College Football Preview: A Peek Inside the. . . ACC

Atlantic Coast Conference
Top Teams
1. Florida State Seminoles
2. Virginia Tech Hokies
3. NC State Wolfpack
4. Miami(FL) Hurricane
5. Maryland Terrapins
6. UNC Tar Heels
Top Players:
Bert Reed, WR, Florida State
David Wilson, RB, Virginia Tech
George Bryan, TE, NC State
Montel Harris, RB, Boston College
Kenny Tate, S, Maryland
Jayron Hosley, CB, Virginia Tech
Outlook: With a weakened conference budding teams are looking to make moves in the ACC. Florida State lost Christian Ponder but still has talent all over the place. They're hoping E.J. Manuel can be a later version of Ponder. Defense and running has always been Virginia Tech's strength. David Wilson is the next in a long line of talented backs. The defense is also strong with Jayron Hosley and Bruce Taylor. Russell Wilson is gone but NC State isn't dead. The Wolfpack are hoping for big years from QB Mike Glennon and TE George Bryan. The offense is less mobile but still talented. With Jacory Harris, LaRon Byrd and a good offense Miami is really hopeful. The passing game is their strength but new coach Al Golden has always been a run-first guy formerly at Temple. The Maryland Terrapins are strong even without wide out Torrey Smith. Danny O'Brien is hopeful at the QB position. Their is a lot of controversy at UNC right now. The defense is loads weaker but still has hopeful sophomore quarterback Bryn Renner. He has a huge arm and has options with Erik Highsmith and Dwight Jones. Most of the offense is weaker but Paul Johnson will still find creative ways to help Georgia Tech win games. Roddy Jones is the next, speedier Jonathan Dwyer and the offensive line is still very solid even without center Sean Bedford. Boston College has a speedy, talented back in Montel Harris and linebacker Luke Kuechly. 14 starters is good enough for a bowl appearance. I still like Clemson a lot. Even without quarterback Kyle Parker, Da'Quan Bowers and DeAndre McDaniel the Tigers have talent. Tight end Dwayne Allen and runningback Andre Ellington. Virginia lost Ras-I Dowling but still has some, slim talent. Duke has had talent over the years but in a top conference they won't contend. Without Riley Skinner Wake Forest struggled and won't get over him for a long time.

College Football: Best of the Rest: SMU Mustangs

36. SMU Mustangs
QB Kyle Padron- Junior
RB Zach Line- Junior
WR Cole Beasley- Senior
DE Taylor Thompson- Senior
LB Ja'Gared Davis- Junior
S Chris Banjo- Senior
The Southern Methodist Mustangs had their most successful season since the days before the infamous "Death Penalty." They have a great quarterback in junior Kyle Padron who has a fantastic arm. He's a great long ball guy but he lacks accuracy at times. Padron has started his first two seasons but J.J. McDermott is decent behind him. The backfield is strong thanks to junior runningback Zach Line. Line has good speed and knows how to find holes in the defense. Darryl Fields may also get carries in his second season now without Chris Butler. The receiving core is pretty talented despite some minor losses. Darius Johnson may just be the top option on the squad. He has good jumping ability and pretty good speed also. Many could argue that Cole Beasley is the best wide out on the team too. He also has nice speed and has strong hands. The offensive line is pretty good headed by tackle Kevin Beachum. Bryce Tennison and Kelly Turner lead the way for Line. The defense is also strong. The defensive line has end Taylor Thompson and tackle Marquis Frazier, both effective. Thompson abuses tackles and guards alike and loves to hit opposing quarterbacks and runningbacks. The linebacker core has junior Ja'Gared Davis and Taylor Reed. Reed stars in the middle while Davis does damage on the side. The secondary is talented with senior Chris Banjo and junior Ryan Smith. Banjo had an especially strong season gaining an All Conference USA Selection.

