a good read from si /cnn college writer stuart mandel..
Is it just me, or have an increasing number of college football teams misinterpreted when spring supposedly begins? The calendar says it's March 20, but more than half the nation's BCS schools open spring practice before then. Texas, Auburn and LSU did not even wait for February to end.
With that in mind, here are 10 of the most important questions to be addressed during upcoming workouts and scrimmages around the country.
1) Mark Sanchez or Mitch Mustain?
You wont find a more star-studded quarterback battle than the one about to be waged at USC between Sanchez, the 2004 Parade Player of the Year as a high school senior, and Mustain, recipient of the same award a year later. Sanchez holds the obvious advantage because he's been in the Trojans' system two years longer than Mustain, who transferred from Arkansas last spring. Mustain, however, is more experienced on the field, having started eight games for the Razorbacks as a freshman. (Sanchez started three in place of injured John David Booty last season.)
Whomever ultimately wins the job, it would sure help if a few of USC's underachieving receivers (Patrick Turner, Vidal Hazelton, David Ausberry) step up in the spring. (Last season's top pass-catcher, tight end Fred Davis, is graduating.) One new receiver who could have an impact: Mustain's former Arkansas and Springdale High teammate, Damian Williams, who also becomes eligible this fall after transferring.
2) Whither Ryan Perrilloux?
LSU coach Les Miles has been intentionally vague as to whether his suspended quarterback might return before the end of spring practices (which began Feb. 29 and, due to an upcoming spring break, run through April 5). While it's not entirely unusual for a team to go through spring practice without its starting quarterback due to injury, Perrilloux had not yet officially attained "starter" status and the circumstances behind his absence are obviously more dubious. This was to be the spring where he officially took over LSU's offense and now there's no telling if or when that might happen.
In the meantime, highly touted redshirt freshman Jarrett Lee and Harvard transfer Andrew Hatch will share nearly all the Tigers' practice reps. "They'll be the guys that we want to develop and grasp the position," said Miles. It will be imperative for the rest of LSU's offensive players to gain comfort and trust in the new guys -- but then again, you never know when Perrilloux might jump back in the picture. Not exactly an ideal situation.
3) Who will step in for Oklahoma's "Big Three?"
The Sooners were looking like a no-brainer preseason No. 1 choice until: A) West Virginia beat the living daylights out of them; and B) Oklahoma's three most important players (outside of QB Sam Bradford) -- receiver Malcolm Kelly, middle linebacker Curtis Lofton and defensive back Reggie Smith -- all bolted for the NFL. The loss of Lofton, last season's Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year, was particularly damaging.
Returning starter Ryan Reynolds is expected to slide over to Lofton's vacated spot, which means some unproven youngster -- redshirt freshman Travis Lewis? -- will need to establish himself at outside linebacker. Meanwhile, the pressure will be on sophomore CB Dominique Franks to fill the void left by Smith, and it's anyone's best guess who will emerge at receiver opposite Juaquin Iglesias.
4) A brighter Mood
for Tebow?
All through Florida's 2007 season, as eventual Heisman-winning quarterback Tim Tebow took on the de facto role of top Gators rusher, the mantra out of Gainesville was, "next year, we'll have Moody." That would be Emmanuel Moody, the former Parade All-American who transferred from USC after getting lost in the Trojans' considerable tailback stable. (He ran for 459 yards as a freshman). This spring, Moody graduates from the scout team to first team, and the Florida faithful are counting on him to become the kind of dependable tailback that's been noticeably absent during Urban Meyer's first three seasons in Gainesville.
No one stands to benefit more from Moody's presence than Tebow. While carrying an inordinate load on his shoulders last season ultimately paid off in winning the Heisman, the Gators' offense will become less predictable if Tebow can be used more sparingly as a runner -- not to mention lessen the star's likelihood of wear and tear.
5) Who will be RichRod's first Michigan quarterback?
Following the departures of Chad Henne (to graduation) and Ryan Mallett (to Arkansas), it's a certainty that Michigan's next quarterback will be someone with little-to-no collegiate experience. (And barring a change of heart, he won't be mega-recruit Terrelle Pryor.) That player will also need to adapt to a new offense -- Rich Rodriguez's trademark spread-option -- to which he might not be naturally suited.
