NDL Midseason Report

[nick]

I would like to thank Griffin (VVV) and Jon (Hart4heisman) in helping me do this for the NDL. Enjoy !!

Atlantic Coast Conference

ATLANTIC:


Maryland Terrapins
Offense: B+
Defense: A+
OVERALL: A
No one expected the Maryland Terrapins to start off the season 5-0 but Coach Talented1 has got them sitting there as we hit the mid way point of the season. With wins over both rivals West Virginia and Virginia, and a schedule that contains one tough game remaining in Florida State, Maryland is looking to the Orange Bowl and maybe even better…the BCS Championship. Maryland attacked the field with a nasty defense that was ranked A+. Allowing a mere 9.8 points per game while sacking the Quarterback 16 times and getting 10 picks. Maryland’s defense is led by the three headed monster of Jeff Allen (33 tackles), Trey Covington (5 TFL and 4 sacks) and Terrell Skinner (4 interceptions). The Terrapin’s offense is just as solid receiving a B+ grade. Darrius Heyward-Bey has been the focal point of this offense with his 16 catches, 323 yards and 3 touchdowns. Josh Portis and Darel Scott have both been solid as well for the Terrapins. I expect the Terrapins to take this magical season all the way with a solid ACC campaign.



Florida State Seminoles
Offense: A
Defense: A
OVERALL: A
Florida State sits second in the ACC Atlantic at this point with a 4-0 record. This was expected from Daw1git and his balanced attack. Florida State scored A’s all across the board and rightfully so for the way they have played this first half of the season. Antoine Smith has been pulling the reigns for Florida State as he has 359 yards rushing and 5 touchdowns in 4 games. Antoine’s 6.3 yards per rush is key to big long drives and key conversions. On defense, they are led by stud Safety Myron Rolle. Rolle leads the team with 15 tackles. When we asked Daw1git about why such a low amount of tackles, he chuckled and told us that it was because his defense is full of hawks that all get their share of tackles by making plays on the ball. How right you are Florida State. Everette Brown continues to be a force with 4 tackles for loss and 3 sacks. Florida State’s second half of the season will define them and I just don’t see them getting through the gauntlet. Games at Georgia Tech and Maryland, as well as a meeting with Florida in the final week will be too much for the Seminoles to overcome. Next season Florida State will be much better and a real force in the ACC Atlantic.


Clemson Tigers
Offense: B+
Defense: C
OVERALL: B
Seeit has the Clemson Tigers off to a disappointing start. Offensively, Cullen Harper and the Tigers have been great, but they took it out on very soft opponents. When the Tigers take on a tougher opponent, the offense is non existent. When asked, Seeit said the heart of his offense is Cullen Harper because he is a leader. If I had to pick who it was, I would choose CJ Spiller. Spiller has 453 rush yards so far on 50 carries (9.06 avg) with 8 touchdowns. Clemson is 10th in the league with 32 points per game, but 110th in the league in passing yards allowed (228). On defense, Clemson is led by Ricky Sapp who has 5 sacks and 2 forced fumbles. For Clemson to compete in the second half of the season with their ACC opponents, they’re going to have to hold onto the ball longer as 10:52 a game isn’t good enough. With rivalry games vs. North Carolina State and South Carolina still pending, Clemson has the raw talent to make a splash and cause some damage, but very unlikely.


Wake Forest Demon Deacons
Offense: D
Defense: B
OVERALL: C
The beginning of the season has gone pretty well for Jsense. Last year at North Texas, Jsense was able to make some noise. When he signed the lucrative deal for Wake Forest, the fans expected change but not like this. Thus far at 2-1, the Demon Deacons have played fundamentally sound defense. The offense is the problem. Riley Skinner has thrown 7 interceptions to 1 touchdown so far. That has to change. The bright spot so far on offense is Josh Adams who has 325 rush yards and 3 touchdowns. Wake Forest’s defense is watched by Stanley Arnoux who leads the team in interceptions with 3. Wake Forest currently sits 36th in the nation in points allowed per game (19.3) and 21st in passing yards allowed (148.3). Wake Forest still has ¾’s of the season to go, with stops at Florida State and Maryland, as well as hosting Clemson and Virginia. Expect Wake to become bowl eligible but not a major bowl.


Boston College Eagles
Offense: F
Defense: C
OVERALL: D
Boston College fans are disappointed. No other word to say but that. Starting off at 1-4, the offense has been terrible; 13 points per game and 198 total yards. Chris Crane has 6 touchdown passes thus far; the only problem is he also has 16 interceptions. The defense has played average allowing 26 and giving up 198 yards. The Eagles bright star thus far has been Alex Albright. Albright has 4 tackles for loss and 3 sacks so far this season. With a rivalry game vs. Notre Dame still remaining, the season may be lost but the coach can always rebuild and continue forward in Season 16.


North Carolina State Wolfpacks
Offense: F
Defense: F
OVERALL: F
NC State has yet to play a game. So as of right now they have all F’s and nothing can be said.

COASTAL:


Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets
Offense: B
Defense: A
OVERALL: B
VTRunandGun and the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets are creating magic out of air. Throughout the seasons in the NDL, Chase has always been known as a prolific coach, but no one expected him to do what he has done with Georgia Tech. Off to a 5-0 (3-0) start, Georgia Tech is hoping to face whoever wins the Atlantic Conference in the ACC Championship. Georgia Tech’s offense begins and runs around Jonathan Dwyer. Dwyer has 10 touchdowns so far in 5 games to compliment his 347 rush yards. Some would say that Georgia Tech’s schedule has been relatively soft in comparison to the second half. This is a bold but truthful statement. Tech’s only real impressive win thus far has been against Michigan. To prove his worth Chase is going to have to finish off strong with games at Clemson, and home to Virginia and Florida State before ending it off with rival Georgia. Expect a loss as the gays get tighter down the stretch.


Virginia Cavaliers
Offense: B
Defense: C
OVERALL: C
Virginia currently sits 4th in the ACC Coastal. No one expected Virginia to make such a buzz when they were drafted so late in the NDL Team draft. However Gambit has Virginia 4-2 and the State of Virginia is talking more about Cavaliers than Hokies. Anchoring the Cav’s offense is running back Mikell Simpson who has 467 rushing yards and 7 touchdowns. On defense, Virginia is led by Free Safety Rico Bell who has 35 tackles (almost 6 per game). Virginia doesn’t have any impressive wins thus far as they have defeated Nebraska but lost to North Carolina. The real test is moving forward as Virginia has LSU, Clemson and Georgia Tech to name a few. Bowl eligibility will be reached and a possible Sun Bowl appearance could happen, but anything higher would be an absolute surprise.


Virginia Tech Hokies
Offense: C
Defense: B
OVERALL: C
Virginia Tech stands at 4-3 and second in the coastal. The Hokies have lived up to their lackluster offense as they are averaging a mere 14 points per game. Tyrod Taylor needs to get his act together as so far he has 9 interceptions. Kenny Lewis, the running back for the Virginia Tech Hokies, is only averaging about 3 rush yards per carry and 2 total touchdowns. The bright spot for the Hokes is their defense. 28th in the nation in points allowed (18.7), Tech is in the top 50 in every major defensive category. Virginia Tech is led defensively by Free Safety Kam Chancellor. Chancellor leads the team in tackles with 45, and also has 2 forced fumbles on his resume. With a loss to rival West Virginia under their belt, the Hokies need to move forward and take out their two final rivals in Virginia and Miami. Expect a see saw battle with Virginia and an easy victory over Miami.


North Carolina Tar Heels
Offense: F
Defense: C
OVERALL: C
This is not what Lytezout had envisioned. There is no way he could be happy with his team after a 2-4 start. Early losses to Mississippi State and Kansas helped kill the confidence of the Tar Heels. Although they have rebounded with a small 2 game winning streak, Georgia Tech and Maryland lay in the future. Offensively, the Tar Heels have been a disaster. Averaging 19 points per game and giving up 22 isn’t going to get you victories. North Carolina averages 3 turnovers a game which kill off any potential point drives. The defense is a little better as it is anchored by the presence of Darius Powell. Powell so far in 6 games has 8 tackles for loss, along with 3 sacks and a forced fumble. North Carolina was graced with easy rivals as they have to worry about basketball programs Duke and North Carolina State. Then again, UNC is a basketball program as well.


Miami Hurricane
Offense: F
Defense: C
OVERALL: D
What the hell is going on? No one in the world expected this. Miami is off to a 0-5 start and it seems the bridges are already burning for coach Vsu. Sure, the schedule has been the toughest in the nation, but with a winnable loss to Rutgers and North Carolina on their resume, the future doesn’t look bright for this Hurricane’s team. Miami’s 9.2 points per game is rivaling for the worst in the NDL. 161 yards of offense isn’t going to give any team a victory and allowing 26 points and 218 yards doesn’t help either. Miami has given the ball over 3.2 times a game while having only 3 takeaways in total! Miami’s bright spot, if there was one, would be freshman linebacker Arthur Brown who has 29 tackles. Look for Miami to get a win or two in the season half of the season, but a coaching change might be in the future.


Duke Blue Devils
Offense: F
Defense: F
OVERALL: F
Traditionally known as a basketball school, Duke is showing it on the football field. Receiving the grades of an F, Duke would have to repeat the year, but they hope to avoid doing that. Duke is allowing 28 points a game while scoring 13. These numbers need to become equal immediately to stop the bleeding. Duke is allowing almost 300 yards of offense a game, and not getting to the quarterback what so ever as they have registered only 2 sacks. Safety Catron Gainey is the only possible bright spot for this school. Catron has 3 interceptions and a defensive touchdown on his resume and for the Blue Devils that simply isn’t enough. A fairly difficult second half to the season awaits them with visits to Clemson and Oregon State, and a final home game versus rival North Carolina.

ACC Projections:
Atlantic:
1. Florida State
2. Maryland
3. Clemson
4. Wake Forest
5. Boston College
6. North Carolina State

Coastal:
1. Georgia Tech
2. Virginia
3. North Carolina
4. Virginia Tech
5. Miami
6. Duke

[nick]

Big Twelve Conference

NORTH:


Missouri Tigers
Offense: A
Defense: C
OVERALL: B+

Coach Carlwayne has roared out of the gates with 4 straight victories, 3 of them coming on the road. The Missouri Tigers are 2nd in the nation in points for at 36 per game, and are in the top 10 in passing yards at number 8 with an average of 252.5 per game. WR Jeremy Maclin has been a huge part of the Tigers success as he has contributed 7 total touchdowns (6 receiving, 1 return) in the four games, which enabled Mizzou to grab wins on the road in conference play @Nebraska and @Texas.



Nebraska Cornhuskers
Offense: B
Defense: C
OVERALL: C

Coach Sammy had a great start to the season when he began with a 3-1 record, but since entering conference play he has had trouble just getting victories. Sammy’s lone defeat prior to conference play was to #16 Virginia, but his Huskers have not played well recently. The defense has played really well allowing only 168.7 yards per game, good for 6th in the nation, but the offense has been turning the ball over too much ranking 100th with an average of 3 per game. HB Marlon Lucky can not be to blame as he has carried the ball 112 times for 581 yards and 5 touchdowns, while leading the team with 268 receiving yards on 18 receptions. Sammy will have to control turnovers and let his defense win games for him in the 2nd half of the season.



Iowa State Cyclones
Offense: B
Defense: C
OVERALL: C

Coach Nick Wadden has been struggling in his past few seasons, never being able to get over the 7-5 hump. With a 4-3 start, Coach Wadden only needs to win 4 of his last 5 to complete his best season in the NDL, but does he have the team to do it? He has been fortunate to escape with a 1-point victory in Murfreesboro, Tennessee against Middle Tennessee State, but couldn’t pull out a victory in his rivalry game against Iowa. Defensively the Cyclones are struggling as they are sitting at 109th in the nation in total defense, giving up 290.6 yards per game, but WR R.J. Sumrall has been a bright point in the season catching 18 balls for 257 yards and a touchdown.



