2009 Previews: Syracuse

We go to everyone’s favorite newfound doormat, Syracuse, for Preview No. 23. Previews of all 65 BCS conference schools, plus Notre Dame and state schools, in no particular order, will run daily through Aug. 22.

I’ve gotta say, it really depresses me to see Syracuse so bad.

All Paul Pasqualoni did was have only one losing season in 14 years (granted, there were also a lot of underwhelming years thrown in) and when the Orange were finally rid of him, they brought in Greg “Gerg” Robinson, who was a complete, unmitigated disaster.

If it weren’t for Louisville, Robinson would have only won 8 games in his four years.

It’s also quite possible the football gods are punishing them for dropping their cool nickname of Orangemen in favor of Orange.

But, there’s reason for hope. No, really.

In steps former New Orleans Saints (they of the nearly record-setting passing offense last year) offensive coordinator Doug Marrone as head coach, and he brings Rob Spence with him as offensive coordinator. They’re going to take a team that really had no plan whatsoever on offense the last four years and give them a no-huddle, spread attack.

The only problem is they don’t exactly have a quarterback or offensive line.

Redshirt freshman Ryan Nassib appears to be the guy, ahead of returning senior starter Cameron Dantley. These sorts of things can happen with a new staff with no loyalty to any particular people, and who knows, it might work out.

The offensive line is a bigger problem. Three starters are back there, but they’ve been awful for the better part of the decade. The no-huddle attack may work in their favor if they can get them in decent condition.

If things work out on the line and under center, there’s a chance for some fireworks. The Orange have a good combo at running back in junior Delone Carter and Antwon Bailey, good returning wide receivers in Donte Davis and Lavar Lobdell and a huge returner in Mike Williams, who missed last season with academic issues.

The defense has seven starters back, but that’s not necessarily a good thing when they were on a unit that ranked 101st in the nation. But if the offense stays on the field a little longer, and maybe actually scores a few points, things could look better on this side.

I actually do think you’ll see Cuse put up a fair amount of points and be pretty entertaining to watch. It won’t matter though, because they’re still really, really bad overall.

Here’s the schedule:

Sept. 5: Minnesota
Cuse can at least look to the Golden Gophers’ quick turnaround under Tim Brewster and think of what may lay ahead.

Sept. 12: at Penn State
Nasty loss.

Sept. 19: Northwestern
They’ll complete the Big Ten tour with an 0-3 record.

Sept. 26: Maine
They should win here, but ask Sylvester Croom, Maine is no easy out.

Oct. 3: South Florida
Who would’ve thought you’d see the day when you gave Syracuse no chance at home against a team that didn’t have a program just over a decade ago?

Oct. 10: West Virginia
This game will probably be pretty similar to last year’s. The Mountaineers will tool around a while and win underwhelmingly.

Oct. 24: Akron
The Zips whipped the Orange in the Carrier Dome last year. I don’t think you’ll see a repeat, but it’s certainly possible.

Oct. 31: Cincinnati
See the South Florida entry, just take out the last part and insert Cincy.

Nov. 7: at Pittsburgh
Definite upset potential whenever Wannstache is involved (Cuse nearly got them last year). But not likely.

Nov. 14: at Louisville
I don’t think the Orange will make it three in a row in this series, but anything’s possible. If they do it’s doubtful Kragthorpe makes it out of Papa John’s Stadium with his job.

Nov. 21: Rutgers
And good lord, Rutgers being better than Syracuse just does not compute. Even after five years of it.

Nov. 28: at Connecticut
Another loss to finish out what will probably be a winless conference season, barring an upset.

The Orange will be a lot more entertaining to watch, but until they get some players in they’re a long way from being truly competitive. They’re looking at their third 10-loss season in five years. Note: They had had none in school history until Robinson showed up.

2009 Previews: Miami

We go to Tha U for Preview No. 22. Previews of all 65 BCS conference schools, plus Notre Dame and state schools, in no particular order, will run daily through Aug. 22.

Much like yesterday, we are looking at a team that would probably be pretty good if they had someone else’s schedule.

