College Eagles will most likely be favored in every game they have the rest of the regular season and could be crashing the national championship party.

Justin Forsett RB California: Forsett will never be an every down back at the next level, but he’s got some abilities and with the NFL utilizing more and more running backs out of the backfield as receiving options, Forsett might be able to get some interest from NFL scouts.

Jonathan Stewart and the Oregon Ducks: The momentum just continues to build for the Ducks as they rolled over the Fresno State Bulldogs on Saturday 52-21. Their offense is prolific and WRR favorite Jonathan Stewart is extremely quick for a man his size and could make a perfect fit for an NFL Franchise at the next level. 165 yards on just 17 carries with two touchdowns fully displays his talents for the first time this season.

STATUS QUO:

Colt Brennan QB Hawaii: Colt Brennan displayed a new element to his game late Saturday night when he RAN for 3 touchdowns. He’s not much of a scrambler, but I just thought it was something of note. His accuracy is better than advertised going 26 of 32, 81% completion percentage. Colt Brennan is the pure definition of status quo for me, at this point, I just want to see how he does in the workouts following the season.

Darren McFadden RB Arkansas: In a losing effort against the Alabama Crimson Tide Darren McFadden ran for 195 yards and two scores. Week in and week out he puts on a show, and is as solid a player there is in college football. As the game wore on the ‘Bama defenders wore down and McFadden took advantage. His performances have been very solid considering the Razorbacks have no passing game to speak of and teams game plan to stop McFadden week in and week out. There is one concern, rumor has it that in the crunch time on Saturday night he took himself out of the game ala Scottie Pippen. I am not sure if this is the case or not, but it has been rumored.

Texas Longhorns: Yes, they are winning ball games right now, but they are doing it in a sloppy fashion. If they play against Oklahoma like they have the past two weeks the Sooners will walk the dog on the Longhorns.

PJ Hill RB Wisconsin: Before I receive any ‘hate mail’ regarding PJ Hill, I will mention the Wisconsin RB once again this week. While the stat line of 168 yards and 4 touchdowns line may be impressive, it was against the Citadel and they were struggling with them in the first half. Hill is a very good collegiate RB, I have never doubted this, I am just not sure if he will make it as an every down back at the next level, and nothing I have seen has changed my mind, like Colt Brennan, all my interest is in the individual workouts whenever Hill decides to turn pro.

Ohio State Buckeyes and Penn State Nitney Lions: I am still not blown away by either team. I know that someone has to win the Big Ten, but that someone appears to be Wisconsin in 2007. I expect both the Buckeyes and Nittany Lions to have 2 or 3 losses when all things are said and done.

Rutgers, South Carolina, and Clemson: They beat up on inferior opponents…nothing else to see here.

FALLING:

Oklahoma State offense: Outside of the Michigan Wolverines, the so-called “Greatest Offense in the World” hailing from Oklahoma State, the trio of Bobby Reid, Adarius Bowman, and Dantrell Savage have been the most over-hyped entity that college football has to offer. Neither Reid nor Savage even played in Week #3 and Bowman was average at best in their embarrassing loss to Troy.

Brian Brohm QB Louisville: If I am going to slam the duo of Chad Henne and Mike Hart for coming back for their senior season to compete for a National Championship and then lay a goose egg, I have to slam Brian Brohm as well. Brian Brohm doesn’t play on defense, where the Cardinals have their biggest issues, however, being out-dueled by cross-state Kentucky gun-slinger Andre Woodson is not a good thing to have happen during your senior season. On Saturday is conceivable that Brohm lost his chance at the Heisman Trophy, a National Championship, and the #1 overall selection in the 2008 NFL Draft.

UCLA Bruins: The Bruins got stomped Saturday night by un-ranked Utah 44-6. It is a jaw-dropping result, trust me, I wasn’t able to watch the game and when I saw the score, my jaw literally dropped. Bigger things were expected from this team and now you have to wonder if this is even the 4^th best team the Pac 10 has to offer with California and Oregon continuing to win impressively. QB Ben Olsen did not have a terrible game statistically, he just made several costly errors with the three interceptions.