Heisman Hopeful: Zach Line
C-USA Rank: 2nd

College Football Preview: Best of the Rest: USC Trojans

35. USC Trojans
QB Matt Barkley- Junior
RB Dillon Baxter- Sophomore
WR Robert Woods- Sophomore
DE Armond Armstead- Senior
LB Chris Galippo- Senior
S T.J. McDonald- Junior
Southern California is about to enter their worst season in quite awhile in 2011. Their is still talent down in USC led by junior Matt Barkley. Barkley has been decent in his first two seasons and hopes to improve in his third season. He has a great arm and has decent mobility. The backfield has always been a strong point for the Trojans. Sophomore Dillon Bxter keeps getting better after a strong freshman year. He's a power runner, like a later LenDale White. But, he may not even be the starter as Lane Kiffin will likely start senior Marc Tyler. He's suspended for the first few games though, due to comments he made to a TV network. The Trojans have to handle without fullback Stanley Havili and runningback Allen Bradford. The receivers on this team are without Ronald Johnson but still returns sophomore Robert Woods. Brice Butler and Brandon Carswell are both hoping to make big plays from passes from Barkley. The offensive line lost tons of talent without center Kristofer O'Dowd and tackle Tyron Smith. Guards Michael Reardon and Khaled Holmes are the top returning talents. The defense has lost a lot of talent over the years. The defensive line is strong even without tackle Jurrell Casey thanks to end Armond Armstead. He'll soon be an all-star NFL pass-rusher soon. The linebacker core is still pretty good thanks to senior Chris Galippo. Junior Devon Kennard and senior Shane Horton will help Galippo on chasing down backs. The secondary is led by safety T.J. McDonald and Nickell Robey. McDonald has the smarts and skills to become one of the best safeties in the nation. On special teams Robert Woods is a great kick returner.

Heisman Hopeful: Matt Barkley
Pac 12 Rank: 5th

College Football Preview: Best of the Rest: West Virginia Mountaineers

34. West Virginia Mountaineers
QB Geno Smith- Junior
WR Tavon Austin- Junior
WR J.D. Woods- Junior
OT Don Barclay- Senior
DE Bruce Irvin- Senior
CB Keith Tandy- Senior
The Mountaineers are back and ready to run with junior Geno Smith. Smith had an underrated year racking up a good amount of yards for West Virginia. He can pass well and has good speed for scrambling abilities. The team will once again rely heavily on Smith in big games. The backfield has always been talented but will be without electric Noel Devine leading the way. Tailback Shawne Alston will have to replace him but if he struggles than sophomore Trey Johnson will get carries. Junior fullback Ryan Clarke is become like a second Owen Schmitt for the Mountaineers. The receiving core is loaded with juniors J.D. Woods and Tavon Austin. They both have good speed and fantastic hands. Smith will immediately be looking for them. His other options include sophomore Stedman Bailey and Brad Starks. The offensive line is solid with tackle Don Barclay, guard Josh Jenkins and center Joe Madsen. The defensive line is headed by seniors Bruce Irvin and Julian Miller. They don't have any players in the middle as they are hoping Josh Taylor and Jorge Wright will stuff up holes. The linebacker core has lost their best talent with J.T. Thomas who dominated on the outside. Najee Goode is pretty good but he doesn't really have a mind for the game. The secondary is strong even without safety Robert Sands but still returns senior Keith Tandy. Tandy always takes on the top receiver and shuts them down. Terrence Garvin returns and Pat Miller does good. The special teams is led by kicker Tyler Bitancurt who enters his third season with West Virginia.

Heisman Hopeful: Geno Smith
Big East Rank: 2nd

College Football Preview: Best of the Rest: UConn Huskies

33. UConn Huskies
WR Nick Williams- Junior
WR Kashif Moore- Senior
OT Mike Ryan- Senior
C Moe Petrus- Senior
DE Kendall Reyes- Senior
The Huskies led a strong linebacker core and the always effective QB Zach Frazer to the Fiesta Bowl in 2010. Frazer is gone leaving sophomore Mike Box as the likely guy to replace him at quarterback. He will be helped by the strong receiving core and shouldn't be asked to throw the ball every down. The backfield also lost a lot of talent as star Jordan Todman and Anthony Sherman left. Robbie Frey will start at tailback this season. He has good speed but he won't be as good as Todman. Senior D.J. Shoemate hasn't got much snaps in his three-year career but if Frey stuggles he will get some. The receiving core is loaded up and down. Senior Kasif Moore and junior Nick Williams are the best players out there. Williams is a great special teams player but still has good hands. Michael Smith, Isiah Moore and tight end Ryan Griffin will be Box's top options. The offensive is very strong even without guard Zach Hurd. Senior tackle Mike Ryan and Moe Petrus will keep defensive linemen and linebackers out of the backfield. The defense was always good mostly thanks to the linebacker core which was headed by Greg Lloyd, Scott Lutrus and Lawrence Wilson. Defensive end is the top returning player on defense. Jesse Joseph gains ground from the outside and tackle Tywon Martin stuffs up runners in the middle. Without the big three the linebacker unit with Sio Moore being the only top option there. The secondary is good with junior Jerome Junior and junior Dwayne Gratz. Special teams is strong with kicker Dave Teggart and Williams excells.

