FOOTBALL

Burning Questions 

 Sugar Bowl, Hot Teams, Heisman, Fight Songs
 

We asked our pollsters the following burning questions about college football 2003. Related: Our Top 25

Which two teams will play in the Sugar Bowl for the national title? Rob Rochholz: Oklahoma and Miami, the perennial favorites in college football, will play for the title in the Sugar Bowl. Hopefully this year's championship game won't come down to a referee's decision. David Williams: I believe that Michigan will definitely be in New Orleans come January, giving the Big 10 the second chance in as many years to bring home the National Championship trophy. Kansas State looks to have the easiest road to the National Championship Game this year, but their soft Non-Conference schedule could knock them back to third in the BCS power ranking. If Kansas State does get overlooked, expect to see possibly Southern California or possibly even Oklahoma with a 1-loss season to jump ahead of Kansas State in the BCS, based upon Oklahoma’s tough Non-Conference schedule. So yet again, you could easily see a non-divisional titleholder team playing for the National Championship.  Richie Weldon: Kansas State and Michigan. Both teams have the personnel and schedule to make it to New Orleans. Bill Snyder and Lloyd Carr know how to keep their teams focused. Wolverines will win. Steen Lawson: Michigan will go into the game undefeated and Oklahoma will have one loss with Michigan going home with that bumpy crystal football trophy.

Who will win the Heisman?  Rob: Philip Rivers, QB, NC State. Unlike most seasons, there is no real frontrunner for the Heisman Trophy. Rivers put up some gaudy numbers a year ago and leads one of the country's most talented offenses. If he puts up big numbers against Ohio State (and somehow leads the Wolfpack to a huge road win), he'll definitely become the early frontrunner. David: Coming into the pre-season rankings, I have to give the edge to Michigan QB John Navarre, or Washington QB Cory Pickett. Rashaun Woods from Oklahoma State should also be considered as a top contender. If Michigan puts together a National Championship team, John Navarre will be the favorite come Heisman Trophy time.  Richie: Personally I don’t think Heisman talk should begin until midway through the season. Let the players show their stuff on the field then come up with a list of candidates. But since I need to pick a player, let it be Larry Fitzgerald (WR, Pittsburgh). Big games against Notre Dame, Miami and Virginia Tech will lock him in. Runner-up: Cody Pickett (QB, Washington). Steen: Philip Rivers the QB of N.C. State. He’s married with a kid and only needs to pull off huge numbers against Ohio State to put him on the fast track. Sort of reminds me of past Outsports favorite David Carr.

Who should win the Heisman but won't? Rob:  Michael Turner, RB, Northern Illinois. Turner ran for nearly 2,000 yards a year ago and is the nation's leading returning rusher, but he has no real chance of actually winning the Heisman because he plays in the Mid-American Conference. David: That dubious distinction will go to Eli Manning. He is truly a more talented, and better QB than Michigan’s John Navarre, but Eli Manning has earned the ill fortune of played for Head Coach David Cutcliffe, who has squandered all the talent that he inherited at Ole Miss. As a result, Ole Miss will be lucky to finish anywhere higher than fourth in the SEC West Division. The lack of talent surrounding Eli Manning will hold down his numbers, which are already good enough to place him on top of several Ole Miss QB records. If Eli Manning had chosen the likes of LSU, or Tennessee, Eli Manning would very easily be the pre-season favorite to win the Heisman Trophy.  Richie: Maurice Clarett (RB, Ohio State). Off season problems and the possibility of a six-game suspension will take Clarett off the ballot. Steen: Jared Lorenzen, QB of Kentucky. The team is likely to tank but this mountain of a man can put up big passing yards. Bear lovers must be drooling over a lineman sized QB.