Nebraska Cornhuskers: I know Nebraska fans that you may not know what that buzz-saw was that hit you on Saturday night…it was the USC Trojans, and yes, they are that good.

Any senior playing for the Notre Dame Fighting Irish: Now I’m just self-loathing…

After two weeks, several teams have disappointed their fans with lackluster starts. The New Orleans Saints is among those teams. Let’s look at the problems.

Last season’s surprise is off to a disastrous 0-2 start, especially the divisional loss to the Bucs. Head coach Sean Payton has fallen in love with the wrong back. Let’s play the “Player A” vs “Player B” game.

Player A: 20 carries, 87 yards, 4.4 Avg, 1 fumble, Long of 15
Player B: 22 carries, 65 yards, 3.0 Avg, 2 fumbles, Long of 10

Who should be getting the ball more? Who is the more explosive back? As you guessed, Player A Is Deuce McAllister, and Player B is Reggie Bush. Bush still dances too much to be an every down running back. His career rushing average is 3.6! (McAllister’s despite being on a bad team for a number of years, is 4.3).

McAllister needs to carry the ball 20+ for them to be successful and it is time for Sean Payton to realize that.

For a team with defensive flaws, the Saints only drafted one defensive player in the first 4 rounds and he was a developmental cornerback. They also misspent in free agency, bringing in the over the hill Brian Simmons and the Cover 2 corner Jason David. Jason David is an acceptable Cover 2 corner… unfortunately the Saints run mostly man coverage.

It is too early to give up on the Saints especially in the NFC. They should be in contention for a playoff spot and possibly the divisional crown. But they must get back to rushing with McAllister, protecting Brees, and figure out a way to limit the deep ball against.

In a blur of upsets and great finishes week #2 of the College Football season is in the books and Matt MacCoy, War Room Report Analyst and Lead Offensive Scout takes a look back at the noteworthy performances from this past weekend’s games and who’s stock might be “rising”, “falling”, or who’s stock remains “status quo”:

Before I get to the evaluation of week #2 and the stock of many pro prospects I have a few things I would like to get off my chest:

• If I hear this question posed one more time on one of ESPN’s tiring, re-tread shows ala “Cold Pizza” or “First and 10”, or whatever they are calling the monstrosity now I’m going to jump through my TV set and strangle Skip Bayless—the question being which Head Coach is under more pressure: Charlie Weis or Lloyd Carr? I am far from a genius, but I think I know an illogical question when I hear one. The Michigan Wolverines entered into the 2007 season with a 4-year starting senior QB Chad Henne, senior RB Mike Hart, and All-American offensive tackle Jake Long returning to make one more run at a Big Ten title and a possible National Championship only to lose to Division I-AA Appalachian State in one of the biggest upsets in college football history, and turn around a week later and get destroyed by Oregon 39-6, both games in the “Big House.” The Notre Dame Fighting Irish entered the 2007 season hoping for a winning season and possible bowl game appearance. They lost their QB Brady Quinn, RB Darius Walker, their top two options at WR Jeff Samardjiza and Rhema McKnight, top offensive lineman Ryan Harris, and top defensive lineman DE Victor Abiamiri. They are now starting a true freshman at QB in Jimmy Clausen, and while he has a very bright future, it is anticipated that he will struggle early. They lost to a respectable Georgia Tech team, and then in Happy Valley against Penn State. The major difference here is expectations—the Wolverines were gunning for a National Title, the Irish are in an obvious rebuilding season, and both teams have produced the same results. The Wolverines are the far more disappointing team, and following the 2007 season Charlie Weis will still have his job, the same I can not say for one Lloyd Carr.