Kansas State Wildcats
Offense: C
Defense: C
OVERALL: C

Coach Kev has had a rough start to his 2nd year at the helm of the Kansas State Wildcats as he’s 1 game under .500. The K-State defense has done all it could to keep the team in the game, especially their interior as the Wildcats are 10th in the nation in sacks averaging 3 per game for a total of 15 on the season. DE Ian Campbell has played very well this season accumulating 11 tackles (8 for loss) and has made 2 sacks. The defense will need to pick it up for Kev if he wants to remain at KSU for a 3rd campaign.



Kansas Jayhawks
Offense: C
Defense: C
OVERALL: C

Coach JustGiver’s Kansas Jayhawks have cooled off a little after a great 2-0 start. The loss to Central Florida hurt the cause and sent the Jayhawks on a slide as they entered conference play. After a win @Iowa State, KU has dropped two straight to Colorado and Oklahoma, but most of that can be blamed on an average of 3 turnovers per game that puts KU at 99th in the country in turnovers per game. HB Jake Sharp has been great for the Jayhawks leading them in rushing and receiving with 611 all purpose yards on 130 touches (97 rushes, 33 receptions), and he has scored 5 touchdowns in 6 games.



Colorado Buffaloes
Offense: B
Defense: F
OVERALL: D

Coach Penguin’s first year at Colorado has been a tumultuous one. He’s 1-3 against teams currently ranked in the top25, which may mean he has had the hardest schedule in the country, as you won’t find a team that played 4 ranked teams in its first 6 games. The Buffs are 16th in the country in rushing, averaging 100.3 yards per game, mainly because of Freshman RB Darrell Scott. Scott has rushed 106 times on the season for 529 yards and 4 touchdowns, while also catching 19 balls out of the backfield for 203 yards and a touchdown while serving as the team’s 2nd leading receiver. They will need some major production from Scott in the 2nd half to turn this season around.

SOUTH:



Oklahoma Sooners
Offense: A
Defense: B
OVERALL: B+

Coach BA has gotten off to a great start realizing that he wants to stay at his alma mater until they make him leave. After being fired after one season in his last stint with OU, the head coach has started off flawlessly with 6 straight wins including 2 over ranked teams. OU’s passing offense has been strong as they average 244 yards per game, which ranks 12th in the nation. TE Jermaine Gresham has been very important in this as Sam Bradford’s big target has caught 24 balls for 651 yards and has scored 11 touchdowns in only 6 games. People need to hold judgment on the team though as they’ve played the 7th easiest schedule with an average opponent winning percentage of only 30.3%.



Texas Tech Red Raiders
Offense: B
Defense: A
OVERALL: B+

In his 2nd season at the helm of the Texas Tech Red Raiders, Coach Steamrollr is off to a great start. Despite not playing a conference game yet, he’s ranked in the top 10 and has a perfect season going with the 4-0 start. Conference play will test his team’s mettle, but WR Michael Crabtree has shown he can do it before and he will have to expand on his 20 receptions for 272 yards if the Red Raiders want to win a conference championship. To do this they’re going to need to improve on their 16 rushing yards per game, which ranks 108th in the country.



Texas Longhorns
Offense: B
Defense: B
OVERALL: B

Coach BigRed arrived in Austin for his first season with the team trying to fill the void of past coach VeniVediV1ci who struggled at the helm of his alma-mater. The season started very well for the new coach with 5 straight wins, but the tough schedule with #2 Oklahoma and #3 Missouri in the way lead to two straight losses and the ‘Horns sit at 1-2 in conference play. The defense is a strong suit to this point in the season as Texas is 9th in forced turnovers (22) and 7th in interceptions (20), while sitting 7th in rushing defense only allowing 24.1 yards per game. The go-to-guy seems to be HB Vondrell McGee, who is the team’s leading rusher and receiver with 145 total touches and 614 all-purpose yards along with 9 touchdowns. If BigRed wants to stay for next season, he’ll have to get his team ready to play and get off the 2-game slide that the ‘Horns are on presently.



Texas A&M Aggies
Offense: B
Defense: C
OVERALL: C

Coach Brocam finally got back to C-Stat to try to bring his Aggies into legitimacy again. After narrowly avoiding an upset loss to a feisty Marshall squad, Brocam dropped a game to #22 UCLA and split against North Texas and South Florida before pulling in a conference win against Kansas State. Rushing yards seem to be the Ags weakness despite efforts from RB Mike Goodson. Goodson has touched the ball 86 times on the season for 406 yards as the team’s leading rusher and receiver. Brocam looks to be in good shape to return to his favorite team going into next season, but he needs to beat rival Texas for insurance.



Oklahoma State Cowboys
Offense: C
Defense: C
OVERALL: C

Coach RTP’s Pokes have had a rough start to Season XV. Oklahoma State opened up the season with 3 straight losses to Virginia Tech, Tulsa and #24 West Virginia, but did recently knock off Boise State. The fans in Stillwater hope this is the start of good things, but Coach RTP is going to have to improve his team’s continuity. Although the Cowboys sit 10th in the country in offensive turnovers averaging 1 per game, they are 108th in total offense (100th in rushing and 95th in passing), 96th in sacks, 117th in fumbles recovered, 109th in interceptions, 118th in time of possession and 112th in forced turnovers. A major part of the offense should be TE Brandon Pettigrew, but 3 receptions for 45 yards and 1 touchdown in 4 games will not get it done in such an offensive-minded conference.



Baylor Bears
Offense: C
Defense: D
OVERALL: D

While unsure about his motives to join a conference where he has to play his alma-mater, Doley has not found his stride with the lowly Baylor Bears. Sitting at 0-6 and 0-2 in conference, Coach Dole may be biding his time until next season. He has played the 2nd toughest schedule in the country, as his opponents have a winning percentage of 80%, and his record reflects that. WR David Gettis has played well for the Bears, but his 26 receptions for 395 yards and 3 touchdowns has simply not been enough for the team. Baylor will be hoping to escape this season with one or two wins, but it does not look likely.


Big XII Projections:
North:
1. Missouri
2. Kansas
3. Nebraska
4. Colorado
5. Iowa State
6. Kansas State

South:
1. Oklahoma
2. Texas Tech
3. Texas
4. Oklahoma State
5. Texas A&M
6. Baylor

[nick]

Big East Conference


Syracuse Oranges
Offense: A
Defense: C
OVERALL: B
I don’t think anybody expected this, not even Dealer himself, but as of right now the Syracuse Orange sit on top of the Big East with a 5-2 (2-1) record. A significant task daunts the Orange as they move forward but the way they started, they can watch the intensity. Syracuse leads the nation in passing yards with 287 and the reason for this is quarter back Andrew Robinson who so far has put on a clinic. Robinson has thrown for 2054 yards with 19 touchdowns and 10 interceptions in the first seven games. He is also completing passes at a 75% rate which is remarkable. Defensively, Syracuse is much weaker. They are allowing almost as much as they score (28) and giving up more yards than they produce. The difference is coming in the turnover department as they only average 1.4 turnovers a game; meanwhile they have taken the ball away 16 times. Expect Syracuse to drop down the list in the future but this bright start will only mean big things for Coach Dealer as he moves forward.


West Virginia Mountaineers
Offense: B+
Defense: C
OVERALL: B
Tom and the West Virginia Mountaineers are not where they expected to be. Many thought they would have a down season and so far I would have to agree. They have defeated no one of a significant threat, and have lost two games; one to Syracuse in overtime and one to Maryland. Noel Devine runs the show in Morgantown as the half back has 528 yards rushing already and 6 touchdowns. Not only is he a threat on offense but special teams as well. Teams are scared to kick to Devine as he only has 4 total punt returns. West Virginia defensively isn’t fairing too well; giving up 24 points a game and allowing 285 total yards. West Virginia’s schedule remains pretty soft in comparison to others in the conference with two tough games remaining both on the road in Pittsburgh and Louisville. If West Virginia can get past those two teams, they should be able to win the Big East.


Louisville Cardinals
Offense: A+
Defense: C
OVERALL: B
Don’t let the record fool you, the Cardinals mean business; the only A+ offense in the Big East and rightfully so. Louisville averages 31 points per game and 314 total yards; 221 of which come through the air. Scott Long has been a force at wide receiver for the Cardinals as he has 26 catches for 361 yards and 2 touchdowns in only 4 games. Defensively is where Louisville needs to sharpen up. A bend but don’t break defense, Louisville allows the yards but capitalizes on turnovers. Louisville is allowing 275 yards per game but have 11 interceptions already. The remainder of the Louisville Cardinals schedule looks difficult Syracuse, Pittsburgh and West Virginia, so Whit and his boys will need to win at least one of those games if they want to secure themselves a bid in a bowl game.


Pittsburgh Panthers
Offense: B+
Defense: D
OVERALL: C
Coach Nasty left the heat and relaxation of Miami for the grim and cold of Pittsburgh. Nasty, who is known for his high powered offenses, has brought one to Pittsburgh with him; unfortunately he forgot the defense in Miami. At the midway point, Pittsburgh sit at 4-2 but you have to think the coach is disappointed with that record; with losses to rival Penn State and South Florida under their belt (both winnable games). Pittsburgh sits first in the nation in total offense with an astounding 340 yards per game. Half back LeSean McCoy leads the offensive charge with 501 rushing yards to compliment his 5 touchdowns. Defensively, the Panthers are a wreck. Allowing 28 points per game and 315 total yards, if it wasn’t for the high powered offense this team could be 0-6. Look for Pittsburgh to finish off the season strong as the final half of there schedule is much weaker than the first.


Rutgers Scarlet Knights
Offense: B
Defense: C
OVERALL: C
When Pounddarock took over for Greg Schiano, Schiano had only one piece of advice for PDR and that was “keep chopping”. So far the Rutgers Scarlett Knights have done just that. With 2 quick losses everyone in New Jersey was going crazy expecting a poor season. Rutgers finally got a couple wins and now they sit in second place in the Big East only behind Syracuse who they face later. Rutgers is led by stud wide receiver Tiquan Underwood who thus far has 16 catches for 298 yards and 6 touchdowns. Mike Teel needs to pick up his game as his 6 TD to 7 interception ratio is not good enough. Defensively the Knights are playing tough as strong safety Glen Lee leads the team with 42 tackles. With a win over their only rivals Connecticut, Pounddarock has the alumni on his side and if he can keep this up, maybe he can win the Big East.


Connecticut Huskies
Offense: B
Defense: D
OVERALL: C
Coach Riccio is a proud Huskies alumni but even he is disappointed in the way his team has played thus far. Sitting in the middle of the Big East with a 2-3 record, Dave and the boys need to shape things up in the second half if they want to win the conference. The meat of the schedule is still remaining for Uconn as they have to travel to Syracuse, and are home to West Virginia and Pittsburgh. Offensively, Connecticut’s whole offense is surrounded by their half back Donald Brown. Brown so far in this young season has 307 rushing yards and 12 touchdowns. He also leads the team in receiving yards after catch with 182. Defensively, this team is abysmal. They are allowing 307 yards and 28 points and getting no pressure on the quarterback with 5 total sacks. For Connecticut to be a force in the Big East they will need to establish a passing yard and a more aggressive style defense.