I don’t want to spoil it for you, so just wait until we get to the Hurricanes’ first four.

Overall, there is a ton of talent on this team, as you would expect from Miami. But a lot of it is young and unproven.

Quarterback Jacory Harris was strong as a freshman and the job is his since Robert Marve has moved on.

Graig Cooper and Javarris James are a nice tandem at running back, and tons of wide receivers with experience are back. The offensive line is strong at the starters, but there is no depth behind them.

The Hurricanes actually ranked seventh against the pass (but remember, ACC) and 28th overall in defense last season, and six starters return. But not a single position seems totally settled, and there are lot of question marks with the guys that are returning.

And, just for a little blast for the past for you Auburn fans out there, former AU defensive coordinator John Lovett is now running Miami’s D.

Randy Shannon is on just a tinge of a hot seat at the moment, and for reasons beyond his control will probably find himself firmly on the hot seat once this season is over.

Here’s the schedule:

Sept. 7: at Florida State
The series returns to Labor Day night and will probably be only slightly less unwatchable.

Sept. 17: Georgia Tech
Having this one at home on a Thursday night is an advantage, but I like Tech a lot.

Sept. 26: at Virginia Tech
They are most likely going to get killed here.

Oct. 3: Oklahoma
They are really going to get killed here.

Oct. 10: Florida A&M
It is highly reasonable to assume the Canes will be 0-4 at this point. 1-3 is the best case scenario. But they’ll get off the schnide here.

Oct. 17: at UCF
Big-name schools visiting their smaller-school brethren is always dangerous, but Miami should win this one.

Oct. 24: Clemson
Of their last six, Miami has four pretty tough games. They will need to win at least one, if not two, of them to be bowl eligible. Having this one at home makes it a must-win.

Oct. 31: at Wake Forest
Miami should be able to win this one on talent.

Nov. 7: Virginia
They’ll get revenge for that horrendous loss on the final night in the Orange Bowl.

Nov. 14: at North Carolina
Butch Davis makes it three in a row over the Canes.

Nov. 21: Duke
They’ll take out the Fightin’ Cutcliffes at home.

Nov. 28: at South Florida
This might actually be the biggest game of the season.

This team has 8-4 or 9-3 talent, but with their schedule I can’t see them doing better than 6-6. Maybe 7-5.

2009 Previews: Georgia

We go to my favorite underachievers, Georgia, for Preview No. 21. Previews of all 65 BCS conference schools, plus Notre Dame and state schools, in no particular order, will run daily through Aug. 22.

The thing a lot of people are talking about when it comes to Georgia is the fact that Matthew Stafford and Knowshon Moreno are no longer there.

That’s obviously a big deal.

But, the Bulldogs have a better than decent core coming back that under normal circumstances would be more than enough to compensate for those losses.

Unfortunately for the Bulldogs, however, their new guys are going to have absolutely no opportunity to get their feet wet, because the first eight (yes, eight) games are murder. MURDER.

Neither Phil Steele nor Athlon spent any time talking about this schedule, which, hyperbole from last year aside, is absolutely one of, if not the, toughest I’ve ever seen.

Player-wise, 12 starters are back from last year’s disappointing 10-3 team, including super-good wide receiver A.J. Green and linebacker Rennie Curran.

Fifth-year senior Joe Cox is expected to replace Stafford, and he should do fine. Various running backs will attempt to replace Moreno, who was, by the way, absolutely the only guy on the team playing hard when I saw them in person last season against Auburn.

The offensive line, which was horribly banged up last season, returns a ton of guys with experience and could be a strength this year.

Defensively, the front seven is in pretty good shape, especially the linebackers. The secondary is losing a couple of starters.

Both Steele and Athlon have Georgia in the top 15. If they finish that high, Mark Richt should get a lifetime contract.

Here’s that brutal schedule I was telling you about:

Sept. 5: at Oklahoma State
They are going to get killed here.

Sept. 12: South Carolina
They should win this one, but Carolina always plays Georgia tough.

Sept. 19: at Arkansas
A road trip to Fayetteville is always scary, and even moreso when you’re coming off what will be two pretty physical games. And Arkansas is better than people think.