The lone viable contenders heading into spring are 6-foot-6 sophomore David Cone, a traditional drop-back passer who attempted one pass last season, and slightly more mobile redshirt freshman Steven Threet, who began his career as an early enrollee at Georgia Tech before transferring last summer and played in a spread offense in high school. Both will have a leg up in learning the new system; the question is whether one emerges as a bona fide starter, or whether Rodriguez will have to wait for the fall arrival of true dual-threat freshman Justin Feagin.
6) Can Notre Dame's O-line be salvaged?
Obviously, coming off a 3-9 season, the Irish have no shortage of areas to work on this spring. Their most glaring weakness last season, however, was an overmatched offensive line that allowed a nation-worst 58 sacks. And unlike some of Notre Dame's other holes -- most notably the skill positions -- the O-line's woes aren't likely to be solved too soon by incoming blue-chippers.
All five starters from last year's season finale return: Junior left tackle Sam Young, senior left guard Michael Turkovich, junior right guard Eric Olsen, senior right tackle Paul Duncan and junior center Dan Wegner. It's not entirely unusual for an offensive line to improve dramatically from one year to the next what with added experience and cohesion, but this one will require some serious acceleration.
7) Who will replace Rashard Mendenhall?
One could easily make the argument that no single player had a bigger impact on his team last season than Mendenhall did on Illinois. The Illini jumped from 2-10 in 2006 to 9-4 and a Rose Bowl berth '07 due in large part to the rapid ascension of their junior tailback, who morphed from a part-timer his first two seasons into a 1,681-yard rusher who is now projected by many to become a high first-round draft pick next month. Suffice to say, his are big shoes to fill.
Illinois' top returning rusher is rising junior Daniel Dufrene, whose 6.3-yard average on 47 carries last season was nearly identical to that of Mendenhall (6.4). While it's unrealistic to expect him to duplicate Mendenhall's production, it would certainly help if he or one of the other contenders (which include Mendenhall's brother, Walter) can emerge as a reliable, every-down back.
8) Can Bo Pelini save Nebraska?
For longtime Nebraskans, this could have been the longest winter of their lives. In a state where Huskers football is a way of life, how does one fight off the depression that comes with enduring a horrifically embarrassing 5-7 season that saw one opponent score 76 points, another 65, and resulted in the dismissal of both a coach (Bill Callahan) and athletic director (Steve Pederson).
Legendary coach Tom Osborne was brought back to hire the new coach, and Pelini, the defensive coordinator for last year's national champion, LSU, and a highly popular figure in the state based off his season as Nebraska's coordinator (2003), was his hand-picked choice. Now, the 40-year-old begins the unenviable task of cleaning up the mess left behind by his disastrous predecessor -- and, hopefully, putting some smiles back on peoples' faces.
9) Will West Virginia mount a defense?
Amidst the massive coaching shuffle in Morgantown this winter, one key assistant from Rich Rodriguez's old staff stayed in place: Defensive coordinator Jeff Casteel. This is a good thing, because while there's not much mystery involved in the Mountaineers' 2008 offense (see Pat White and Noel Devine), their defensive personnel will be undergoing a significant overhaul.
Gone are star defensive end Johnny Dingle, tackle Keilen Dykes, safety Eric Wicks and four other starters from the nation's seventh-ranked defense last season. With the massive amount of change sweeping through West Virginia's program this spring -- including a new head coach (former interim coach Bill Stewart), a new strength coach and eight new assistants -- Casteel could serve as a much-needed stabilizing force.
10) Is the triple-option back in vogue?
When Georgia Tech takes to its Rose Bowl practice field March 24, it will be the beginning of a whole new era -- that looks a whole lot like a previous era. After riding his modernized version of the triple option to raging success at Georgia Southern and Navy, new coach Paul Johnson arrives on the Flats looking to prove the once-dismissed relic of an offense can still thrive in the 21st century.
Johnson's offense is not a pure wishbone -- he's said in the past it incorporates elements of the run-and-shoot -- but it's a radical enough transformation that incumbent quarterback Taylor Bennett, a drop-back passer, transferred. In steps run/pass sophomore Josh Nesbitt, who, along with his teammates, will use these 15 practices to get acclimated to an offense that may well take the ACC by storm -- but might also be quite the work in progress.