What games are you most looking forward to?  Rob: Fresno State at Oklahoma, Sept. 13. It's not every day that your alma mater gets to take on the #1 team in the nation and actually have a chance (albeit a mighty slim one) to win. No one thought Fresno State would beat Colorado in Boulder or Wisconsin in Madison two years ago either. David: As an Arkansas Razorback Alumni that played in the now-defunct Southwest Conference, there is no doubt that I am thrilled to see the Arkansas/Texas series renewed this year. While that is one of my favorite anticipated games to watch, it is not the only one. There are several games that are going to be well worth the money to go see. Here are my games you do NOT want to miss: Arkansas/Texas; Arkansas/Florida; Michigan/Iowa; Michigan/Ohio State; Notre Dame/USC; Army/Navy    Richie: Washington atOhio State (Aug. 30). Looks like I get my game this season very early on! Steen: I have tickets to the Arizona State – USC game which should decide the Pac-10. The best game of the year should be the 100th meeting of Michigan and Ohio State.

Who are your Top 5 non-BCS teams? Rob: 1. Fresno State (the Bulldogs have defeated 5 BCS teams since 2001 -- Wisconsin, Colorado, Georgia Tech, Oregon State and California -- and that leads the nation for non-BCS schools); 2. Colorado State (have the Rams replaced the Buffs as the state's top team?); 3. TCU (their BCS opponents this year are creampuffs... Vanderbilt and Arizona); 4. Hawaii (always tough to beat on the Islands... the Warriors face USC and Alabama this season); 5. Boise State (QB Ryan Dinwiddie returns for the Broncos, who ranked 12th in last season's final AP poll). David:  Colorado State, South Florida, Southern Mississippi, Texas Christian University, and Air Force  Richie: #1, TCU ­ making a lot out of nothing, the Horned Frogs are on the move…upwards. #2, Louisville ­ Possibly the last year to make some noise in a non-BCS conference. #3, UCF ­ Easily the best team in the MAC this season, but will suffer early season losses to VT and Syracuse. #4, BYU ­ 5 returning starters on offense and 10 on defense will make for some low scoring games. #5, Connecticut ­ UConn is starting to become a force to be reckoned with as an Independent and soon to be part of the Big East. Steen: TCU, Colorado State, Northern Illinois, Central Florida and Southern Mississippi.

What  is the nation's best conference? Rob: The SEC. This year, the teams at the top of the SEC (Auburn, Tennessee, Georgia, Florida and LSU) appear to clearly be a step above the powers in the Big 12. Colorado and Nebraska have fallen, and the Big 12 doesn't seem as strong top-to-bottom as in the past. David: This is a very tough question this year. The Big 10, Big 12, and SEC all have to be considered the top conferences in College Football, and all three will have a very exciting conference race this year. But it is very difficult to pick a conference that stands out among those three as the best. They all can make a very good argument as too why they are the best. Therefore, I have to allow my SEC loyalty sway me to the SEC, because the other two conferences can clearly set themselves above the rest.  Richie: Big 12I. Kansas State, Oklahoma, and Texas all should be ranked in the top-10 come the end of the season. It’s highly likely the winner of the Big XII Championship Game will be in the Sugar Bowl. Runner-up: The Big East. (Miami, Pitt, and Virginia Tech all in the preseason top-10; Boston College & West Virginia have a good chance of being in the top-25; If Syracuse was on an up-turn instead of a down-turn, the Big East could be the best conference this season.) Steen: As always it is a close race between the Big 12 and SEC. This year I give the edge to the Big 12.

