I'm sure my colleague Alex Dellaverson will agree with me that this Thursday marks one of the most exciting days of the year: the beginning of the college football season!
Saturday (or Thursday, or even Wednesday for a Pitt game this year) in a college stadium is one of the greatest places to be. I don't care if it is 95 and sunny or negative wind chills in a blizzard, put me in the stands because I'd rather be there than on the couch. The roar of the crowd (and of the Lion at Beaver Stadium or the Panther at Heinz Field...though I think the Panther technically growls...) and the student-athletes playing simply for love of the game are just two of the limitless reasons why college football is such a great thing! Even with all of the news of "pay-to-play" and "benefit issues" at major universities, the game itself is still unmatchable. In no other sport do you have such a variety of playing styles that all can be used effectively to win: Spread, Option, Pro-Style, Defensive, Wildcat/Single Wing....all that we're missing is the good ol' wishbone!
Alex and I are a part of a college fantasy football league (of course!), and in my mind, participating in this league the past two seasons has helped to expand which college teams and players we know about. Two years ago I started following Standford RB Toby Gerhart early in the season because he was top of the charts in points and I needed a better play. We still definitely stick with our teams, however. Of course I went for Evan Royster and he went for Jon Baldwin that first year (however last year I believe he grabbed Royster/Moye and I grabbed Neon Dion Lewis) but that just increased the fun for us! I won that first year, Alex won last year (that darn Denard and Cam). Will one of us gain the edge this year? Or will one of the other competitors, the college crazies of Lindsey and Lindsey, make it three champions in three years?
Consider this the start of a season full of posts, updates, live coverage from inside stadiums, and just two guys sharing their thoughts "for love of the game." We hope you'll join us and share with us some of your experiences, both past and present, as we make our way through the 2011 College Football Season.
USC, North Carolina, Auburn, Oregon, Ohio State, Miami...where will it end? At this rate, every major college program is going to get the "Death Penalty" in the next ten years. Boosters, pay-to-play, memorabilia sales...what's next? Greg and James discuss the issues so far, what's right and what's wrong, and where we go from here. Do you agree with us? What solution do you suggest? WE WANT TO KNOW!!
On Sunday, 3SN had their fantasy football draft. Here are the draft results so you can see how we executed our strategies. Who drafted the best team? That's for YOU to decide!
A few notes:
We originate in a Pittsburgh-dominated area, so don't be surprised to see a few Steelers selected a bit (or extremely) early.
Greg, Alex, and I will give our own accounts of the draft and how we feel about the draft.
Sunday's MoveThatBlock.com Indy 225 was full of action, drama, suspense, and controversy...and a couple of birds!
Chip Ganassi Racing dominated the practice sessions, including having all four racers in the top eight during the final practice session. Graham Rahal and IndyCar Series points leader Dario Franchitti were almost certain to occupy the first row. It looked to be a great weekend for the Ganassi Team.
Drama began early, in qualifying actually, when Rahal lost control and narrowly escaped hitting the wall. Although he avoided damage to the car, the true damage came in his qualifying time as he started 23rd. When the green flag waved to start the race, the damage intensified. Mike Conway lost control coming out of turn 2 and collected Rahal in the process. It was a cool day in New Hampshire with rain in the area, so getting heat into the tires was very difficult, and the result is a race favorite out before traveling a half of a mile.
Lots of great racing throughout the field ensued after the Conway spin and another similar one from Helio Castroneves, and lots of action on the one-mile oval as Franchitti lapped over half the field. However, after restarting on lap 118, as Franchitti crossed the start/finish line with Takuma Sato on his inside (Franchitti chose to restart on the outside), the two make contact and Franchitti is out of the race.
I'm still thoroughly confused on this one. Franchitti was furious after being knocked out and blamed Sato for the contact, when in the replay it seemed very obvious to me and to the commentators that Franchitti came down on Sato and initiated the contact. Even more confusing, Sato later took the blame for the incident. Even when Franchitti is wrong he's still somehow right. Will Power, second in the points behind Franchitti, benefits most from the pole-sitter's DNF. He was down as many as 30 points on the day from Franchitti, but after the incident, he immediately switched that around to gaining 10 points on the series leader!
Now, the suspense and controversy. The race began nearly a half-hour early due to incoming inclement weather, and it also included a 31 lap caution period due to moisture. With just 19 laps left, the yellow flag waves again due to moisture. Race Control decides that, with now nine laps left, the track is dry enough to race. Boy were they wrong.