South Florida Bulls
Offense: C
Defense: C
OVERALL: C
This isn’t your daddy’s South Florida team. Then again, South Florida wasn’t a BCS school when your dad was younger. Mcx has done an average job with the Bulls. At the mid way point, a couple things stand out; they lost games they should of won and are weak on defense. South Florida got graded C’s across the board but if you look at the defense, it’s more like a D. The rushing game is good but the pass defense is non existent as South Florida has allowed 249 yards through the air. The one bright spot is All-American defensive end George Selvie who continues to be a beast off the edge. Selvie has 23 tackles, which is second on the team, and he also leads in tackles for loss (6) and sacks (3). South Florida needs to improve on consistency on the offensive side of the ball if Mcx and the Bulls want to make any late serge.


Cincinnati Bearcats
Offense: C
Defense: C
OVERALL: C
Cincinnati rounds out the Big East at the bottom. However, one thing I noticed about this conference is that it is very poor defensively with a lot of offensive muscle. UCWeiser, an alumnus of the Bearcats, runs a very typical program. Quarterback Dustin Grutza can’t seem to get into form as he has as many touchdowns as interceptions. The running game is obsolete. The bright spot for this university is wide receiver Dominick Goodman. Goodman thus far has 9 catches for 205 yards and 141 of those are YAC yards. Defensively, no one stands out for the Bearcats. Defensive back Cedric Tolbert has 25 tackles to lead Cincinnati. For Cincinnati to compete in the Big East, they are going to have to establish a run game for that offense as they have become so one dimensional that teams can pick up and attack based on this.

Big East Projections:
1. Pittsburgh
2. Rutgers
3. West Virginia
4. Syracuse
5. Louisville
6. South Florida
7. Connecticut
8. Cincinnati

[nick]

Big Ten Conference



Penn State Nittany Lions
Offense: B+
Defense: B
OVERALL: B+

Coach Shelton has played well this season to jump out to a 5-0 start, but there is concern that a soft early schedule has not prepared the team for a rugged Big Ten. Shel is no rookie in this game and he’s used to fast starts, but his end of season collapses have become his trademark. He ranks 9th in the country in rushing yards with 112.5 per game, but RB Evan Royster doesn’t even lead the team in rushing touchdowns. Royster will need to get more goalline carries as his 91 carries for 554 yards are only so impressive when they don’t get to the endzone. Look for WR Derrick Williams to get involved early and often to expose the slow-footed cornerbacks present in the conference, and for Shel to make a push for the conference title before a late loss pushes him out of contention.


Indiana Hoosiers
Offense: B+
Defense: B
OVERALL: B+

Coach Quest4Gold has struggled after starting the season with 3 straight wins. His 0-2 conference mark against teams that should finish middle-of-the-pack in the conference can not feel good for fans in Bloomington. WR James Bailey has played well overall for the Hoosiers, catching 18 balls for 335 yards and 6 scores, but that hasn’t been enough. The IU defense sits 84th in passing yards allowed per game, and those 196.6 yards could hurt them as they get deeper in conference play.


Wisconsin Badgers
Offense: B+
Defense: B
OVERALL: B

Coach Vicktim has done all that has been asked of him so far this season. He and his Badgers sit atop the Big Ten with an undefeated record after winning 3 road games in hostile environments. Non-conference wins over Miami and South Florida were impressive, but so was notching a win in the Big House against defending conference champion Hart20Heisman. ‘Tim doesn’t seem to have gotten much production from his running game, as RB Lance Smith-Williams has carried the ball 46 times for only 175 yards (3.8 ypc), but the Badgers rank 15th in the country in time of possession. The running game needs to step up for Wisconsin to remain at the top.


Michigan State Spartans
Offense: B+
Defense: B
OVERALL: B

Coach Weasel is again leading his alma mater into battle, and he sits at 5-2 on the season to this point. HB Javon Ringer has been a workhorse carrying the ball 91 times for 397 yards (4.4 ypc), and he has scored 5 touchdowns in 7 games. He will be very important for the Spartans as they have been getting some inconsistent play from Senior QB Brian Hoyer even with Ringer being the team’s leading receiver. Weasel will need some help from the other teams in his conference if he wants to put a Big Ten title under his belt.


Illinois Fighting Illini
Offense: C
Defense: B+
OVERALL: B

Coach Mike is used to tough schedules, but this has been one of his hardest to date. His .500 record looks bad, but the 3 losses have all come to ranked teams, something that most teams in the country can not say. The schedule gets much easier down the stretch as Mike only has one ranked team left in Wisconsin, but his offense will need to improve if the Fightin’ Illini want to get in the mix for the conference title. WR Will Judson has caught 23 balls for 328 yards as the team’s leading wideout, but WR Arrelious Benn will need to be involved more in conference play if the Zookers want to make a run.


Michigan Wolverines
Offense: C
Defense: C
OVERALL: C

Coach Hart has had some problems trying to defend the conference title at the helm of his favorite team. He has lost 2 games this season to teams in the Top 12, but the harsh schedule early in the year should only prepare him for a stretch run to another conference championship. He’s already lost to Wisconsin, so the Wolverines will need the Badgers to lose 2 of their last 7 in conference to steal the title. Unfortunately, UM can’t just wait for that to happen as they have to win, too, but RB Carlos Brown has put the team on his shoulders so far this season. Brown has carried the ball 106 times for 563 yards and 6 touchdowns to this point of the season, averaging an amazing 5.3 yards per carry. Expect some high doses of Brown if you’re on Michigan’s schedule for the rest of the season.


Iowa Hawkeyes
Offense: C
Defense: D
OVERALL: C

Coach Baker has avoided in-game naps this season, but only has one win this season. His only victory, for the Cy-Hawk trophy against Iowa State, was impressive but the team hasn’t built anything on that. They are 91st in rushing yards per game so Baker will need to use HB Shonn Greene a lot more if they want to try to get bowl eligible. Greene’s 63 carries for 180 yards are really sad as he’ll need to average much more than 2.9 yards per carry if the Hawkeyes want to remain competitive. LB Brett Greenwood has played well notching 36 tackles (4 for loss) on the season, but the offense will have to improve if the Hawkeyes want to start winning.


Ohio State Buckeyes
Offense: D
Defense: B
OVERALL: C

Coach Matt has had a rough start with his favorite team. His Buckeyes were upended by Middle Tennessee State in a tough game where turnovers were the difference soon after a tough loss to defending national champion Florida. Ohio State is on a 3-game winning streak since the tough start, but RB Chris “Beanie” Wells hasn’t gotten off to the start he was expected to. Through 5 games he has only carried the ball 64 times for 311 yards and has scored 3 touchdowns. Wells will be a big part of the Bucks season as they try to win the conference title.



Minnesota Golden Gophers
Offense: D
Defense: C
OVERALL: C

Coach ChampDawg’s affinity for the Minnesota Golden Gophers is hard to explain, but the fans are getting restless after the 1-5 start. The Gophers are only 1-2 in conference so they do have a chance to get in the conference race, technically, but it seems that Coach Champ is just hoping for bowl eligibility. He will need to have his boys win 5 of their last 6, but he has 2 ranked teams left on his schedule and a big rivalry game that will make it very difficult. DB Traye Simmons has been playing well on defense contributing 6 PDs on the season, but the offense has struggled. They rank 110th in the nation in turnovers per game with an average of 3.5, and this has killed the defense as well who ranks 100th in points against due to poor field position. The offense will need to play well for Champ to get to bowl eligibility, but do not expect that to happen.


Northwestern Wildcats
Offense: C
Defense: F
OVERALL: D

Coach nole4real has had a rough start to the season this year, as his Wildcats haven’t played up to their coach’s potential. It could be sore fingers from 250-pound “defenders” that thought the new head coach had sausages attached to his hands, or it could be his lack of preparation for each game due to the wrestling matches in Shel’s bed. Whatever seems to have affected the coach is not affecting WR Eric Peterman who is on fire for the ‘Cats. His 35 catches for 650 yards and all 7 of QB C.J. Bacher’s touchdowns have been impressive, but the quarterback will have to stop turning the ball over as he already has thrown 13 interceptions in 6 games. The schedule doesn’t get any easier as Noley still has Ohio State and Michigan on his schedule, but look for the 2-time national champion to get his act together and make yet another bowl game.


Purdue Boiler Makers
Offense: D
Defense: C
OVERALL: D

Coach Dray has had a tough start to the season losing 4 games to perennial winners in the league. He will have to improve on his 2nd-to-last ranking in rushing, as he averages negative yardage (-3.8), but the passing game has not been kind to the Boilers either. OLB Jeff Lindsay has contributed 19 tackles (6 for loss) on the season, but he will not be able to turn the season around if the offense keeps playing so poorly.


Big Ten Projections:
1. Michigan
2. Ohio State
3. Wisconsin
4. Penn State
5. Northwestern
6. Michigan State
7. Illinois
8. Purdue
9. Indiana
10. Minnesota
11. Iowa

[nick]

Conference USA

EAST:


Marshall Thundering Herd
Offense: C
Defense: D
OVERALL: C

Marshal Starts off this list lead by Coach Yragha1. Coach “Rags” has been in the NDL for a very long time, left, and was welcomed back with open arms. This team isn’t fairing well in the win column but is putting out pretty good numbers, or at least on offense. They grade out to a C, and for a team in the CUSA it’s not that bad. QB Brian Anderson is putting up HUGE numbers in losing efforts. He has just over 1400 yards in 6 games which is easily over 200 per game and has a + TD-INT ratio. Kevin Perry is his 1st look, with 606 yards he is averaging 101 yards a game which is pretty sweet. Again, these guys are sitting at 1-5 and their season is shot. The only thing that might help them is how close the CUSA East is. I see Marshall turning it around for the most part and finishing up 4-8.


Southern Mississippi Golden Eagles
Offense: C
Defense: B
OVERALL: C

Southern Miss is having one of the better statistical seasons in the CUSA East. Too bad it’s not transferring to wins. At 2-4 they also look to have an uphill battle to finish out above .500 and in a bowl. Coach Ice is a pretty good player so I wouldn’t say it is impossible, improbable, maybe, but defiantly not impossible. He’s losing close games which adds to the likelihood that he turns it around. Surprisingly they aren’t doing very well on offense. I thought that the offense on this was the better of the 2. The defense however is playing better, grading out to a B. They are top 40 in points against and Total Defense. They are really good vs. the run (9th overall) but not very good vs. the pass (85th overall) . Gerald McGrath is very fast for being a linebacker and his statistics are showing it. He leads the team in tackles with 44 and that is good enough to be in the top 10 nationally. I think the Eagles get close, but don’t quite get to .500. I say they finish 4-8 and out of a bowl.


Central Florida Golden Knights
Offense: D
Defense: B+
OVERALL: C

USMarine7t leads the UCF Golden Knights in this NDL season 15. USmarine7t isn’t a new guy, and he hasn’t been here for a super long time either. UCF’s offense isn’t doing much of anything, scoring 18 points a game and ranking in the high 70s in total offense. Their Defense is keeping them in the games though. Grading out to a B+ they are the epitome of a .500 team. They are giving up just .3 more points per game than they let in. If USMarine can get this offense rolling, they could do some big things this season and at 3-3 they haven’t dug themselves into too big of a hole to do it. They are 20th overall in total yards given up which is a good thing, defense wins championships. Now, clearly, they don’t have a shot at any other championship than the CUSA title but that’s gold to these teams. I think Marine does it and wins 4-5 of their final 6 games and finishing off 7-5 or 8-4.


East Carolina Pirates
Offense: F
Defense: B
OVERALL: C

ECU is led by coach Ballberry815. Now Coach Ballberry has been here at least since I got here as I think he was the first opponent in my NDL Career. This game was nicer to him back then, he is sitting at 0-4 and it doesn’t look like it’s going to get any easier. The ECU offense is clearly missing their all world playmaker from last year Chris Johnson as they have received an F grade on offense. They are putting up an awful 6 points a game. Without any stats I can’t really break down things all that much past total statistics. Same can be said for defensive player stats. Overall, the D is playing pretty good, ranked 31st in points given up with 18. Now, with how bad their offense is playing allowing 18 points a game equals a Loss every time. As previously said I don’t think things get that much easier. I think they struggle to win 2 games on the season, if they can salvage that.