What is the most overrated and underrated  team? Rob: Overrated: Georgia, Florida State, Florida. Underrated: Oregon State, Pittsburgh, LSU. David: In this category, we have a tie. For the last two years, all pre-season pollsters have picked Oklahoma as the pre-season number one team, and the team that they favored to reach the National Championship. And the pollsters have continually been wrong. Head Coach Bob Stoops is full of hot air, and he LOVES to talk about himself, yet his team continues to fall short. Oklahoma’s teams was very cocky last year, believing that no one could beat them, and they were humiliated, not once, but twice by two teams who were no where’s near the talent level that Oklahoma had. Look for the same to happen again this year. The team that ties with Oklahoma is Virginia Tech. The difference between Virginia Tech and Oklahoma is that Virginia Tech does not boast to the media that they are unbeatable. Virginia Tech teams all have a very humble attitude, and that is attributed to their Head Coach. But the media continually hypes Virginia Tech as a possible National Championship team every year, and while Tech always finished in the Top 15 every year, they have not contended for the National Championship as many have projected.  (No comments given for underrated). Richie: Overrated: Florida State ­ until Bobby Bowden is able to find replacements for Chuck Amato and Mark Richt, FSU will continue to be just so-so, yet the media will continue to proclaim how great the Seminoles are. Underrated: Arizona State ­ returning 16 starters (9 offense, 7 defense) from a team that went 8-6 last season, having all their tough games at home, and avoiding Washington will combine to produce a special season for the Sun Devils. Steen: Overrated – Florida State, the party is over in Tallahassee, time to retire the old dog and get new blood. Underrated – Wisconsin, likely to be this year’s Iowa.

What school has the best fight song and best band? Rob:  Tennessee.  There’s something cool about hearing “Rocky Top” and seeing 100,000 people clad in orange standing and cheering along! David: Folks, for anyone who has ever traveled to Knoxville, TN and experienced a University of Tennessee football game, that question is easily answered. When that Volunteer band lets loose with “Rocky Top,” there is no question that it is the best fight song in the land. Every time I have made the trip to Knoxville, I have always been supporting the opposing team. But even I can appreciate the enthusiasm, and the energy that the Tennessee fight song generates. Close second? That would be LSU. If you have never experienced a game in Baton Rouge, make plans for that trip, as every college football fan should experience this game experience.  Richie: My bias says Virginia Tech with the Marching Virginians playing "Tech Triumph.". Michigan's "Hail To The Victor" comes in a close second. I almost hurled when I saw a CD single of "Rocky Top" in a music store and reading there actually are dance & radio edit remixes of the song. C'mon Vols…I know it's hard and would require some skill, but come up with another song to play in your stadium. "Rocky Top" had it's day and now it's done. Steen: We had a nice string going on Best Bands in the Discussion Board last year with most all pulling for their Alma Mater. In general a lot of the older schools and traditional football powers have amazing bands since the band is part of the total package of a great home game and bowl trip. If I had to pick a group I would go with the Big Four bands of the Big Ten, Wisconsin, Michigan, Illinois and Ohio State. Is you haven’t seen these bands put on a home pre-game, halftime and post-game performance then you are missing something special. Best fight song as much as it pains me is Michigan’s The Victors.

Who should we watch for in both on- and off-field appeal?  Rob: Tulane quarterback J.P. Losman. Circle your calendar for Labor Day when the Green Wave makes a rare ESPN football appearance against TCU. Losman's mug shot doesn't do him justice. Oh, and he can play too (2,468 yards passing and 19 TDs a year ago). I'll also stick with Rutgers Coach Greg Schiano, but I'll ignore his 3-20 career record with the Scarlet Knights. David: This category also has tie, as I cannot decide between Colorado State’s Bradlee Van Pelt, or Iowa’s Nathan Chandler. Few people have heard of these players, because the Mountain West that Van Pelt plays in receives minimal national coverage at best, and Chandler is a JUCO transfer for Iowa. Look for Chandler to gain national recognition as he leads Iowa to another surprisingly successful season, and if you do not catch a Colorado State game to see Bradlee Van Pelt, watch for pictures of him at the Colorado State website: http://www.csurams.com/.  Richie:  Best looking coach: Greg Schiano (Rutgers, 3rd year). Best looking player: Jeff Smoker (QB, Michigan State) Steen: Coach: Bob Stoops, Oklahoma. Reminds me of the hot straight guy next door that you would love to watch mowing his lawn every Saturday. Player: Andrew Walter, QB Arizona State. Looks like the love child of  actor Peter Gallagher and Chris Noth who plays Big on Sex in the City. It also seems he has been watching Queer Eye for the Straight guy this summer since his major bushy eyebrows are under control and sexy.