Sept. 26: Arizona State
Luckily for Georgia, ASU just isn’t where a lot of people would’ve thought they’d be by now.

Oct. 3: LSU
They’ll have a chance here, but I’d go with LSU right now.

Oct. 10: at Tennessee
This is a toss-up.

Oct. 17: at Vanderbilt
This is probably the easiest of the first eight games (other than maybe ASU), but that doesn’t mean what it used to.

Oct. 31: vs. Florida (at Jacksonville, Fla.)
Ugly loss to close out what, at best, will be a 5-3 stretch.

Nov. 7: Tennessee Tech
Finally, a breather. I can’t even hate on them for this one.

Nov. 14: Auburn
They should beat the Tigers, as long as they don’t get too beat up from the first 2/3 of the season.

Nov. 21: Kentucky
Kentucky might not be quite as good as I initially thought, but this game is still dangerous.

Nov. 28: at Georgia Tech
The Yellow Jackets had better kick the Bulldogs while they’re down.

If Georgia were playing the usual SEC schedule, they’d go 8-4 at worst, maybe even win 10 games. But I just can’t see them doing better than 7-5 with that schedule.

Only in America ...

The Fourth of July weekend was a great one.

I love America.

We ate, we watched things blow up, we ate some more and we even did a little swimming. Good times were had by the Lazy Clan.

And if you didn’t know how much I love the Fourth of July, read my column that appeared in Saturday’s Opelika-Auburn News. It tells you all you need to know about me.

5) Friday morning. Something’s different.
Since we had a three-day weekend, the LBWC will start on Friday morning, which seemed like Saturday. Didn’t it?

And to make it really seem like Saturday, we hit up Walmart. Naturally.

And you know how much we love Walmart. If not, this photo of Little Tornado should put an end to any doubt.

Walmart doesn’t look any different on a weekday morning than it is on the weekend. Trust me. The frozen pizzas are still in the same place.

But still, there was something off from this weekend’s trip. Maybe it was because of the holiday. Maybe it was because it was 7 a.m. on a Friday. Maybe it was because we were the only people dumb, er ... smart enough to get our holiday grocery shopping out of the way before the sun comes up.

But I really think it was because we walked around the entire Opelika Walmart with a cart that played Techno music. Because of a flat tire/wheel we were serenaded for the entire hour and a half to the rhythmic beats of DJ Broke Down Shopping Cart.

Let me just save you the trouble: I wouldn’t spend money on the LP when it drops later this summer. Not even the remix version.

4) Saturday late morning/early afternoon. Pool party.
My kids love to swim. So does my wife. And I enjoy it, too. Well, I wouldn’t call what I do swimming, more like floating or bobbing.

Anyway, the pool is always a hit ... when we get invited to swim in one.

But since everyone we knew with a pool was out of town this weekend, or too stingy to let us come over and swim (you know who you are), we improvised.

Just call me McLazier. Kind of like MacGyver, but, well, lazier. More like MacGruber.

We broke out the kiddie pool and the baby pool, and made our own little Typhoon Lagoon. Disney’s got nothing on us. We even brought out the 2-foot slide. Beat that, Mickey Mouse.

3) Saturday and Sunday. What a sports weekend.
A lot happened in the sports world, let’s recap:

First, let me say that the news of Steve McNair’s death threw me for a loop. I remember watching him at Alcorn State, looking and playing like a men amongst boys. He was a staple on the FatMike’s fantasy football team once he made it to the NFL, strictly because I knew he wouldn’t lose points. He was tough and gritty and got things done on the field.

I don’t know what happened or what his personal life was like. From everything that’s coming out now, it seems there was a lot more going on than anybody knew. All I know is my heart goes out to his wife and four kids. What they are going through ... I just can’t imagine.

Second, how about Tiger Woods and Roger Federer? Those two guys are the most dominant athletes on the planet. When they are in position, they never lose. OK, well, they’ve lost ... some.

But no one I’ve ever seen has the “I’m going to put my foot on all your hopes and dreams of winning and crush them like a small insect” like Tiger and Roger. They are just that good. That focused.