Memphis Tigers
Offense: C
Defense: D
OVERALL: D

One of the worse rated teams in the CSUA and really in the whole nation, funny thing is that they are in 1st place in the CUSA East based on their only win being in conference. They are led by Coach Tiger who like most coaches in this conference has been around for a while. This team is bad in almost every category, ranking in 90s on offense in everything but total yards, meaning they move the ball then either turn it over or are forced to kick field goals. The D is given a D grade as they are ranked 100+ in all defensive stats. This team has the talent to do much better than they are doing. Arkelon Hall is a transfer who is a nice dual threat QB. This team has at least 2 very good Wide Receivers in Duke Calhoun and Carlos Singleton. They may be on top right now, but I don’t see that lasting very long with their upcoming schedule. I see them finishing 3-9 or 4-8.


UAB Blazers
Offense: F
Defense: F
OVERALL: F

Good old UAB. Sitting at 0-2 Coach Tstep seems to be lost as nobody can reach him. We even went to the length of trying to email him to see what was happening but apparently there is no “Boneman” at “Huge Equipment”. Anyway to break down the team now. This team actually averages negative yards on the ground, which, to be honest, in all the break downs I have done, this is a first. They are actually last in points against, and nearly that bad in points for. Funny thing is that they are 21st overall through the air, averaging 227 yards a game through the air. On defense, they give up nearly 400 yards per game. These stats may be a little bit skewed due to the fact that they have only played 2 games, and both have been against teams in the top 5. With all of this going against them, I still see them winning about 4 games.

WEST:


Southern Methodist Mustangs
Offense: A
Defense: C
OVERALL: B
Coach Shift and the Southern Methodist Mustangs have done something in Dallas that hasn’t been done since before the death penalty,; that’s given the fans something to look forward too. The SMU Mustangs currently sit at 6-1 and second in the Conference USA East. Their only loss thus far has come at the hands of their rivals the Rice Owls. SMU sits 14th in the NDL in points scored a game with 30; as well as 6th in the nation with 321 yards per game. The leader of the SMU offense is definitely quarterback Zack Rhodes, who so far has thrown for almost 2000 yards with 20 touchdowns and 10 interceptions. Jessie Henderson leads all wide receivers with 47 catches for 898 yards and 9 touchdowns. I expect to see the Southern Methodist Mustangs continue down the road they are currently going and just come short of winning the Conference USA East because of that loss to Rice.


Tulsa Golden Hurricanes
Offense: B
Defense: C
OVERALL: B
Coach JK and the Tulsa Golden Hurricanes currently sit at the bottom of the East with a 2-1 record, but don’t let that fool you, the team stats speak more to this team than the record does. Unfortunately they haven’t posted any player stats but they are 14th in the NDL in scoring with 29 points per game. Expect a good end to the season for Tulsa.


Houston Cougars
Offense: C
Defense: B+
OVERALL: B
Last year Randawg and the Houston Cougars were trying to bust the BCS by being the only mid major to enter the BCS Bowls, this year Houston just wants to climb up the ladder and get back to the top. An early loss to Texas cost Houston in the sense that they now cannot play in a BCS bowl, but the Conference USA East is still up for grabs. Houston sits at 4-2 (1-1) currently. Leading the B+ Houston defense is defensive back Antonio Staten who has 43 tackles, 6 for loss, as well as 2 sacks, 2 interceptions and a defensive touchdown. Staten is the type of leader any defense would want. Offensively the Cougars need to communicate with quarterback Casey Keenum and make sure he makes better plays from here on out. 5 touchdowns and 14 interceptions will not make any coach happy. I expect Houston to give a fight, but finish third in the CUSA West.


UTEP Miners
Offense: C
Defense: B
OVERALL: C

The UTEP Miners and coach Cubskin started off the season 3-0 and since then have dropped 3 straight to have a .500 record of 3-3. Not all hope is lost however for the Miners as the second half of their schedule isn’t anything crazy. With games at Tulsa, vs. Idaho and at East Carolina, Cubskin and his boys are quite capable of making a bowl appearance, it all depends if the offense shows up. 20 points per game in the wacky Conference USA isn’t going to be enough to get victories. Losing games in the final minute via field goals isn’t going to help either. Quarterback Trevor Vittatoe has to start making good decisions if he wants his Miners to win ball games. I expect UTEP to drop a bit as the defense starts to lose its confidence, and UTEP to finish 5th in the Conference USA west.


Rice Owls
Offense: C
Defense: C
OVERALL: C

Coach Gobucks and the Rice Owls currently sit at the top of the Conference USA West standings at 3-2. With wins over rivals Memphis and Southern Methodist, all is happy in Houston Texas. Overall the Owls have played like a C rated team; playing average at best. They average 20 points per game but allow 19; produce 215 yards but allow 245. The problem with the Rice Owls is they turn the ball over too many times a game. 2 turnovers a game are two wasted possessions. Jarrett Dillard has erupted like many expected. The wide receiver has 21 catches for 341 yards. On defense Vernon James leads with 26 tackles. I expect the Rice Owls, who are the most gifted team athletically in the conference, to continue down the road they are going and win the West for coach Gobucks.


Tulane Golden Wave
Offense: D
Defense: B
OVERALL: C
Coach Cnotes and the Tulane Golden Wave sit in the middle of the Conference USA pack with a 2-3 record. Offensively, they have just not been there averaging only 13 points per game. The reason for this has been the poor play of quarterback Anthony Scelfo who so far has thrown for 624 yards with 3 touchdowns and 11 interceptions in 5 games! Defensively is where the Wave keep themselves in games. Allowing only 21 points and giving up 216 yards, the Wave don’t allow first downs so they have better chances to score. There defense is led by big defensive tackle Justin Adams who has 15 tackles, 6 for loss and 3 sacks. For Tulane to improve in the conference they need to get that offense clicking on all cylinders, unfortunately I think it is a little too late for Tulane as I expect them to finish last in the CUSA West.


Conference USA Projections
East:
1. Marshall
2. Southern Mississippi
3. Central Florida
4. Eastern Carolina
5. Memphis
6. UAB

West:
1.Rice
2.Southern Methodist
3.Houston
4.Tulsa
5.UTEP
6.Tulane

[nick]

Independents



Navy Midshipmen
Offense: B+
Defense: B+
OVERALL: B+

After a 1-2 start, the Midshipmen have won 4 of their last 5. Coach Nick has had a lot of success on the ground placing 3rd in the country at this point in the season. The Middies average 151.1 rushing yards per game, and that has kept them in a lot of games, like the 6-point loss to #17 Arizona. The victory over Boston College was impressive, but losing to Central Florida the following week could not have felt good. Nick needs to improve his team’s passing game in order for them to use their promising start to their advantage.


Army Black Knights
Offense:C
Defense:B+
OVERALL:B

Dr. Tom Gordon has led his Cadets to one of the best starts in Army’s school history as they sit at 4-0. The wins came against weak competition, but it’s a well-known fact that Tom loves to schedule buddies that won’t get mad at him for pausing to go find the Grey Goose. As for the Black Knights, they lead the nation in time of possession, controlling the ball for 15:29 on average. The Army defense has played very well this season, and are a major reason for the team’s success as they only allow 13.8 points per game, good for 9th in the country. The defense will need to continue it’s streak and the offense will need to work the ground game to improve on their 59 yards per contest.


Western Kentucky Hilltoppers
Offense: B
Defense: C
OVERALL: C

The older Berokoff must be a little upset with losing the family battle by the score of 35-31. Mark seems to have taken a break from the game after his Week 2 loss to Jeff and Fresno State, and his players must be itching to play. In two games, RB Tyrell Hayden has failed to break 100 yards combined, and that needs to be improved if WKU wants to get closer to bowl eligibility.


Notre Dame Fighting Irish
Offense: D
Defense: B+
OVERALL: C

Coach Luis had a rough beginning to his career in front of Touchdown Jesus as he lost his first 3 games, all at home. Tennessee, Nebraska and Michigan were all “good” losses if those even exist, as they didn’t cripple the Fighting Irish who have won 4 straight. Having split his games against the nationally-ranked Michigan schools, Navy and Luis hope to use their stout rush defense to take them to a bowl berth. Only allowing 41.9 yards per game on the ground is great for such a defense, and the Midshipmen need it to have a happy voyage home.

[nick]

Mid Atlantic Conference

EAST:


Kent State Golden Flashes
Offense: B+
Defense: B
OVERALL: B
Bigry and the Kent State Golden Flashes currently sit second in the MAC East behind only Akron. Off to a 4-2 start, Kent State possesses the best overall marks in the East. With impressive wins over BCS teams Washington State and Arkansas, Bigry and his boys look poised to take on the MAC. Unfortunately for Kent State, they have already played Akron (who leads the MAC) and lost so the road might be a little tougher to climb. The leader of the offense has to be wide receiver Derek McBryde. So far in 7 games for the Flashes, McBryde has 27 catches for 546 yards and 6 touchdowns; clearly he is the focal point. Middle linebacker Steven Moss leads the defense with 26 tackles. If Kent State wants to win the East, they are going to need some help. They will need Akron to fall and the Flashes remain unbeaten. If any team in the MAC east can do it, it’s Kent State.


Akron Zips
Offense: B+
Defense: C
OVERALL: C
Drezplace the Akron Zip sit atop the MAC East but they sit second in grades. So far they’re 3-1 record is impressive, especially with a win over a very talented Rice team. Akron sits 20th in the nation in points per game with 29 and the talent seems to be at wide receiver as Brandon Williams already has 19 catches for 247 yards and 3 touchdowns. The problem seems to be on the defensive side of the ball. Akron is allowing 27 points per contest and with 5 sacks, they are not getting to the quarterback enough. Hawk wise, Akron is averaging 1.25 interceptions a game which can be very clutch down the road. Akron needs to address its turnover problem. 1.5 turnovers a game isn’t going to win you the MAC east, well maybe it will. I expect Akron to continue at the top and finish out MAC East champs.


Miami of Ohio Redhawks
Offense: B
Defense: C
OVERALL: C
After the top two teams, the MAC East begins to drop off a bit. Miami Ohio, which is led by coach Taruncheel, currently sports a 2-4 record. Fans in Miami are on the fence with the performance thus far. Offensively, the Redhawks are playing some good ball. When you are averaging 26 points per game and 310 yards of offense, there is something to celebrate about. The problem is, when you allow 274 yards and 31 points per game, you are not going to win ball games. The MAC looks like a wide receiver run conference and it isn’t any different with Miami. Armand Robinson leads the offense with 19 catches for 518 yards and 5 touchdowns. On defense the Redhawks are led by defensive back Robbie Wilson who has 30 tackles. It’s an issue when your safeties have the most tackles. Look for Miami to stay in the middle of the pack, fighting for a bowl spot.


Temple Owls
Offense: C
Defense: B
OVERALL: C
Continuing down the list is the Temple Owls. Once an independent team, they felt they got their wings in the MAC; unfortunately they’ve been clipped thus far. Sitting at 2-4 to start the season is not what people envisioned in Pennsylvania. When Temple started off 2-0, the streets began the parade, but that fun died with 4 straight losses. Some of which were winnable games. The problem isn’t their defense as they allow only 198 yards a game. The problem comes from the offense scoring 17 a game and turning the ball over 1.5 times. Free Safety Jaiquawn Jarrett anchors the defense and leads it with 29 tackles. If Temple wants to be a force in the MAC they need to begin to be more consistent on offense, but only time will tell.