Wild Card: Other Issues You Care About  Rob: Stupidest college football rule that needs to be changed: I hate the rule that doesn't allow a player's jersey number to be announced when he's called for a penalty. Every other college sport requires an athlete who commits a foul to have his or her jersey number announced. It makes absolutely no sense for a sport like college football to not announce the name of the offending player. Best site to go to for college football information: I think espn.com is the best for pure analysis and variety of writers, but my favorite writer overall is CBS Sportsline's Dennis Dodd, whose insight into college sports is usually dead-on. He writes for the hardcore fan. David: I believe that the best situation for College Football would be to incorporate a playoff system, using the BCS bowls as the Bowl games in which the Top 8 teams in the country square off in a playoff format. There are enough major bowls to allow all of the bowl games to benefit financially, and it gives the fans what they want, an undisputed National Champion.  Richie: Stupidest CFB rule that needs to get changed: Excessive celebration. This rule seems to be enforced randomly and it really doesn’t penalize the team that commits the penalty. Most times this rule is enforced is after a TD, and the enforced penalty of placing the ball on the 35 yard line does nothing to punish the guilty party. Best site to go to for CFB information: For coverage on a single team, it’s hard to beat Tech Side Line. Will Stewart has been running this site for a good number of years now. It’s grown from a message board for users to exchange thoughts to a complete site for all information Virginia Tech related. For coverage concerning all of the CFB world, I’d have to select an oldie, but a goodie: ESPN. The ESPN.com experts shed good knowledge about all the teams and include their own biases into their columns. Steen: The time has come to add replay to the BCS games at minimum. Big Ten Commisioner Jim Delany want it and what Jim wants he often gets. Best site to go to for CFB information: CBSsportsline.com has great information and the best game comparisons. The only thing they don’t have is the yummy Kirk Herbstreit.

About Our Pollsters Rob Rochholz  is a Fresno State alum and San Francisco Giants fan who works in graphic design and lives in San Francisco. He's a former sportswriter at The Fresno Bee, where he covered the WAC, Pac-10 and Big West conferences. He likes snowboarding and reality TV, and can't understand how any Californian could possibly want Arnold Schwarzenegger as the state's Governor. David Williams  played high school football as a Defensive End, and Outside Linebacker. He was offered an Athletic Scholarship to play at the University of Arkansas, where he played much of the 1988 and 1989 seasons in the Southwest Conference. In November 1989, David experienced a career-ending injury to his left knee, as it was caught between two helmets. After year-long rehabilitation, Williams transferred to Oral Roberts University in Tulsa on a full academic scholarship. Williams graduated from Oral Roberts in 1993. Williams now works as free-lance sports journalist, focusing on College Football. The Northwest Arkansas Times regularly publishes Williams’ columns, as well as being seen here on Outsports. The Tulsa World also occasionally publishes Williams’s articles. Look for David Williams’ weekly columns this year on Outsports as he highlights the weekly games you should not miss on Saturdays. David Williams is 33 years old, and resides in Siloam Springs,  Ark. Richie Weldon  has been following college football since 1995, my freshman year at Virginia Tech. I’m an avid Hokies fan, but try and not let that influence my opinions on other teams. Seattle is the place where I call home now, and almost every Saturday during the fall I get together with other Hokies to watch the games. Professionally I’m a software developer, but that’s just holding me over until I get a real gig writing about college football! =) (If you want to read more about my thoughts on this season, point your Web browser to http://www.BigTheta.net/football/2003.) Steen Lawson is a graduate of the University of Illinois where he learned the ropes of watching and following college football. After a two year hiatus from the world of publishing Steen returned to the business this winter joining the staff of Phoenix Magazine. He also contributes web site reviews to a Phoenix-based publication and raises Havanese dogs with his partner John.