Graham Harrell and Texas Tech are expected to put up plenty of points this fall in Lubbock.
June 6, 2008
By Adam Caparell
CSTV.com
ADAM CAPARELL
Caparell is CSTV.com's football editor and national football writer. E-mail
The season is a little less than three months away, but as cliché as it sounds it'll be here before we know it. So as we hit the middle of the doldrums of the college football calendar - May and June - I figured why not come up with a 2008 wishlist of the things I'd like to see this fall. You can call some of these shortsighted, you can call some of them ridiculous, you can call them whatever you want, but
-- Can we please see someone other than OhioState play for the national championship? Despite what some believe, I don't have a Buckeyes-bias. I just want to see some new blood playing for the national title. And hopefully that new blood puts up a real fight this time.
-- I hope the new horse-collar rule is strictly enforced and cuts down on those dangerous tackles from behind. In the NFL, it's called the Roy Williams rule after the Cowboys safety dragged down Terrell Owens and broke the star wide out's leg in 2004. The reason the rule was adopted is to keep players safe, especially the game's best players. No one wants to see Knowshon Moreno or Michael Crabtree get dragged down from behind and injured because some linebacker or defensive back can't keep up with them. Here's hoping the refs send the message early and often and defenders are quick to learn.
-- Tim Tebow is a great college football player and, as much as it pains all Gator haters, an even better person. But here's someone who doesn't want to see him become just the second player ever to win two straight Heisman Trophies for a few reasons. For starters, get ready to be inundated with stories comparing Archie Griffin, the one and only two-time Heisman winner, with Tebow. And two, don't you want to see someone else win it besides a quarterback? Since 2000, Reggie Bush has been the only non-quarterback to win the award. And since 1990, Desmond Howard and Charles Woodson are the only Heisman winners who did not play either the quarterback or running back position. It'll never happen, but one of these days don't you want to see a defensive player win it? Woodson doesn't count.
-- And for all the attention that Tebow and Pat White get as a dual threat quarterbacks, proper attention needs to be paid to Dan LeFevour, the best dual threat QB you're probably forgetting about. All he did last year was become the second Division I-A quarterback to pass for over 3,000 yards and rush for over 1,000 yards. Any idea who the other was? Vince Young in 2005. Since he plays at Central Michigan in the MAC, the exposure is limited, but anyone who caught last year's Motor City Bowl shootout between the Chippewas and Purdue knows that LeFevour can play against anyone.
-- Here's hoping we have a BCS mess on our hands that once again hammers home the point that a playoff - whether it's a plus one or a full blown eight team playoff - needs to be installed sooner rather than later. Of course having a disputed path the championship doesn't necessarily paint the game in the greatest light, but on the other hand it does bring a ton of attention and gives everyone something to talk about. And another year of disgruntled teams, administrators and fans lends more credence to the fact that the BCS, in its current format, needs to go. Unfortunately, it's not going anywhere, anytime soon.
-- I'd like to see another Appalachian State-like upset. Any candidates? Northern Iowa takes on BYU Aug. 30 in Provo. UMass plays Texas Tech Sept. 20 in Lubbock. YoungstownState visits Columbus Aug. 30 for a meeting with OhioState. Three-time defending I-AA champ Appalachian State faces BCS champ LSU in the Tigers' opener. And The Citadel meets Florida in the Gators second to last game of the season.
-- I'd like to see Joe Paterno turn in another 2005 like season and quiet his many critics. Is his time coming to an end? Of course, but he's as synonymous with college football as it gets plus no one keeps your more entertained during a press conference than the 81-year old.
-- I'd like to see some executives squirm as the number of bowl eligible teams comes close to not meeting the 68 available slots after two more bowl games were sanctioned by the NCAA this off-season. There are few things more ridiculous in college football than rewarding teams for mediocre 6-6 seasons with a trip to the St. Petersburg Bowl, for instance, one of the new ones. Coaches and players love these bowl games - and that's certainly understandable - but I think there are plenty of us who would be just fine without the Congressional Bowl, the other new one.
-- I'd like to see Paul Johnson have some success with the triple-option at Georgia Tech and bring some drastically new looks to the ACC.
-- I'd like to see FresnoState take back the WAC and Auburn's new spread offense flourish.
-- I'm hoping for lots of scoring from Texas Tech and plenty of sacks from George Selvie.
-- I'm hoping USC-OhioState lives up to the hype and that Florida-Georgia enter the World's Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party - as it will always be known - undefeated.
-- I'm hoping this is the year for the FloridaState turnaround because it's impossible not to like Bobby Bowden.
-- And I'm hoping we don't have any officiating disasters. Controversies are unavoidable, but as long as we avoid the disasters - Oklahoma-Oregon circa 2006 anyone? - then we're in good shape.
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