Bowling Green Falcons
Offense: C
Defense: C
OVERALL: C
Mr. Amazing, that name doesn’t fair well with his teams current situation. Slacking in the games played department, Bowling Green sits at 0-2. The two losses came at the hands of Idaho and Kansas State. Bowling Green is currently 111th in the country in points per game with 12 and has a anemic offense producing 144 total yards. Defensively Bowling Green seems to be hanging with the competition only letting up 20 points per game and giving up 225 yards. Aaron Davis leads the team with 14 tackles. There’s not much to say as they are so behind I can’t begin to predict their future. If the offensive numbers remain constant, it will definitely be a long year for Mr. Amazing.


Buffalo Bulls
Offense: D
Defense: D
OVERALL: D
Trendon and the Buffalo Bulls are sitting at 1-4 on the season and hoping they can only go up from here. The problem is, it doesn’t look like a bright future for the Bulls. Offensively and defensively they have been terrible. When you score 16 points but allow 27, there’s a problem at hand. Buffalo’s quarterback Drew Willy has thrown 13 interceptions, a number like that should be what you have at the end of a season. The one and only bright spot for Buffalo is their safety Davonte Shannon. In 6 games he has registered 50 tackles, 11 of which were for a loss, 3 sacks and a forced fumble and interception. I personally don’t see this team getting any better and that one win will be enough for Trendon to keep his Bulls.


Ohio Bobcats
Offense: D
Defense: D
OVERALL: D
Sitting at the bottom of the MAC East at 0-5 are the Ohio Bobcats. Coach ReignonU took over the squad when the first coach left for personal reasons. Since joining them he has continued where the program left off, in pain. Ohio is averaging 12 points per game and giving up 33. The one bright spot, if you wanna call it that, is wide receiver Taylor Price who has 14 catches for 224 yards and a touchdown. The defense is led by free safety Patrick Tafua who has 40 tackles. I don’t expect Ohio to win a game this year so don’t expect any miracles in Ohio.

WEST:


Western Michigan
Offense: B+
Defense: B+
OVERALL: B+
Western Michigan is led by Coach Black Rain. The former Ohio State coach has led his boys to a 5-3 start and one win away from a bowl appearance. The defense has been the big reason for this start as they’re allowing 15 points a game and have 9 sacks, 2 fumble recoveries and 14 interceptions. On offense Tim Hiller needs to work on his interceptions as he has already thrown 11 of them. Wide receiver Jamarko Simmons is the big player in this offense. Thus far he has 27 catches for 334 yards and 3 touchdowns. If Western Michigan continues to play defense like they are right now, I expect Western Michigan to finish in the top 2 and get a nice bowl they deserve.


Northern Illinois Huskies
Offense: B
Defense: B
OVERALL: B
Northern Illinois and Coach Cougnix currently sit atop of the MAC West at 4-1. Northern Illinois is balanced on both sides of the ball as it shows by their grades. The Huskies only loss so far this season has come to the Illinois Fighting Illini who are run by a very solid coach. Offensively, Northern Illinois is putting up 27 points a game. They need to work on their offense as 200 yards a game isn’t enough in this defenseless conference. Defensive end and future NFL star Larry English leads a stout defense that gives up 260 yards and 18 points a game. Mr. English leads the team in tackles for losses with 5 and sacks with 3. I expect the Huskies to continue down the road they are currently on and represent the West in the MAC Championship.


Ball State Cardinals
Offense: C
Defense: C
OVERALL: C
Ball State and Brevin are off to a 2-1 start. A veteran in Indiana, Brevin knows how to prepare his boys for the game of football. So far this season, Ball State has scored 25 points a game and given up 23. They are averaging a sack a game and a pick a game. That won’t be enough to rise up the MAC West charts. If one person on the team wants to do it all, it’s Dante Love. So far in three games he has 14 catches are 235 yards and 3 touchdowns. It is clear that Love is the go to target for Nate Davis, who’s stats are not all that spectacular, but getting the job done. 7 of the final 9 games for the Cardinals are on the road so I expect some bumps and bruises and losses where they shouldn’t lose. Expect Brevin to keep the air offense going as Ball State finishes in the top 3 in the West.


Central Michigan Chippewas
Offense: F
Defense: C
OVERALL: D
At 3-3, Sgt Heartman and the Central Michigan Chippewa’s are not as bad as the record shows. Two of those losses came at the hands of Florida and Indiana. So far in conference Central Michigan is 3-0 and they are doing it with defense. Central Michigan currently sits 2nd in the nation in sacks with 18, and the 9 interceptions they have caused help the cause as well. On offense, they need some work and it shows with their F grade. 195 yards per game isn’t going to help sustain success down the road and Heartman knows this. The biggest bright spot on the roster is defensive back Kirkston Edwards who has 35 tackles, 3 for loss, a sack, two picks as well as 2 passes defended and one defensive touchdown. Already defeating one of their rivals (Western Michigan), the Chippewa’s hope to keep the MAC success going til the final week when they take on Eastern Michigan.


Eastern Michigan Eagles
Offense: F
Defense: C
OVERALL: D
Eastern Michigan set themselves up for trouble with their schedule and that’s exactly what they’ve gotten so far. JJkmcguire booked visits to Arkansas State, and so far has hosted Clemson, and both of them were losses and expected. I mean it as nicely as I possibly can when I say that the Eagles offense doesn’t exist. Quarterback Andy Schmitt has a 1:2 touchdown to interception ratio, the running backs are averaging 2 yards per carry, and Jacory Stone, the best wide receiver for the Eagles has only 213 receiving yards. The defense is led by linebacker Daniel Holtzclaw. So far this season he has 30 tackles, and 5 of which are for a loss. However he cannot do it himself. For Eastern Michigan to even begin to make a threat they need to be more aggressive, until then the bottom of the MAC West will be where they reside.


Toledo Rockets
Offense: F
Defense: C
OVERALL: D
Toledo is 0-2 on the season and Toro doesn’t have any stats done. Not much can be said, other than the fact that the offense is scoring 6.5 points a game. I expect Toledo to finish at the bottom of the MAC West.

MAC Projections:
East:
1.Kent State
2.Akron
3.Miami Oh
4.Temple
5.Buffalo
6.Bowling Green
7.Ohio

West:
1.Northern Illinois
2.Western Michigan
3.Central Michigan
4.Ball State
5.Eastern Michigan
6.Toledo

[nick]

Mountain West Conference



San Diego State Aztecs
Offense: A+
Defense: B
OVERALL: B+
No one expected this, not even Hoos himself, but right now the San Diego State Aztecs sit atop of the Mountain West and are ranked. Hoos offense is controlled by his running game which averages 184 rush yards a game. Defensively, they are only allowing 19 yards per game. The front, back and side bone of the Aztecs is running back Brandon Sullivan. In six games for the 6-0 San Diego Aztecs, Brandon Sullivan has 908 rush yards and 14 touchdowns. On defense, they are led by Corey Boudreaux who has 30 tackles, 7 interceptions, 2 defensive touchdowns and a fumble recovered. By shutting out rivals Fresno State in the first game, San Diego State sent a message to their other rival UNLV as well as the Mountain West that they are not a team to be messed with.


UNLV Rebels
Offense: C
Defense: B+
OVERALL: B
If anyone can take down the San Diego State Aztecs, it is the UNLV Rebels. UNLV and NlKesler are off to a 4-2 start and sit second in the Mountain West. The story for them thus far has been passing yards as they sit 37th in the NDL with 202 pass yards per contest. Defensively, UNLV has been a wall allowing only 18 points per game and averaging 2 picks per contest. UNLV’s flaw is they need to get more pressure on the quarterback as 5 sacks in 6 games will not be the difference maker. Free Safety Daryl Forte leads the huddle as well as the stat department. Forte has 40 tackles, 2 for loss, a pick and a forced fumble in the games. UNLV has yet to play either of their rivals (Nevada and San Diego State) but when they do, those will be the most critical games in determining the winner of the Mountain West.


TCU Horned Frogs
Offense: B+
Defense: D
OVERALL: C
Texas Christian and Mtwasik sit in the third spot in the Mountain West. It’s not the offense that is the problem right now, it’s the defense. Most people would be shocked by that comment as TCU is notoriously a team with a rock solid defense. However, this team is the complete opposite. TCU is 5th in the nation in scoring with 34 points a game, and the offense is also 5th in the nation 321 yards per game. Half back Aaron Brown seems to be putting the team on his back. With inconsistency problems at quarterback, Aaron Brown has 539 rush yards and 12 touchdowns in 7 games for the Horned Frogs. With a loss to their only rival Southern Methodist, the season isn’t dead for the Frogs, but they need to step their defensive presence up a bit if they want to be successful in the MWC.


Utah Utes
Offense: C
Defense: B
OVERALL: C
Utah and Coach Kelly have won 3 of their last 4 games which is exactly what Kelly expected out of his Utes. Currently they sit in the middle of the Mountain West pack and going into the second half of the season, they have many games, if they can win will change the structure of the MWC. Defensive End Paul Kruger leads the defense with 8 tackles, 4 for loss as well as 4 sacks. Offensively, the Utes have the ball rolling but it seems that quarterback Brian Johnson throws a pick at the worst time. When you have 10 touchdowns and 10 interceptions it’s hard to motivate the squad. With one of the rivalry games under their belt (Win over Utah State) and one left, Utah has a chance to sweep the rivalries if they can get past BYU. I expect Utah to remain in the middle of the pack of the Mountain West.


Wyoming Cowboys
Offense: C
Defense: B
OVERALL: C
Coach Cameron and Wyoming are currently 2-2 and near the bottom of the Mountain West. Luckily for them they have several games to play so they can catch up ground. Wyoming hasn’t played an opponent yet that warranted an impressive victory. Wyoming has, in their young season, defeated New Mexico and Utah State. The stronger of the two sides is definitely defense as the Wyoming Cowboys have allowed only 218 yards per game along with 21 points. Cornerback Tramaine Brown leads the team in tackles with 18, tackles for loss with 4 and has 3 interceptions. With a loss to BYU, who is one of there rivals, there was panic in Wyoming; but the chance to defeat their other rival Colorado State still hangs in the balance and with so much time left, the Wyoming Cowboys have a chance to make some real noise; although I don’t expect it.


Colorado State Rams
Offense: C
Defense: B
OVERALL: C
MVikes and the Colorado State Rams are on a slide. Currently a 3 game losing streak hangs in the local papers. The reason for this can be blamed on the offence that has gone almost transparent from not being effective. Colorado State is averaging 20 points per game and 216 yards a contest. Colorado State’s defense is controlled by the ball hawking cornerback DeAngelo Wilkinson, who so far this season has 11 interceptions, 2 of which he has returned to the house. Some teams don’t even have half of his total interceptions as a team total! Sitting at 3-4 on the season and with matchups against tough competitors like San Diego State and BYU on the schedule, I don’t expect Colorado State to climb up the standings any higher than they currently are.


Air Force Falcons
Offense: D
Defense: C
OVERALL: C
The goal every year for the Air Force Falcons is to win the Commander In Chief award. They lost the first leg of the triangle format to Navy, but with a game versus Army left, there is the slim possibility they can share it. Air Force and coach Ank currently sit at 2-5 and watching the chance of a post season for them slip away. Offensively, the quarterback play has just been pathetic. Shea Smith has 833 yards and 14 interceptions in 7 games. The only reason that the Falcons are even staying and winning games is because of wide receiver Travis Dekker who has 21 catches for 176 yards. But even after 7 games those numbers look bad.