Leader Ryan Hunter-Reay is screaming over the radio that he can't put his foot on the gas. His owner Michael Andretti is pleading with IndyCar CEO Brian Barnhart not to go green. Will Power begged for the entire caution period for the same. According to Brian Barnhart, race control never heard from the drivers or the teams and only heard from the safety crew around the track, who say track is good enough for racing.
They go green, and they go sideways. Danica Patrick is the first to spin coming out of turn 4. Power tries to avoid and spins as a result, and at least three more cars, including Sato, end up sideways and are collected by this incident.
Andretti throws his arms in the air as one of his drivers (Patrick) loses positions after spinning and brushing the inside wall and Hunter-Reay is passed because he couldn't hit the throttle. Power is worst off, as he appears to drop to about 15th after the incident, eliminating any chance of gaining significant ground on Franchitti. As he walks back to the garage, Power gives a message to Barnhart and the rest of Race Control who allowed the race to go green.
In the end, Barnhart makes the right call. The red flag waved after the crash and Race Control discusses what happened. They end up ruling that the final restart, the one with Power, Patrick, and Sato all crashing, never happened. The restart was negated "because of Rule 1.1 (B) (4): INDYCAR also reserves the right to take whatever action and/or impose whatever penalty it deems necessary to maintain the integrity of INDYCAR, the IZOD IndyCar Series and/or its events" according to IndyCar.com. Barnhart went to the commentating booth and said the same thing, that "he only right thing to do and the fair thing to do is to go to the running order before the restart."
I'm ecstatic that IndyCar got this one right. It was a disappointing end, as any rain-shortened race is, but it was the right call for the safety and integrity of the sport.
Will Power would apologize afterward, not because the call he was so mad about was essentially revoked, but because he embarrassed the series and his team. He posted on his twitter page (@12WillPower) after the race:
"First of all, I have to apologize for losing my temper after the accident that ended our race. Regardless of what...happened on the race track, my behavior was inexcusable and I apologize to our sponsors, the fans, the IZOD IndyCar Series officials...and the Penske Racing organization. I should not have behaved the way I did and I am sorry. It's definitely no excuse...but I was just very frustrated because our car ran so well and our team had worked so hard to put ourselves into a position to get a...good finish and I thought it was just ridiculous to restart the race under the dangerous conditions that existed on the race track...I am just glad the officials decided to make the decision to revert the finishing order back to what it was before the final restart...I want to thank my team for their hard work today and, again, I'm sorry for the way our race ended and how I handled the situation."
Power especially has had a rough season...a couple of different calls, pitting one lap earlier or later at a time, and even a different ruling in Toronto on what was "avoidable contact" and he could be leading the points standings right now. That being said, he gained 15 points on Franchitti yesterday and is now only 47 behind the defending champion. With five races (three street/road, two oval) remaining, this is shaping up to be one great finish in the IZOD IndyCar Series, one that nobody should miss!
Oh, and P.S., it kills me that SportsCenter tried to do a highlight reel of the race, of course included the Danica-Power-Sato incident, complained about IndyCar officiating and controversy, and never once mentioned that they made it as if the restart never happened. Just a bit annoying....
It's time to rank the running backs for the 2011 fantasy season!
Time to rank the running backs for the 2011 Fantasy season!!
Greg's Picks:
1. Adrian Peterson 2. Arian Foster 3. Jamaal Charles
@Beshman1
4. Chris Johnson 5. LeSean McCoy 6. Darren McFadden 7. Ray Rice 8. Maurice Jones-Drew 9. Michael Turner 10. Rashard Mendenhall 11. Frank Gore 12. Ahmad Bradshaw 13. LaGarrett Blount 14. Matt Forte 15. Knowshon Moreno
Why Adrian Peterson? He's a beast. With McNabb there, Peterson's carries are going to be much more meaningful. McNabb spreading it out will make it easier for A.P. Expect an 18 touchdown year for him.
Sleeper: Ryan Mathews. If he can keep healthy, he's a high risk - high reward type of player. With Rivers throwing the ball all over the field, running lanes are going to open up for Mathews.
Biggest Risk: Maurice Jones-Drew. He is the only offensive threat in Jacksonville, but he's a slow starter traditionally as well. He killed me last year to the point where I had to drop him early in the year. If he starts off slowly again this year it could be a bust year for MJD.