• If you went to bed early Saturday night you missed a thrilling ending to the Auburn vs. South Florida game. As I was watching the game one thought kept ringing through my head: “I don’t believe I have ever seen a game where one team tried to give away the game to this extent, while the other team refused to take it from them.” If you missed it, let me briefly recap—the Auburn Tigers converted only 2/13 on 3^rd down conversions, all while turning the ball over FIVE times to South Florida. South Florida took the ball in turn, got into scoring range only for place kicker Delbert Alvarado to miss FOUR field goals. It was one of those jaw-dropping games where you just couldn’t believe what you were seeing. From a prospect point of view Brandon Cox is too shaky to make it to the next level, and is lucky there isn’t a suitable backup QB waiting in the wings or he would lose his starting job. Matt Grothe, who is only a sophomore, has got “it”. The coaching staff seemed to lose confidence in every player on the field besides Grothe at the end of the game. He is only 6’0 and 200 pounds, but he has some leadership qualities you have to like in a young QB. He needs some work, but he reminds me of a young Drew Brees.

Now that I got that off my chest, let’s move on to the up and down world that is “The Prospect Stock Market”:

RISING:

DeSean Jackson WR California: If you haven’t caught on that Jackson is the most exciting player in America you don’t have a pulse. On a day when his QB Nate Longshore wasn’t at his best, Jackson did it again with a 73-yard RUSHING TD. Yes critics, he is still undersized, but if that is your only concern, than you’re missing out. He will be a playmaker at the next level, I am sold on this.

Oklahoma Sooners: They thoroughly dominated the University of Miami (FL) on Saturday and put the rest of College Football on notice that this team is dangerous. I was very impressed with the Offensive Line of the Sooners who handled DE Calais Campbell and Co. pretty well up front; it will be interesting if any top-notch prospects emerge from this group. I was also very impressed with the Sooners’ pair of wide receivers Malcolm Kelly and Juaquin Iglesias. Iglesias may be the 2007 version of Anthony Gonzalez, he may be overshadowed by his teammate Kelly, but he is precise route runner and might workout very well and his stock might “rise”. Malcolm Kelly is very smooth and seems to make plays effortlessly; if I had to make a comparison to a player at the next level he reminds me a lot of Javon Walker.

LSU Tigers: I apologize to the entire state of Louisiana; I vastly underrated the LSU Tigers. After watching their first game this season I thought the play calling was too conservative and would bite them against Virginia Tech, oh how I was wrong. LSU has speed all over the field and will cause match-up problems for virtually every team they will encounter in 2007. Early Doucet stretches the field and the defense has to respect his speed up top, and in doing so leaves gapping holes for the Tigers other offensive weapons. All the props in the world to LSU, however, I still don’t see them in the National Championship. The lack of a ‘true’ #1 tailback and the blistering schedule they will have to endure in the SEC makes it very difficult for me to believe they will go unbeaten. They might be the 2^nd best team in the country, but I don’t think they will make it to their ultimate goal.

South Carolina Gamecocks: Steve Spurrier took his his South Carolina squad on the road in the SEC and beat a legit top 15 team. This is noteworthy in itself, and why some believe it is preposterous to think that South Carolina can win the SEC, no one gave Duke a chance to win the ACC either and Spurrier succeeded in that venture as well.

Tashard Choice RB Georgia Tech: He was playing against Samford this week and hung 110 and 2 touchdowns on them before being taken out of the game, but the week before he rushed for 196 yards and 2 touchdowns against Notre Dame. He isn’t very flashy, and is floating under the radar somewhat, but if he continues to produce at this rate he won’t be under the radar for long.

Dennis Dixon QB Oregon: He is not much of a pro prospect at this point, in fact he is probably a future major league baseball player, but how can you not be impressed by his performance in Ann Arbor last Saturday. He looked like Vince Young in the Rose Bowl, he dominated with his arm, and then with his legs. If the baseball thing doesn’t work out, he could become a later round draft pick in the NFL.

Chase Daniel QB Missouri: The competition thus far has not had the stingiest of defenses (Illinois and Ole Miss), but you have to be impressed with Daniel’s productivity and versatility. He is on pace for approximately 4,400 total yards and 48 touchdowns in the regular season. He is another prospect listed just at 6’0, so that is a major cause for concern, but he is a prospect to keep your eyes on at the very least.