New Mexico Lobos
Offense: D
Defense: C
OVERALL: C

Polobert took the job and learned that in life there are some rough roads. Sitting at 0-6, although they are not mathematically eliminated, percentage wise the Lobos will not be attending a bowl game this season. That could be a good thing with the recession and prices the school might lose money in the long run. Short term though, the goal for New Mexico in the second half is to establish a character. Losing doesn’t build pride it only diminishes it. Cornerback Ian Clark leads the defense with 20 tackles so far. If the New Mexico Lobos improve their offense then they can certainly improve their overall record. I expect to see a .500 second half to the season, ending on a high note with an upset of Army



Brigham Young Cougars
Offense: D
Defense: D
OVERALL: D
Coach Txhustle and the Brigham Young Cougars have always been about playing strong and fighting till the end. If they really want to embark on this philosophy then they need to start playing tougher in the second half of the season. BYU currently sits at 2-4 in the Mountain West and 5th place overall. Looking at their schedule they have 2 wins; versus rivals Utah State and Wyoming. BYU has two tough games remaining on their schedule with San Diego State coming to town and them finishing the year at rival Utah. The shining light at the end of the BYU tunnel has been the play of defensive end Jan Jorgensen. So far on the season, Jorgensen has 11 tackles for loss which leads the team as well as 5 sacks. This pass rush keeps teams on their toes but they need production from others if they want to go far. I expect BYU to finish where they are now but make a bowl game.

Mountain West Projections:
1. San Diego State
2. UNLV
3. Utah
4. TCU
5. BYU
6. Wyoming
7. Colorado State
8. Air Force
9. New Mexico

[nick]

Pac 10 Conference


Midway through this season the Pac 10 Conference is doing what everybody thought they would. USC is sitting at the top, followed by a surprising Arizona team. Cal and UCLA are next. One team is kind of disappointing me this season; Oregon. They have all the tools to compete in the Pac 10 but are sitting at 2-3. A good thing about this point of the season is that nobody is really out of contention, anybody wins out and they still have a pretty good record. Now onto the teams. The list is sorted by grades, not by record.


California Golden Bears
Offense: A
Defense: B+
OVERALL: A

The university of California is really putting in work under coach Outlaw in his second season. Jahvid Best is running wild against any defense he goes against and Nate Longshore picks up the slack whenever needed. Going against this defense isn’t a walk in the park either, as they get a solid B+ grade. Anthony Felder is a one man wrecking crew in that linebacking corp. This team is right where I expected them to be as they were 11-1 last season as well. Game of the season: Week 11 @ USC. If they can win that game, they will take the Pac-10 and lock up a BCS bowl bid. If they lose however, they would lose out on the BCS because as of right now Arizona State holds the Tiebreaker.


Southern California Trojans
Offense: B+
Defense: B+
OVERALL: B+

I know everyone probably thinks I’m crazy for not having a perfect USC Trojan team at the top of the Pac 10. Make no mistake, they are playing well, but they are USC. They have another gear that they just are not hitting. They are putting up points, and not turning the ball over very well, but their YPG output is very middle of the pack. Coach WJ5811 is in his second season at USC as well. I see this team winning out and making a push for the BCS National Championship game. Nobody is putting up eye popping stats, but that’s alright. New England wrote the blueprint on working as a team. I’d say put the ball in McKnight’s hands a little bit more but you know what they say, “If it’s not broken, there’s no need to fix it”. Game of the Season: Week 11 hosting Cal. If they can fend off Cal and Outlaw, they will go to the National Championship for the second year In a row.


Arizona Wildcats
Offense: B+
Defense: B
OVERALL: B+

This is the surprising team to me in the Pac-10. I will admit, I was not expecting to see the Wildcats of Arizona and Coach Duke sitting at 4-0 at this point of the season. Their statistics are average but they don’t turn the ball over which counts for a lot. Sometimes that’s all you need. In 4 games QB Willie Tuitama has throw for almost 800 yards, with nearly 200 ypg. Now, again, that’s not great but it is good enough to keep defenses honest and allow them to hold onto the ball. They play almost the same way on defense. They are ranked in the 30s with defensive yards and points allowed but they are forcing turnovers. Also noteworthy, as this publication went to press, the Wildcats were ranked #1 in the LeagueDaddy statistical ranking system. Games of the Season: I couldn’t pick one, as they have a really tough two weeks. They host Cal and USC in back to back weeks. I don’t see them getting through that stretch however. USC and Cal are just a different caliber of team. I still see them making a pretty good bowl.


UCLA Bruins
Offense: C
Defense: B+
OVERALL: B

This is about where I figured UCLA would be. Like Arizona, UCLA isn’t in the same class as USC. They are holding their own though. Sitting at 3-1 they look to be in good shape for the rest of the season. They do however, play the #3 team in Missouri, the #4 team (USC) and #6 team (Cal) in today’s ranking. They are putting up 24 points a game. Which isn’t bad, but comparing it to the rest of the league its near the middle of the road. It is their defense that is what’s doing it for them. The D is a full letter grade better than their offense. The defense is only allowing 14 points and they are giving up 223 ypg. The 14 points allowed per game is 10th best in the nation, essentially winning them ball games. On the offensive side of the ball, Kahlil Bell looks to be doing pretty well, averaging 4 yards per carry. Game of the Season: Week 14 hosting USC, Yet again, another game of the season vs. USC. This one has a history though, as these two teams HATE each other. I look for UCLA to go about 8-4 or 7-5 and get into a bowl game.


Arizona State Sun Devils
Offense: C
Defense: B
OVERALL: B

The last of the plus .500 teams in the Pac-10. Sitting at 2-1 their season could go either way. They did just beat #6 ranked Cal on the road and hold the nation’s stingiest defenses yards wise. With no player stats entered I cannot break down what they do any further. They’re offense could potentially hurt them, give a grade of C they are near the middle in most stats, and total yards they are very close to the bottom. I see them losing the big game to USC and potentially being the Pac-10 representative in the Rose Bowl.


Stanford Cardinals
Offense: C
Defense: C
OVERALL: C

Next comes Stanford, sitting just below .500 with a 2-3 record. Graded C all around they are a very average team. On a positive note, they are doing fairly well for poorly rated team giving up just over 200 total yards on defense, good enough for 22nd in the nation. Anthony Kimble is a beast in that backfield and I am kind of surprised he’s not getting the ball more than he is. Averaging over 3 yards a carry I’d let him carry the offense and kill off the clock in the process. Sadly, I only see Stanford winning one or two more games this season. They have a date with 1-3 Washington State in week 10 and if they get a couple of bounces they may be able to pull the upset on Oregon in week 11. As previously stated, I think the game of their season is the Oregon game. If they can pull that one out and finish 4-8 it may lead to some good things next season with a strong recruiting class coming for next year’s game



Washington Huskies
Offense: C
Defense: C
OVERALL: C

Now you might be asking me, why I have a Winless Washington team sitting here at 6th, it’s because they are statistically better than 4 other teams in the conference. They are putting up average numbers while losing relatively close games. 2 games were decided by 3 points or less and the other two losses weren’t routes. Honestly, I think this team can finish with 3 or 4 wins. With Toledo, Arkansas State, fellow 0fer Oregon State, and possibly Washington State. Washington is actually pretty solid on Defense. 39th in yards given up but 105th in points given up meaning they are turning the ball over on offense, and its leading directly to points. If Washington can curb those points off turnovers they can really turn it around as they are relatively good in the other major categories. Game of the Season: Apple Cup; Washington @ Washington State. It is a winnable game, and also a heated rivalry. I find it odd that Jake Locker isn’t playing as he’s a good dual threat QB.



Oregon State Beavers
Offense: D
Defense: B
OVERALL: C

The only other winless team in the Pac-10. They are like Washington in the fact that they are losing relatively close games. Sadly, those are also the games they should be winning. The outlook from here isn’t too bright, as their schedule is very back heavy, as they face 4 of the top 5 teams in the conf consecutively. These guys are doing nothing on offense, scoring a paltry 12 points a game. It’s not all that surprising as to why they are 0-4. Oregon State’s Defense is what is keeping these games reasonably close. They have received a B grade. Ranking in the top half in every defensive stat except points against, unfortunately, that’s really the only one that matters. I do not know how often they are getting Sammy Stroughter the ball, but they need to be doing it more. It doesn’t matter who’s covering him there is a very good chance he is going to get open. I see the ceiling this from here on out being 4 wins. Winless Washington, Washington state, Duke should be winnable games. Oregon is having a down year so who knows, maybe them too.


Washington State Cougars
Offense: C
Defense: D
OVERALL: C

The 1-4 Washington State Cougars are next on the card. From the looks of things they are moving the ball very well, ranking 14th in overall offensive output, but not scoring TDs (69th in points scored). Gary Rogers and Brandon Gibson are putting up big yards but again, aren’t scoring TDs. The defense is also lacking, ranking near the bottom of the barrel in every statistical category. That is probably a good reason as to why they are 1-4 and not 2-2 or ever 3-2. Good news for them, the back half of their schedule isn’t all that tough, and they should win 4 more games. Pull an upset here or there and the Washington State Cougars could go bowling. Their opponent win percentage is a testament to the schedule they have faced; Wazzou’s opponents are a combined .700.



Oregon Ducks
Offense: D
Defense: C
OVERALL: D

I’m not going to mix words, Oregon has been very disappointing. A team with the talent to win 10+ games a season is sitting at 2-3. Sitting near the bottom in almost every statistical category is not how you turn around a season. A D grade with one of the most exciting offenses in the nation is almost unacceptable. Don’t panic though Duck fans. Oregon has PLENTY of time to turn it around. Given the talent of the team itself, this team could potentially win the rest of their games if Coach Mattdaddy can get these guys going. The bright spot so far is their defense, which really isn’t all that great either. Patrick Chung leads the team in tackles and Interceptions which isn’t surprising. It’s not a good sign when your safety leads the team in tackles. It usually means the opponent is gaining 5+ yards a pop. Their game of the season is the NEXT game they play. If they are going to turn it around it needs to happen right now. This team could finish 8-4 just as easily as they could finish 4-8.

Pac-10 Projections:
1. USC
2. Cal
3. Arizona State
4. Arizona
5. Stanford
6. UCLA
7. Oregon
8. Oregon State
9. Washington State
10. Washington

[nick]

Southeastern Conference

Ah, the big bad SEC. Anybody wanting an easy road to a National championship needs to look elsewhere. Nothing is easy. Seven of the 12 teams in this conference have an overall grade of B or better, which is really impressive. It is Home of the reigning National championship team and reigning Cup Championship team Florida Gators. This conference is stacked with possible 10 win teams and coaches who are easily qualified to get the job done. Everything seems to be happening as it should. Florida and UGA are looking to have a monumental game in Jacksonville with national implications. The one team that is somewhat disappointing is the giant killers of last season, The LSU tigers. I think the national championship winner comes out of the World’s Largest Cocktail Party. The SEC East has the two marquee teams, but the West has a better overall division.

EAST:



Florida Gators
Offense: A
Defense: A+
OVERALL: A+

Of Course the reigning NC/Cup champion is at the top of this list. They have picked up right where they left off last season. They lead the nation in 3 separate categories. One of which makes their matchup with UGA a very interesting one. Florida is giving up 15 yards a game on the ground, while Moreno is averaging 150+ a game. They also lead in takeaways, the tell tale sign of a great defense. The A+ grade is well earned. Tim Tebow a.k.a Superman is going wild, and that is an understatement. Tebow’s thrown for 1900 yards in 7 games, an eye bulging 270 yards a game. Tebow is tied for the nation’s lead in TD passes, and is sitting 3rd in QB rating with 237.6. I see them repeating as National Champions if they get past the other monster in their division.