Heisman Hopeful: Mike Box
Big East Rank: 1st

College Football Preview: Best of the Rest: Maryland Terrapins

32. Maryland Terrapins
QB Danny O'Brien- Sophomore
RB Taylor Watson- Senior
WR Tony Logan- Senior
DT Joe Vellano- Junior
S Kenny Tate- Senior
Talent is still alive in Maryland, the best it has been in a few years 14 returning starters and many of those returners being stars. Sophomore Danny O'Brien begins his second year as starter and should improve despite losing electric wide out Torrey Smith. He has a good arm but isn't too flashy of a quarterback. Senior Jamarr Robinson isn't too good at throwing the ball but he is somewhat of a dual threat. Senior back Taylor Watson is good and a powerful option for the Terrapins. Haroon Brown and Davin Meggett are the other guys who are going to get carries now without Da'Rel Scott. The wide reciever core lost tons of talent now: gone is Smith, Adrian Cannon, LaQuan Williams and tight end Will Yeatman. But senior Tony Logan may be a bright spot. He doesn't make a lot of plays on the offensive side because he is more of a threat in the returning game. They're hoping for some plays from Kevin Dorsey and Ronnie Tyler. The offensive line is strong with Andrew Gonnella, R.J. Dill and others. The defense is okay too but the front seven might need some tweaks to improve it. Tackle Joe Vellano is a beast up the middle and A.J. Francis can hit hard. The linebacker core is led by junior Demetrius Hartsfield, he's the only returner. Maybe Darin Drakeford can do something. The secondary is solid with seniors Trenton Hughes and Cameron Chism. The best player in the back is senior saftey Kenny Tate who's a ball hawk and hits hard. Special teams is pretty good especially with Logan but the loss of punter/kicker Travis Baltz will hurt.

Heisman Hopeful: Taylor Watson
ACC Rank: 5th

Special Edition: Big names on the move in the NFL?

With the lockout looking like it may be over soon many NFL teams are looking at possible free agents and trade candidates. Here they are and were they might go:

WR Plaxico Burress Top Contenders: Rams, Jets, Anybody
Coming out of jail many teams could use Burress, a big target especially in the red zone. The Rams and Jets look like the obvious contenders but really anybody could make a move on Burress. We won't know until he signs.
CB Nnamdi Asomugha Top Contenders: Any Top Teams, Texans, Cowboys, Jets, Eagles, Buccaners
Asomugha is the biggest name on the market and any team looking for a boost to the next level will give him a look. After playing for lowly Oakland for so long he'll be looking for a Super Bowl contender. Philadelphia is a big possibility along with Dallas and New York but New York will need to do some money restructuring first.
QB Matt Hassellback Top Contenders: Seahawks, Cardinals, Titans, Vikings
Hassellback is a veteran that teams will be looking at to bridge the gap for rookies and likely only keep him for a year or two. The Titans and Vikings will try to bridge the gap with their two rookies and the Seahawks need Hassellback back. That is where he will likely end up.
QB Kevin Kolb Top Contenders: Eagles, Cardinals
If Kolb were to get traded it is pretty much positive he'll be heading to Arizona but Philadelphia may want to keep him if Michael Vick struggles. He is still young and teams will build around him.
Other notables:
QB Alex Smith, QB Matt Leinart, RB DeAngelo Williams, RB Cedric Benson, RB Ahmad Bradshaw, WR Randy Moss, WR Sidney Rice, WR Santanio Holmes, DE Ray Edwatds, DT Pat Williams, CB Antonio Cromartie, CB Ike Taylor