Alex's Picks:
1. Adrian Peterson 2. Chris Johnson 3. Ray Rice
@3SNDellav
4. Arian Foster 5. Jamaal Charles 6. Rashard Mendenhall 7. Maurice Jones-Drew 8. Steven Jackson 9. LeSean McCoy 10. Darren McFadden 11. Frank Gore 12. Michael Turner 13. Matt Forte 14. Peyton Hillis 15. LaGarrett Blount
Why Adrian Peterson? Offensive Coordinator Bill Musgrave has stated that Peterson will be a bigger part of the offense this year. He'll get 300+ carries and double-digit touchdowns. He's a clear and safe pick at #1.
Sleeper: Reggie Bush. Daniel Thomas as a rookie might be the starter, but Bush just has so much talent that we need to keep an eye on him. He's only 26 years old and can still do everything. Miami loves the wildcat, which sounds a lot like Bush to me.
Biggest Risk: Frank Gore. Another season, another injury. The Smithsonian might have to make a list of everything he has had fixed, once he retires. Only five total touchdowns last year. He'd be a top five back if the injury bug would just stay away.
James's Picks:
1. Adrian Peterson 2. Chris Johnson 3. Ray Rice
@3SNdot
4. Arian Foster 5. Jamaal Charles 6. Maurice Jones-Drew 7. Steven Jackson 8. LeSean McCoy 9. Darren McFadden 10. Felix Jones 11. Frank Gore 12. Rashard Mendenhall 13. DeAngelo Williams 14. Michael Turner 15. LaGarrett Blount
Why Adrian Peterson? Donovan McNabb/Joe Webb/Christian Ponder. Any of the three will throw the ball much less than Brett Favre. And in the pre-Favre days, A.P. was a top back. Expect those days to return.
Sleeper: Jahvid Best. Now that Mikel LeShoure is out for the year with an achilles tear, Best is the best and only option at RB for Detroit. The only risk is injury. Expect big things from Best with nobody taking away carries, and possibly expect some Barry Sanders-type carries.
Biggest Risk: LeSean McCoy. He just doesn't touch the ball enough. He averaged just over 12 rushes per game, and take away a couple of his 20+ carry games and he's averaging single digits. It's the Mike Vick show in Philly, which leaves little chance for touches going McCoy's way.
Over the next week or two, the 3SN team will be bringing you top-notch fantasy football information which will hopefully lead you to a league championship! Our fantasy experts Greg, Alex, James, and Dan will guide you position by position so you can have a great draft day! With each position, our experts will give you their rankings, their sleeper pick, and a player you might want to avoid.
Today, we start with Quarterbacks, the highest point-getting position over the last couple years thanks to the likes of Manning, Brady, and Brees. Where will those three appear in the experts' rankings?
Greg's Picks:
1. Aaron Rodgers 2. Mike Vick 3. Phillip Rivers
@Beshman1
4. Drew Brees 5. Tom Brady 6. Peyton Manning 7. Matt Schaub 8. Eli Manning 9. Tony Romo 10. Matt Ryan 11. Joe Flacco 12. Sam Bradford 13. Ben Roethlisberger 14. Ryan Fitzpatrick 15. Matthew Stafford 15b. Kevin Kolb
Why Aaron Rodgers? Aaron is a scoring machine. He is consistent with his receivers and makes great decisions in the pocket.
Sleeper: Matt Schaub. I really believe Schaub will have a breakout year and put up some huge numbers. Houston has really solidified their offense and it is well balanced. Schaub is a brilliant passer and having the top receiver in the game with Andre Johnston only helps him. Expect 29 TDs out of him this year with a bunch of yards, provided that he stays healthy.
Biggest Risk: Tony Romo. Ever since he blew his team's chances two years ago, Romo has become a head case. He is terrific to have on your team when things are going well... However, Romo has a tendency to fold early if he gets behind in a game. Be careful with him. He will score you points, but it can be ugly sometimes.
Alex's Picks:
1. Aaron Rodgers 2. Mike Vick 3. Peyton Manning
@3SNDellav
4. Tom Brady 5. Drew Brees 6. Matt Schaub 7. Phillip Rivers 8. Matt Ryan 9. Tony Romo 10. Sam Bradford 11. Matt Cassel 12. Eli Manning 13. Josh Freeman 14. Joe Flacco 15. Kevin Kolb
Why Aaron Rodgers? His fantasy football value has been firmly established since his first season as the starter in Green Bay. In that time Rodgers has thrown for over 3900 yards and 28 touchdowns each campaign. As an added bonus, he adds huge value to his already stellar fantasy numbers by rushing for an additional 300 yards and four scores on the ground. Still on 27 years old, Rodgers is entering his prime as a Super Bowl champion and the clear leader of one of the youngest teams in the NFL. He can be counted on to produce elite quarterback numbers and is certainly worthy of being a first round selection in any fantasy football draft this year.