Georgia Bulldogs
Offense: A+
Defense: A
OVERALL: A+

Of the one third of the teams I have to break down, the University of Georgia is the one of two teams that got an A+ overall Grade. This team is stacked and routing almost every team it faces. Leading the nation in points scored (36) and second in points allowed (7) this team has not won by less than 14 points. The only team that got close was Alabama. As cliché as this sounds, do you Knowshon Moreno? Georgia’s opponents do. He’s 17 yards short of 1000 halfway through the season. Can he break 2000 yards? I think he has a shot, even though he’s in the defensive SEC. Just like every year the schedule is tough, but I think they can navigate through it with 1 loss. As good as they have been playing, they have to play UF. I see them representing the SEC in the Sugar bowl if the loser of the SEC title game is also 11-1.



South Carolina Gamecocks
Offense: D
Defense: B
OVERALL: C

South Carolina has a lot of unplayed games at this point. They’re sitting at 1-2 and playing average football at best. On offense they aren’t doing much of anything, ranking near the bottom in every category except rushing yards per game. The D is playing pretty good football though, grading out to a B. Three games isn’t really enough to make a informed decision on what will happen. Matt90210 is a pretty good coach so I don’t know what the problem is. He coached a very average ND team to an 11-1 record last season. With this in mind I think they turn it around and find their way into a bowl game.



Ketucky Wildcats
Offense: C
Defense: F
OVERALL: C

Kentucky is the opposite of what is the norm in the SEC. Usually they play awesome defense, and very average offense. Kentucky is Average on offense, and just plain bad on Defense. One of the few Fs that were given out was given to the Kentucky defense. In the two games they have played they have given up 35+ points both times and are actually 2nd worst in the nation in points against. Like South Carolina, Kentucky hasn’t played a lot of games, meaning things could be very different by the end of the season. I see them winning about 5 games. Maybe more if they can pull an upset or two.


Tennessee Volunteers
Offense: D
Defense: D
OVERALL: D

A D grade all around for the Volunteers of Tennessee. I do have to say they are kind of disappointing this season. I guess if they aren’t anything else, they are consistent with most of the stats ranked around 80. 3-4 halfway through the season in the tough SEC is not a place where you want to be. However their schedule is very front heavy facing four top 20 teams in the first 6 weeks. I think they can realistically win 4 of their last 5 games and finish a solid 7-5. Although they aren’t playing very good on D, Safety Eric Berry is a beast. Berry is in the top 10 in tackles and like I’ve said once before, it’s never a good thing when your safety leads the team in tackles. This isn’t Doc’s first rodeo so I fully believe he has what it takes to turn this team around and get them into a good bowl game.


Vanderbilt Commodores
Offense: F
Defense: C
OVERALL: D

Last up in the SEC East we have Vanderbilt. Not all that surprising, this team is very undermanned to play in the SEC. I know from experience. Anyways, at 0-6 things are looking about as bad as can be. Forget the offense being in neutral, this puppy is in park scoring a putrid 5 points a game. They are at the bottom of every offensive statistic. Honestly, it would not surprise me if this team went 0-12. Right now I’m putting the ceiling of this team at 3 wins which isn’t unusual for them. They may beat NIU, they may beat Kentucky and they may beat Minnesota. Ryan Hamilton is leading a defense who playing pretty well all things considered. Ranking in or near the top half of the league in most of the Defensive categories. Coach Chusker looks to be in for a long final half of the season.


WEST:


Alabama Crimson Tide
Offense: A
Defense: B
OVERALL: B+

Alabama receives the highest grade in the west. A solid B+ isn’t anything to shake a stick at. This team is near the top in every offensive statistical category. Coach BFiVL has been here forever and has always produced great seasons. I don’t see this changing now. Right now I pick the Tide to be the West’s representative in the SEC title game. JPW is torching opposing defense with 1500 yards passing in just 6 games and Julio Jones looks to be his favorite target. This defense looks to be playing a bend but don’t break type defense giving up yards but not giving up that many points. You can do this when your offense is putting up the kinds of yards it does because it gives they defense a rest in between drives. Like I said previously I look for them to keep this up and roll right into the SEC title game. If ‘Bama can beat Auburn in the Iron Bowl at season’s end they would hold the tie breaker if needed and head to the SEC champ game.


Auburn Tigers
Offense: B
Defense: B+
OVERALL: B

Next up is the Auburn Tigers. Coach Waldo is in his second season at the reigns and he’s got these boys rolling. The only undefeated team left in the SEC West which is a testament to how good they are. Like Usual their defense is playing really well with Zac Etheridge leading the way. Surprisingly their offense is actually putting up pretty good numbers themselves. Dual Threat Kodi Burns is really putting up solid numbers and so is Wide Receiver Montez Billings who’s sitting 10th in the nation in receiving yards. What is also very good for this team is how consistent they are. The offensive yard output is ranked 21st overall with their defense allowing the 14th fewest yards. Although this team is only scoring 6 more points on average than they are letting in it’s alright. The good teams can win these close games. Auburn has a tough road to go with UGA, Kansas and then the Iron Bowl to close out the season. As well as they are playing right now, I don’t see it happening. Auburn will still make it to a pretty good bowl.


Ole Miss Rebels
Offense: C
Defense: B+
OVERALL: C

It is kind of surprising seeing Ole Miss up this high but they are 4-2. Now, are they really as good as that 4-2 indicates? Their record could be deceiving. Their only two losses have come top 10 teams but their wins have come against very average opponents. They have a couple tough games coming up in Alabama, Auburn and the disappointing LSU. Past those teams I expect Ole Miss to win the other games putting them with a floor of 7 wins which is pretty good for this team. Coach DRWebs has been known to put up great seasons with average teams. At the half point of the season Mike Wallace looks to be putting up some pretty decent numbers. Nothing eye popping but he is getting the job done and well on his way to a nice season total. This seems to be the only team in the SEC West that play the type of defense that gave the SEC it’s rep ranking 15th in points against.


LSU Tigers
Offense: B+
Defense: C
OVERALL: B

Next up is the LSU tigers lead by coach Doodee who has been here for a of couple seasons. The Giant killers of last season are kind of dissapointing this year. At this point in the season they are 2-3 and looking to right the ship. They have to be playing one of the toughest schedules i've seen this season as they play 6 ranked teams over the course of the season. I dont know how successful they will actually be in righting the ship though. they still have to face #11 UGA, #13 Alabama, and #16 Virginia. They have 4 easily winnable games that should put them at 6-6 and in a bowl game. However, if doodee can pull out some of the magic he had going on last season he could pull an upset on one of those teams and throw a wrench into the SEC picture. This team however isnt playing up to expectations. The B+ grade on offense is pretty good but they are graded a C on D. The success from their offense clearly comes from their running game as thats ranked 39th overall and is the highest statistical ranking they have. i look for them to win the games they should and maybe pull one upset, putting them at 7-5 and in a bowl.


Mississippi State Bulldogs
Offense: B
Defense: C
OVERALL: B

Mississippi state has surprisingly graded out to a B overall. I say it is surprising because Miss State doesnt really have the talent to keep up in the SEC yet. but here they are, sitting 4-2 they have a very good chance of going bowling which would be a HUGE success for Coach Magnum. Their offense is playing out of their minds, ranking in the top 30 in the nation. Their D is playing pretty well too, even though they graded out to a C they rank 31st in points against and 4th overall in forced turnovers. Looking at the rest of their schedule i see that it could be a big season for the Bulldogs of Miss state. They play SMU, Rice, Kentucky, Arkansas, Alabama and Ole Miss. I could see Miss state winning all but that Alabama game, which would give them a nice 9-3 season from a team that shouldnt really do that in this conferece. Cristian Ducre is playing very well for the dogs, which could be why they are doing what they are doing. with 500 yards rushing in 6 games this back is on pace to crack the 1000 yard barrier. Their entire defensive backfield is filled with ballhawks as their 4 starters combine for 16 of the teams 22 INTs this season. Big things could be in store for these guys this season.


Arkansas Razorbacks
Offense: D
Defense: C
OVERALL: D

Heres Arkansas, dead last in the SEC West. Winless and not doing much about it. Their offense grades out to a D, as they are at the bottom of the barrel in each statistical category. On Offense, they arent much better. Arkansas ranks 105th in points given up and 81st in total yards. So not only aren they not moving the ball, they arent doing a very good job at stopping anyone either. Coach Beercop has been in the NDL for a long time so he may be able to turn them around even though he is playing with inferior talent in the SEC. The road ahead isnt a very either. Sadly, the only winnable game i see in thier remaining schedule is the Kentucky. Had this team put up better numbers in the firstt half of the season i may have called for them to win one or two more games than that but i dont see it happening. Michigan Transfer Ryan Mallet doesnt look to be having a very good time in his new home as hes only passing for 150 yards a game. Rashaad Johnson is the only bright spot on the team it seems, as hes amassed 39 tackles in 6 games. which equates to just over 6 tackles a game, thats pretty good. Again, i dont see all that much changing with this team.

SEC Projections:
SEC East:
1. Florida
2. Georgia
3. South Carolina
4. Tennessee
5. Kentucky
6. Vandy

SEC West:
1. Alabama
2. Auburn
3. Mississippi State
4. Ole Miss
5. LSU
6. Arkansas

[nick]

Sun Belt Conference


Welcome to the Sunbelt. The Sunbelt has some teams making some national news. Like Midd Tennessee State beating Ohio State in the shoe. Not only that, the entire conference looks to be playing pretty well in relation to the team's talent. Nobody grades out to worse than a C overall and only 2 teams receive a D grade on one side of the ball. This conference is mixed with new and old guys and a couple new old guys. Giving it potential to be a good conference. This conference looks like it has 2 teams that are head and shoulders above the rest and then a bunch of average to below average teams. Now to get to the breakdowns.


Mid Tennessee State Blue Raiders
Offense: B+
Defense: A
OVERALL: B+

Man, Coach VVV is Jekyll and Hyde. He won the National championship with the Clemson Tigers 2 years ago, propelling him to take his own team in the next draft. Sadly, everything falls apart and Veni gets canned after one season. Now coaching in MTSU, it looks like he’s back to his old form. Sitting at 6-2 they are already bowl eligible and in the Sunbelt, they could finish the season 10-2 because they play absolutely nobody to write home about. This team Grades out to a B+ on offense, lead by RB Desmond Gee, who with nearly 700 yards rushing he looks to be in pretty good shape to crack the 1000 yard marker. They are also near in the top 1/4 of most of the offensive categories. As good as the offense is playing, the Defense is playing just that much better. Grading out to an A. I'm very surprised by this because the talent in the sunbelt is nothing compared to the bigger conference, yet there they are. Leading the nation in sacks, MTSU is really getting after opposing QBs. add in the fact they are In the top 20 in every defensive statistic and you have the recipe for good things. As previously stated i see these guys going 10-2 and going to the best bowl they possibly can being in the Sun Belt.


Louisiana Monroe Warhawks
Offense: B
Defense: B
OVERALL: B

Another Surprising team, I wasn’t really expecting much out of the ULM Warhawks. They are sitting here at 3-3 and getting pretty good grades in the process. B's all around for the boys of Louisiana Monroe. They rank in the top half in stats in every category but Sacks, where they sit 87th overall. With every team pretty equal here in the Sunbelt it’s hard to call which games they are going to win and which games they are going to lose. I don’t think they get past Auburn, but past that, they could win every other game, or no more games. I see them winning at least six games and maybe even winning 8 if they can upset the Sunbelt front runner MTSU. Kinsmon Lancaster is playing pretty well, throwing for nearly 800 yards which isn’t great for a drop back QB but he’s a Dual threat guy, so he is a very capable runner as well. Add in Frank Goodin who's got 450 yards on nearly 100 carries, putting his YPC at just over 4.5 which is great for a RB. On Defense the Warhawks are led by strong safety Troy Giddens who leads the team in tackles. Coach Terpsfan4life has a potentially big season on the horizon.