Is it just me, or have an increasing number of college football teams misinterpreted when spring supposedly begins? The calendar says it's March 20, but more than half the nation's BCS schools open spring practice before then. Texas, Auburn and LSU did not even wait for February to end.
With that in mind, here are 10 of the most important questions to be addressed during upcoming workouts and scrimmages around the country.
1) Mark Sanchez or Mitch Mustain?
You wont find a more star-studded quarterback battle than the one about to be waged at USC between Sanchez, the 2004 Parade Player of the Year as a high school senior, and Mustain, recipient of the same award a year later. Sanchez holds the obvious advantage because he's been in the Trojans' system two years longer than Mustain, who transferred from Arkansas last spring. Mustain, however, is more experienced on the field, having started eight games for the Razorbacks as a freshman. (Sanchez started three in place of injured John David Booty last season.)
Whomever ultimately wins the job, it would sure help if a few of USC's underachieving receivers (Patrick Turner, Vidal Hazelton, David Ausberry) step up in the spring. (Last season's top pass-catcher, tight end Fred Davis, is graduating.) One new receiver who could have an impact: Mustain's former Arkansas and Springdale High teammate, Damian Williams, who also becomes eligible this fall after transferring.
2) Whither Ryan Perrilloux?
LSU coach Les Miles has been intentionally vague as to whether his suspended quarterback might return before the end of spring practices (which began Feb. 29 and, due to an upcoming spring break, run through April 5). While it's not entirely unusual for a team to go through spring practice without its starting quarterback due to injury, Perrilloux had not yet officially attained "starter" status and the circumstances behind his absence are obviously more dubious. This was to be the spring where he officially took over LSU's offense and now there's no telling if or when that might happen.
In the meantime, highly touted redshirt freshman Jarrett Lee and Harvard transfer Andrew Hatch will share nearly all the Tigers' practice reps. "They'll be the guys that we want to develop and grasp the position," said Miles. It will be imperative for the rest of LSU's offensive players to gain comfort and trust in the new guys -- but then again, you never know when Perrilloux might jump back in the picture. Not exactly an ideal situation.
3) Who will step in for Oklahoma's "Big Three?"
The Sooners were looking like a no-brainer preseason No. 1 choice until: A) West Virginia beat the living daylights out of them; and B) Oklahoma's three most important players (outside of QB Sam Bradford) -- receiver Malcolm Kelly, middle linebacker Curtis Lofton and defensive back Reggie Smith -- all bolted for the NFL. The loss of Lofton, last season's Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year, was particularly damaging.
Returning starter Ryan Reynolds is expected to slide over to Lofton's vacated spot, which means some unproven youngster -- redshirt freshman Travis Lewis? -- will need to establish himself at outside linebacker. Meanwhile, the pressure will be on sophomore CB Dominique Franks to fill the void left by Smith, and it's anyone's best guess who will emerge at receiver opposite Juaquin Iglesias.
4) A brighter Mood
for Tebow?All through Florida's 2007 season, as eventual Heisman-winning quarterback Tim Tebow took on the de facto role of top Gators rusher, the mantra out of Gainesville was, "next year, we'll have Moody." That would be Emmanuel Moody, the former Parade All-American who transferred from USC after getting lost in the Trojans' considerable tailback stable. (He ran for 459 yards as a freshman). This spring, Moody graduates from the scout team to first team, and the Florida faithful are counting on him to become the kind of dependable tailback that's been noticeably absent during Urban Meyer's first three seasons in Gainesville.
No one stands to benefit more from Moody's presence than Tebow. While carrying an inordinate load on his shoulders last season ultimately paid off in winning the Heisman, the Gators' offense will become less predictable if Tebow can be used more sparingly as a runner -- not to mention lessen the star's likelihood of wear and tear.
5) Who will be RichRod's first Michigan quarterback?
Following the departures of Chad Henne (to graduation) and Ryan Mallett (to Arkansas), it's a certainty that Michigan's next quarterback will be someone with little-to-no collegiate experience. (And barring a change of heart, he won't be mega-recruit Terrelle Pryor.) That player will also need to adapt to a new offense -- Rich Rodriguez's trademark spread-option -- to which he might not be naturally suited.