Jamaal Charles RB Texas: Jamaal Charles is currently ranked 5^th on the War Room Report running back rankings, higher than most other publications, and for good reason. He has an exceptional initial burst and above average build and his production is showing up so far in the 2007 season. The TCU front seven is as tough as they come in college football and Charles averaged 6.1 yards per carry on Saturday rushing for 134 yards and a TD in the effort. The Longhorns don’t really focus Charles in the offense, so his numbers may never be eye-popping, but rest assured he is a very solid prospect.

James Hardy WR Indiana: Coming into the 2007 season it was a question mark whether James Hardy was even going to be able to play early on due to injury. Well, he has played and has only recorded six catches, but he has made the most out of them, turning those six catches into FOUR touchdowns and a 30.0 yard average. As the season progresses you will see more catches and consistency from Hardy, but he is a home run threat if nothing more.

STATUS QUO:

Brian Brohm QB Louisville: Another 400 yards passing a 4 touchdowns. Still the consensus #1 overall selection in my view, and he might be garnering some Heisman momentum.

Ray Rice RB Rutgers: He is what he is, one of the most reliable running backs in the collegiate game today.

Steve Slaton RB West Virginia: West Virginia got away from what they like to do in the first half and got themselves into trouble. You know what you are WVU, you want to run the ball with Slaton and White. Run the ball with your two studs, roll them up in bubble wrap after every game, avoid either getting injured, and you’ll be in the National Championship game. Slaton took over the game in the 2^nd half on Saturday; his end game stats were 146 yards and 2 touchdowns.

Calais Campbell DE Miami (FL) and Kenny Phillips S Miami (FL): Both players made a few solid plays, but Oklahoma hung 51 points on your defense. Two top-flight pro prospects should step up their game and not allow this to happen, and obviously this did not occur. Their draft status doesn’t change following this game, but it is something to keep an eye on as the season progresses.

Curtis Painter QB Purdue: Is he a product of the system? He has an NFL ready body, the size scouts look for, and so there is debate here. Workouts will be of most importance for Painter.

Matt Ryan QB Boston College: Another solid performance by Ryan. I don’t see any glaring weaknesses. I am really interested to see how he does against some better defenses.

Andre Woodson QB Kentucky: Another guy who has an excellent chance to impress when he gets into the heart of the SEC schedule. He doesn’t make mistakes either, doesn’t throw interceptions, and seems completely at ease with the offense at UK.

Colt Brennan QB Hawaii: Almost 1,000 yards passing in two games and a 10:1 TD: INT ratio is excellent, but more impressively is that they gutted out a tough victory on Saturday against Louisiana Tech.

FALLING:

Sam Keller QB Nebraska: He is just too inconsistent for my liking. Some plays he looks great, some he looks as if he has no idea what is going on out there. He is beginning to remind me a lot of Kyle Boller, and this is not a good thing. This was a big year for Keller to impress the scouts, and there is still time, but his biggest problem is consistency, if this doesn’t improve almost nothing else will matter.

Ohio State Buckeyes: Yes, the good news is they are off to a 2-0 start, but anyone who watched last weeks game against Akron can tell you that there is just something wrong with this team. Whether it is the lack of a passing game or the fact that they are just missing so many parts from their offense a year ago, this is not a good football team NOW, but with such a soft early schedule they have time to iron some things out.

Michigan Wolverines: You know the story, you have seen the games, and you draw your own conclusion.

Boise State Broncos: The Broncos lost and broke their winning streak on Saturday. Ian Johnson couldn’t get anything going with the running game, and they just didn’t seem to be in sync all day.

Virginia Tech’s Defense: Vince Hall and Co. disappointed Saturday. The Hokies were beaten in every facet of the game, even in their forte of defense and special teams.

PJ Hill RB Wisconsin: I might be too critical of PJ Hill, but then again I wasn’t the one telling everyone who would listen how he had slimmed down and was going to be more explosive. He ran for 147 yards on Saturday night, and while that is all well and good the productivity from Hill has never been the question mark, the quickness and initial burst has been and I might be the only person in America who is so critical of him, but in two games, I have yet to see it.