College Football Preview: Best of the Rest: Miami(FL) Hurricanes

31. Miami(FL) Hurricanes
QB Jacory Harris- Senior
WR Travis Benjamin- Senior
WR LaRon Byrd- Senior
OG Brandon Washington- Junior
LB Sean Spence- Senior
S Ray-Ray Armstrong- Junior
High expectations for the Hurricanes and thoughts of the old days led to a disappointing year and the firing of a coach. Now former Temple head coach Al Golden is at the helm of a team returning 13 starters including their senior Jacory Harris. Harris was at the top of Heisman hopes but struggled through a rough 2010. He'll likely still be the starter but Golden might give sophomore Stephen Morris some snaps also. Morris excelled when starting for Miami but is still a little raw. The backfield lost a lot of talent now without fullback Patrick Hill or backs Graig Cooper and Damien Berry. Despite losing Leonard Hankerson, whoever starts at QB will have many options thanks to seniors Travis Benjamin and LaRon Byrd. Benjamin is a speedy guy with good hands that can jump while LaRon Byrd is a psychical, big receiver who does well in the red zone. The offensive line is okay with offensive guard Brandon Washington. The Hurricanes are hoping for a breakout season from tackle Seantrel Henderson. The defense was the stronger unit in '10 and still returns a good seven starters. The front seven is weaker now without intimidating Allen Bailey and effective Colin McCarthy. Junior Oliver Vernon and senior Marcus Robinson are the best players on the line while linebacker Sean Spence is fantastic. He always plays hard and is tough to get around. In the secondary junior Ray-Ray Armstrong is good but still lacks in certain aspects.

Heisman Hopeful: Jacory Harris
ACC Rank: 4th

College Football Preview: Best of the Rest: Michigan Wolverines

30. Michigan Wolverines
QB Denard Robinson- Junior
RB Michael Shaw- Senior
WR Roy Roundtree- Junior
C David Molk- Senior
NT Mike Martin- Senior
The Wolverines are ready for their best season since the days of Chad Henne and Mike Hart with 18 starters back. Denard Robinson returns after a strong season. He started off the season in the Heisman chase but struggled near the end. He can change the game and has amazing speed. People don't think he has a great arm but he can gain tons of yards in the air. The backfield is also an underrated unit led by tailbacks Michael Shaw and Vincent Smith. Maybe even senior fullback John McColgan can get some carries also. The receiving core is one of the best parts on this Wolverines' squad. Junior Roy Roundtree has great hands and also has nice speed, a dangerous combo against defensive backs. Along with Roundtree, Darryl Stonum and Junior Hemingway are the other options for Robinson in the pass game. Both are seniors and are ready for their best years yet. The offensive line may lose some talent but is still solid especially in the middle with center David Molk. Losing guard Stephen Schilling stings but the Wolverines don't even need to protect Robinson too well because he can work out of the pocket. The defense has never been Michigan's strong suit but it is decent this season thanks to 8 returning starters. Nose tackle Mike Martin stuffs up running lanes in the middle but the front seven lost the most talent without Greg Banks and Jonas Mouton. The linebacker core is very young without one senior starter but their is still hope there. With the secondary Michigan has a strong anchor in the defense. Cornerback J.T. Floyd is strong and safeties Ray Vinopal and Jordan Kovacs are getting better. The special teams is decent too.

Heisman Hopeful: Denard Robinson
Big Ten Rank: 6th

College Football Preview: Best of the Rest: NC State Wolfpack

29. NC State Wolfpack
QB Mike Glennon- Junior
FB Taylor Gentry- Senior
TE George Bryan- Senior
OT R.J. Mattes- Junior
CB C.J. Wilson- Junior
With a much weakened ACC the NC State Wolfpack are hoping that they can make a move even with losing star quarterback Russell Wilson. Wilson was the heart and soul of the Wolfpack and was the main reason NC State rose to the Top 25 in 2010. Junior Mike Glennon is hoping to become the next Russell Wilson. They're definitely opposites as Wilson can work out of the pocket while Glennon is a pocket quarterback. He's got decent accuracy and an okay arm. He won't the change the game but he'll get the job done. In the backfield senior Taylor Gentry is a big, powerful fullback and sophomore Dean Haynes will improve. Glennon lost many options but still keeps senior tight end George Bryan who can catch and block well. Jay Smith, T.J. Graham and Steven Howard are his options. All three of them were not starters last season but they are all seniors. The offensive line is headed by junior tackle R.J. Mattes and guards Andrew Wallace and Zach Allen are good. The defense lost comeback linebacker Nate Irving but still returns eight starters. The front seven is depleted now with losses on the defensive line. Senior end Jeff Rieskamp and tackle J.R. Sweezy. The linebacker core returns Audie Cole and Terrell Manning. They are hoping senior Sterling Lucas will star in the middle. The secondary is very good with cornerback C.J. Wilson and others including Justin Byers. The special teams is strong with punter Andy Leffler and kicker Chris Hawthorne.

Heisman Hopeful: Mike Glennon
ACC Rank: 3rd