Arkansas State Red Wolves
Offense: B
Defense: C
OVERALL: C

Coach packsyD22 coaches the Arkansas State Indians this season, after being welcomed back into the NDL after a couple years out of the coaching ranks. Arkansas States Offense is playing pretty well with the talent they have. Corey Leonard is putting up huge numbers. He is in the top 10 in almost every QB stat and that looks to continue throughout the season. Nobody past Leonard on that offense is having a huge season either, which means he’s really spreading the ball around very well, Giving the offense a great B grade. With this in mind, I see them recovering from that 2-3 record and maybe going 7-5 or better. They have already played the “harder” part of their schedule so it’s not that crazy to think it’s possible. What happens from here out is whether Coach PacksyD22 can get his boys rolling or not.


North Texas Eagles
Offense: C
Defense: C
OVERALL: C

Coach Oldschoola is coaching the Mean Green of North Texas this season. Grading out to a C everywhere in a lower tier conference is still pretty good. They are just out of the top half in the stat categories and are ranked 26th in Sacks. Surprising to me is that they are not using freshman phenom Riley Dodge. Instead Oldschoola has gone to Junior Giovanni Vizza who’s done a pretty good job tossing that rock around throwing for nearly 1400 yards in 8 games. Cam Montgomery is a beast in the Sunbelt. He has just enough speed to outrun most of the defensive players in the conference so if I was to give any advice to the NT coach, it would be to put the ball in his hands more. Cornerback Adryan Adams is playing ridiculously well too. He leads his team in 4 of the 7 categories they keep. He is also a frequent guest on JustGiver31s hot list. Defiantly not a waste of an impact player there. Adding to what he does on the defensive side of the ball he’s also quite the special teamer. as he has returned 2 kickoffs for TDs on the season. Sitting a 4-4 they can easily make a bowl game. All of the remaining games are winnable games, except maybe the game with MTSU but if Oldschoola can get these boys rolling, I could see them winning out.


Florida Atlantic Owls
Offense: C
Defense: C
OVERALL: C

Now to Florida Atlantic, like most of the teams in the Sunbelt, FAU receives C grades all around. Although they rank near the bottom in points for and total offensive output they don’t turn the ball over very much. Giving up a very good 19 points a game which ranks them at 24th overall. Sitting at 3-2 they too have a pretty good chance at become bowl eligible in the very evenly matched Sunbelt. Nobody's stats really jump but it’s cool. They are doing it as a team. Big Stimpin has been in the league for a while now and I see him putting together a winning record and becoming bowl eligible.


Florida International Golden Panthers
Offense: C
Defense: C
OVERALL: C

Florida International is also graded C’s all around. With a relative new guy in Coach Billroy at the helm these guys seemed to be doing alright. Starting off the season busting out 3 straight wins they then went on to lose 4 straight. Who shows up from here is anybody’s guess and with the closeness of these teams it just adds to the murkiness of the water. I see them winning maybe one or 2 more games but they don’t become eligible this season. Main reason for this is their stats. Now, I’m no psychic so I could be completely wrong with this analysis but it’s going to be tough to prove me wrong with the opponents they have coming up.


Troy Trojans
Offense: D
Defense: C
OVERALL: C

The Troy Trojans are next up coached by Coach Priest. At 1-2 they are kind of behind on their games, which will skew stats and grades based the weight of the games they’ve played. Their averages are at the bottom, again, had they played more games I’d be able to give a more accurate break down. They are near the bottom in most stat categories but according to LeagueDaddy they are playing the 25th toughest schedule. Their non conference games are against pretty decent teams so I don’t think they will win those ones and who knows what’s going to happen in conference. I see the ceiling for this team being 6 wins which is still pretty good in the Sunbelt.


Louisiana Lafayette Rajun Cajun
Offense: D
Defense: C
OVERALL: C

Last up is Coach TKPeterson and his Ragin-Cajuns. At 1-5 they need to be looking to build for next year. Tyrell Fenroy leads this team in every rushing category and also leads the team in receptions. However, you don’t get much worse than they are on offense as they are at the bottom of every offensive stat used. Their Defense is playing pretty good, relative to how the offense is playing that is. They rank in the top half of every defensive stat which may keep them in games down the road. Unfortunately, I don’t see them winning that many more games as they are already pretty much out of bowl contention.

Sun Belt Projections
1.MTSU
2.ULM
3.North Texas
4.Arkansas State
5.FAU
6.Troy
7.FIU
8.ULL

[nick]

WAC Conference

Well, this whole conference is a huge letdown. One team is sitting at .500 and the rest are all below that. Meaning if the season ended today, one team would be bowl eligible. With that in mind, the conference is still wide open, and nobody is really out of bowl contention. These guys could take this as incentive to make me look stupid and prove me wrong. None grade better than a C overall and there are only 3 total B grades given. I don’t have much else to say, I have to break them down anyway so with without further adieu, here they are.



Boise State Broncos
Offense: B
Defense: C
OVERALL: C

Since all of these teams are relatively graded the same I’m going to start off with Boise State. They have the best chance to finish with a respectable record when it’s all said and done. The Broncos grade out to a B on offense by being ranked in the top 50 in all of the offensive statistics. Ian Johnson is a key reason for this, running for just over 350 yards so far on the season. The defense is a different story though. They rank in the bottom 20 in points given up but fare better in the other stats, most of which are in the mid sixties. Boise should win the rest of the games on their schedule to give them a 9-3 record. Key word there is should, even if they don’t I see Boise state being bowl bound.



Nevada Wolfpack
Offense: B
Defense: D
OVERALL: C

Next up is Nevada Coached by future head commish AJAlves. This team is faring just worse than Boise State on offense. They give don’t score that many points but are pretty good at moving the ball and DON’T turn the ball over. That indicates that they drive down the field, stall, and are forced to kick field goals. It’s better than turning the ball over, but you don’t win games doing that and their 1-2 record shows it. This team does not run the ball very well, but what they lack on the ground they make up for through the air. Colin Kaepernick has thrown for nearly 730 yards in 3 games which is almost 250 yards a game. Their defense isn’t playing all that well either. They rank 112th in overall defense given up. They could win every game on their schedule as well. I see them maybe losing one or two more and finishing up 9-3 or 8-4.


Idaho Vandals
Offense: C
Defense: B
OVERALL: C

The Vandals of Idaho are next. Being one of the worst teams in the game really limits you in what you can do. I’m kind of impressed seeing them here with a solid grade and a half-decent record. They aren’t doing much on offense, but what they are doing is clearly on the ground. They are 12th in the nation in rushing yards per game. However, they are 3rd last in passing yards per game resulting in their bad grade. RB Jackson is having quite the season rushing for over 500 yards in 5 games. The Defense is playing extremely well for their rating. They’ve been given a B grade mostly because of their low points against average. As said in previous breakdowns the WAC is wide open. They could finish anywhere between 9-3 and 2-10. However, I see them becoming bowl eligible and finishing 6-6.



San Jose State Spartans
Offense: C
Defense: D
OVERALL: C

San Jose State is led by Coach Untouchable, a recent call up just getting his feet wet in the NDL. He seems to be doing pretty well for himself here in his first season. SJSU is sitting at 2-3 and second in the WAC standings. So they are in a position to make a move. Their remaining schedule has them not in a very good spot. They have to play the 3 teams I have listed ahead of them. I think they win the other games but lose 1 or 2 to the teams above. This would put them at 6-6 or 5-7. Their Offense is playing better than their defense as shown by the C grade for O, and D grade for the Defense. Dominique Hunsucker is leading the offense putting up some solid yards on the ground.


Louisiana Tech Bulldogs
Offense: C
Defense: C
OVERALL: C

Louisiana Tech was the WAC leader yesterday, and has fallen down to 8th today, showing how volatile this conference is. LaTech is coached by Coach Sunspotiens. Giving up 15 points a game is very good for a team that is in a conference that “doesn’t play defense”. In reality, that’s good for anyone as its ranked 13th overall. On offense, Patrick Johnson leads the way. It seems like he’s been there for 7 years now. He isn’t having that great of a season rushing but he also leads the team in receptions. With the remaining schedule the ceiling looks to be set at 8 wins. I don’t see them making that though. I still think that they get to six wins and become bowl eligible.


Hawaii Warriors
Offense: C
Defense: C
OVERALL: C

Here’s Hawaii who’s coached by newcomer thedonkeysho (nice name btw). This team moves the ball pretty well on offense leading to their 23rd ranking in total offense, but turns the ball over quite a bit as shown by their 85th turnover ranking. They aren’t scoring a lot of points, and letting in a lot which, obviously, leads to you losing more games than you win. This is the case as they are sitting at 2-5. Soloman Elimimian is a FREAK on the defensive side of the ball with 56 tackles which leads the nation. With them at 2-5 this season is unsalvageable. I see them finishing around 4-8 which is a disappointment for a relatively good Hawaii team.


Utah State Aggies
Offense: D
Defense: C
OVERALL: C

Utah State is next up. This team is bad in just about every category except total yards given up which is odd. After ranking at the bottom in every category on defense they rank 11th in the nation in yards given up. This leads me to believe they are giving the ball up on offense and giving opponents a short field or other teams are just scoring against their offense. This is proven by Utah State’s QB leading the nation in INTs. On offense it isn’t much different. In fact, it’s worse. They are within the bottom five in everything. Like defense, their total yardage output is actually decent, ranking 39th overall. With all of this being negative, I feel the need to say something positive. The Utah State QB also leads the nation in passing attempts and completions. Unfortunately, I doubt this team wins a game this season. I feel bad saying it, but they are 0-6 and things don’t get any easier.


New Mexico State Aggies
Offense: F
Defense: C
OVERALL: D

Coach Kdog defiantly could be doing better in NMSU. Chase Holbrook is a beast and he’s doing nothing worth noting. They have a win goal of 9 and are sitting at 2-3. They would need to win the rest of their games for that to happen. It will not happen if they keep doing what they are doing on offense. One of the very few teams given an F. Their Defense is doing a little better, actually a lot better grading out to a C. Past their bad points against average they are in the top half in every other stat, which is actually pretty impressive given how bad the offense is playing. I think this team wins a couple more games but that would be it. I say they finish at around 4-8 or 5-7.


Fresno State Bulldogs
Offense: D
Defense: F
OVERALL: F

Lastly here is Fresno state. They are almost the opposite of NMSU. Their offense is ranked 110+ in all defensive stats. Instead of hearing JeffDaddy’s token FUCK YEAH, I bet he’s saying something to the effect of FUCK NO when this defense is taking the field. They aren’t doing all that much better on offense either, Ranking in the 90s on offense. This team has a good offense talent wise, but they are not living up to the potential. At 2-3 I say they are lucky. They have some of the bottom feeder teams left on the schedule so it wouldn’t surprise me to see them win 6+ games. As crazy as it sounds with an overall grade of F.

WAC Projections:
1. Boise State
2. Nevada
3. Idaho
4. Fresno State
5. San Jose State
6. LaTech
7. Hawaii
8. New Mexico State
9. Utah State

[nick]

write up by conference:

ACC: Nick
Big 12: VVV
Big East: Nick
Big 10: VVV
CUSA: Nick/Hart4Heisman
Indy: VVV
MAC: Nick
Mountain West: Nick
Pac 10: Hart4Heisman
SEC: Hart4Heisman
Sun Belt: Hart4Heisman
WAC: Hart4Heisman

[LGF]

very nice work...where were you guys when the ndl:espn had its writers....ugghh.

[jeffdaddy]

FUCKING AWESOME!

great work guys!!

[BlackRain]

Great stuff...........excellent time and effort to put this up!

[Daw1git]

alot of great quality work there

good job boys

[bigred]

awesome job fellas

[pounddarock]

[Baker]

Props to Nick, VVV and Hart!! Great job!