We’ve got to figure out a sport where those two could face off against each other, just to see who the best really is. Golf and tennis wouldn’t be fair.

They’d have to play something like one-on-one basketball or a home run derby or paintball. How about horseshoes? That would be sweet.

Third, did you see the finish to the Firecracker 400 (well, it’s really the Coke Zero 400, but it they should change it back) in Daytona on Saturday night?
Wow. Watch.

All I can say is DANG!

2) Sunday evening. It doesn’t get any better than this.
Remember that old Old Milwaukee beer commercial?

We could have made our own Sunday night, as the Busy Girl, Busy Baby, Little Tornado and I spent the day hanging out together, swimming, laughing, cooking out (all before the rain came). It was awesome. The only thing missing was pulling some cold ones out of the Colorado river in a net. (Did they just find them there, or did they actually have to catch them?)

But spending time with the girls, celebrating our country’s independence and eating some red meat ... Man, it really doesn’t get any better than this.

1) Saturday. Proud to be an American.
To all those who have served or are serving our country in the Armed Forces, thank you. From the bottom of my heart, thank you.

I love our country, and am so proud and blessed to be living in it. And it’s because of those brave soldiers who have fought and died for that freedom over the centuries that I can even write this blog. So, again, thank you.

I get caught up a lot in the food, fun and fireworks of the Fourth of July. But, I never, ever, want to lose sight of the meaning of that day. And through the great men that I’ve met, especially my brother, who, in just a matter of days, will be overseas fighting for our freedom, I will never have to worry about forgetting that freedom comes with a price.

God bless those men and women and their families. And God Bless America.

 

2009 Previews: Wisconsin

We go to the home of the coach on the second- or third-hottest seat in the country, Wisconsin, for Preview No. 20. Previews of all 65 BCS conference schools, plus Notre Dame and state schools, in no particular order, will run daily through Aug. 22.

Bret Bielema is in trouble.

After going 12-1 in his first season, he is just 16-10 the last two and the Badgers seem to be getting worse with each passing day.

And entering his fourth season, he better hope he’s recruited well, because only 11 starters return.

Now, in fairness, Wisconsin hardly ever has a lot of returning starters, and had the 12-1 season with just three starters back on offense.

But there’s going to be a lot of work to do this year.

As it always seems to be in Madison, the quarterback situation is unsettled. Senior Dustin Sherer seems to have the leg up, but don’t be surprised at all to see the Badgers to to freshman Curt Phillips if they struggle early.

The running back machine churns out John Clay this year, who rushed for 884 yards in backup duty last year.

But he’ll be running behind an offensive line that returns only two starters.

The defense has been inconsistent in recent years, and only returns five starters this year. Most of what was a shaky secondary is back, but the front seven will have to be mostly rebuilt.

Badger coaches are touting a deeper defensive line as a reason they’ll be better this year. We’ll see.

Another mediocre season might not be enough to get rid of Bielema yet, but that’s what’s coming.

Here’s the schedule:

Sept. 5: Northern Illinois
Blah

Sept. 12: Fresno State
The Bulldogs have been known to wreck the Badgers’ day over the years. It could happen again.

Sept. 19: Wofford
No game is too easy for Barry Alvarez to schedule.

Sept. 26: Michigan State
I have a feeling Wisconsin will fail its first conference test.

Oct. 3: at Minnesota
But they’ll keep Paul Bunyan’s Axe.

Oct. 10: at Ohio State
Ugly loss here.

Oct. 17: Iowa
If all the Hawkeyes make bail they’ll win here.

Oct. 31: Purdue
The battle of Big Ten coaches in waiting!

Nov. 7: at Indiana
They really got pretty lucky when it comes to the conference schedule.

Nov. 14: Michigan
This game might actually be the difference in going bowling for both teams.

Nov. 21: at Northwestern
This one could be interesting.

Dec. 5: at Hawaii
With a team as average as this one could be, a trip like this to end the season could be dangerous.

The Badgers are looking at somewhere around a .500 season, maybe 7-5.