The lone viable contenders heading into spring are 6-foot-6 sophomore David Cone, a traditional drop-back passer who attempted one pass last season, and slightly more mobile redshirt freshman Steven Threet, who began his career as an early enrollee at Georgia Tech before transferring last summer and played in a spread offense in high school. Both will have a leg up in learning the new system; the question is whether one emerges as a bona fide starter, or whether Rodriguez will have to wait for the fall arrival of true dual-threat freshman Justin Feagin.
6) Can Notre Dame's O-line be salvaged?
Obviously, coming off a 3-9 season, the Irish have no shortage of areas to work on this spring. Their most glaring weakness last season, however, was an overmatched offensive line that allowed a nation-worst 58 sacks. And unlike some of Notre Dame's other holes -- most notably the skill positions -- the O-line's woes aren't likely to be solved too soon by incoming blue-chippers.
All five starters from last year's season finale return: Junior left tackle Sam Young, senior left guard Michael Turkovich, junior right guard Eric Olsen, senior right tackle Paul Duncan and junior center Dan Wegner. It's not entirely unusual for an offensive line to improve dramatically from one year to the next what with added experience and cohesion, but this one will require some serious acceleration.
7) Who will replace Rashard Mendenhall?
One could easily make the argument that no single player had a bigger impact on his team last season than Mendenhall did on Illinois. The Illini jumped from 2-10 in 2006 to 9-4 and a Rose Bowl berth '07 due in large part to the rapid ascension of their junior tailback, who morphed from a part-timer his first two seasons into a 1,681-yard rusher who is now projected by many to become a high first-round draft pick next month. Suffice to say, his are big shoes to fill.
Illinois' top returning rusher is rising junior Daniel Dufrene, whose 6.3-yard average on 47 carries last season was nearly identical to that of Mendenhall (6.4). While it's unrealistic to expect him to duplicate Mendenhall's production, it would certainly help if he or one of the other contenders (which include Mendenhall's brother, Walter) can emerge as a reliable, every-down back.
8) Can Bo Pelini save Nebraska?
For longtime Nebraskans, this could have been the longest winter of their lives. In a state where Huskers football is a way of life, how does one fight off the depression that comes with enduring a horrifically embarrassing 5-7 season that saw one opponent score 76 points, another 65, and resulted in the dismissal of both a coach (Bill Callahan) and athletic director (Steve Pederson).
Legendary coach Tom Osborne was brought back to hire the new coach, and Pelini, the defensive coordinator for last year's national champion, LSU, and a highly popular figure in the state based off his season as Nebraska's coordinator (2003), was his hand-picked choice. Now, the 40-year-old begins the unenviable task of cleaning up the mess left behind by his disastrous predecessor -- and, hopefully, putting some smiles back on peoples' faces.
9) Will West Virginia mount a defense?
Amidst the massive coaching shuffle in Morgantown this winter, one key assistant from Rich Rodriguez's old staff stayed in place: Defensive coordinator Jeff Casteel. This is a good thing, because while there's not much mystery involved in the Mountaineers' 2008 offense (see Pat White and Noel Devine), their defensive personnel will be undergoing a significant overhaul.
Gone are star defensive end Johnny Dingle, tackle Keilen Dykes, safety Eric Wicks and four other starters from the nation's seventh-ranked defense last season. With the massive amount of change sweeping through West Virginia's program this spring -- including a new head coach (former interim coach Bill Stewart), a new strength coach and eight new assistants -- Casteel could serve as a much-needed stabilizing force.
10) Is the triple-option back in vogue?
When Georgia Tech takes to its Rose Bowl practice field March 24, it will be the beginning of a whole new era -- that looks a whole lot like a previous era. After riding his modernized version of the triple option to raging success at Georgia Southern and Navy, new coach Paul Johnson arrives on the Flats looking to prove the once-dismissed relic of an offense can still thrive in the 21st century.
Johnson's offense is not a pure wishbone -- he's said in the past it incorporates elements of the run-and-shoot -- but it's a radical enough transformation that incumbent quarterback Taylor Bennett, a drop-back passer, transferred. In steps run/pass sophomore Josh Nesbitt, who, along with his teammates, will use these 15 practices to get acclimated to an offense that may well take the ACC by storm -- but might also be quite the work in progress.