Sleeper: Josh Freeman.3,400+ passing yards, 25 touchdowns, and only six interceptions. I only expect him to get better. He's got Mike Williams there, and don't forget about the great Kellen Winslow either.
Biggest Risk: Ben Roethlisberger. He's had two bad years following his two previous Super Bowl appearances. I don't expect anything to change this time around.
James's Picks:
1. Aaron Rodgers 2. Mike Vick 3. Peyton Manning
@3SNdot
4. Tom Brady 5. Drew Brees 6. Matt Schaub 7. Matt Ryan 8. Tony Romo 9. Ben Roethlisberger 10. Phillip Rivers 11. Sam Bradford 12. Matt Cassel 13. Kevin Kolb 14. Eli Manning 15. Matthew Stafford
Why Aaron Rodgers? 28 TDs, nearly 4,000 yds last year. Expect more this year, he's entering his prime and doesn't have a roster full of injuries like he did in 2010.
Sleeper: Matt Ryan. The stats speak for themselves: 3,700 yards and 28 TDs, and that's with many games where he'd barely throw in the second half. Turner's getting older, so more success in the passing game. Julio Jones will take defenders away from Roddy White, so more success in the passing game. If he's still around in the 5th or 6th round, take him with confidence and enjoy the rewards!
Biggest Risk: Phillip Rivers. The possibility of losing Jackson might hurt, but to me the reason Rivers is a risk is his consistency, or lack there of. One week he'll have 250 yards and 4 TDs, the next he'll have 150 yds and 2 INTs. Take the risk if you dare, there are more consistent picks out there.
Dan's Picks:
1. Tom Brady 2. Mike Vick
@DanQuarterly
3. Aaron Rodgers 4. Peyton Manning 5. Drew Brees 6. Phillip Rivers 7. Tony Romo 8. Eli Manning 9. Kevin Kolb 10. Josh Freeman 11. Sam Bradford 12. Matt Schaub 13. Jay Cutler 14. Matthew Stafford
15. Donovan McNabb
Why Tom Brady? Tom Brady is my #1 for the fact that he is Tom Brady. He may not have won a Super Bowl in a few years, but don't blame him. It seems as if Brady gets better and better each season. Between the countless targets that the Patriots have pulled in over the years and Brady's Jordan-esque swagger and demeanor, I could see him throwing 40+ scores and single digit INTs - which would just edge him over Mike Vick and ARod in my rankings. Sleepers: Sam Bradford/Matthew Stafford.I won't call Kevin Kolb a sleeper pick solely because I'm pretty sure any QB not named Derek Anderson or Max Hall could be a fantasy stud throwing up-top to Larry Fitzgerald. Instead I'll pinpoint two "sleeper picks" with one thing in common - both of them were selected first overall. Bradford and Stafford have way too much going for them to not be highly regarded. Bradford plays indoors on a fast track in a West Coast system with 5 athletic targets (excluding SJ). Stafford has arguably the strongest arm in the game, arguably the most indefensible target in Calvin "Megatron" Johnson and also plays indoors. Plus the Lions play in a division with teams that can score which means they too will need to put up some points. Biggest Risk: Matt Ryan. I'm sure Julio Jones, Roddy White, Tony Gonzalez and every other Pro Bowl-bound weapon in Atlanta will make me a liar, but if I had to pick one quarterback who may underachieve (other than the ever-popular Jay Cutler pick) I'd say Matt Ryan. The main reason that I say this is because his uber-conservative style of play is bound to come back and bite him in the butt. I watched Ryan play quite a few times last year and I couldn't understand how is lolly pop deep outs and change-up comeback routes weren't eaten up by defensive backs all year. What I'm hearing of Julio Jones is scary, but if Atlanta relies on Matty Ice's arm too much instead of his smarts it could hurt a fantasy owner.
3SN Consensus Picks:(Comprised of the combined rankings above)
1. Aaron Rodgers 2. Mike Vick 3. Tom Brady 4. Peyton Manning 5. Drew Brees
@3SNetwork
6. Phillip Rivers 7. Matt Schaub 8. Tony Romo 9. Matt Ryan 10. Eli Manning 11. Sam Bradford 12. Kevin Kolb 13. Ben Roethlisberger 14. Matt Cassel Josh Freeman 16. Joe Flacco 17. Matthew Stafford 18. Jay Cutler 19. Ryan Fitzpatrick 20. Donovan McNabb
