Must See College Football Games (Part Two)

Get your calender back out because the second half of the College Football season should prove to be even more exciting than the first half.

Thursday October 25th on prime time TV we will get to see maybe the best college quarterback for the 2008 NFL Draft. QB Matt Ryan from Boston College plays against a very tough Virginia Tech team. Virginia Tech is 13-2 in nationally televised games and guess who they lost to? Yep, Boston College, including a 22-3 defeat last year. Virginia Tech clearly has the better team and junior cornerback Brandon Flowers will be ale to shut down half the field. Another player that NFL Scouts will be salivating over is Boston College left tackle Gosder Cherilus (6' 6" 320 lbs), with a strong senior campaign Cherilus could sneak into the later part of the first round of the 2008 NFL Draft.

At least one game on October 27th figures to be an offensive shootout for the ages. West Virginia at Rutgers will highlight three of the best running backs in college football if you include speedy West Virginia quarterback Pat White. Rutgers will hand the ball off to future NFL Draft pick Ray Rice who scored 20 touchdowns last year. West Virginia not only has speedy quarterback Pat White, who will probably be the fastest player on the field with sub 4.40 speed, but they also have multi-faceted running back Steve Slaton, who finished the 2006 season with 245 carries for 1,733 yards and 16 TDs. Watch Slaton line up all over the field Ala Reggie Bush.

The November 3rd match-up between LSU and Alabama should be one of the most hyped games of the year because Nick Saban will be coaching against his former LSU team. This game is at Alabama and Saban will have the Tide up for this game. LSU will face one of their biggest road tests of the season. On paper LSU is clearly the better team, but Alabama will have home field advantage and a fired up Saban, this could be an upset. Two of the best senior receivers in the nation will be on the field in this one, LSU has Early Doucet and Alabama has D.J. Hall, both of these prospects have early round NFL Draft Potential, especially Doucet.

West Virginia has to come right back on November 8th and play another big game against Louisville. If Matt Ryan isn't the top quarterback for the 2008 NFL Draft then it will probably be Louisville's Brian Brohm. The Cardinals have maybe the best pair of wide receivers in the nation in Harry Douglas and 6'5" 225 pound junior Mario Urrutia. On defense Louisville has one of the top senior linebackers in the nation in Malik Jackson. I wouldn't be surprised to see Jackson selected in the first round of the 2008 NFL Draft. Louisville has a very interesting linebacker on the squad this year named Willie Williams, his story is to lengthy to go into here, but NFL Draft Dog has an interesting Scouting Report on him.

November 10th might be the date that the Big Ten conference is decided when the two heavyweights collide. Michigan plays at Wisconsin and the Badgers are a dangerous team. Even though he will only be a sophomore this season, Wisconsin running back P.J. Hill is one of the best running backs in the nation. Junior Tight End Travis Beckum presents matchup problems for defenses because he has wide receiver speed, but he stays in and blocks quite a bit and you never know when he is going to burst into the open field and catch a deep pass. On the defensive side of the ball I have already heard NFL Scouts talk about junior cornerback Jack Ikegwuonu. The other game that I like on November 10th is Florida at South Carolina. The Gamecocks have a dangerous team and Steve Spurrier would love to upset his former team.

The November 17th rivalry game between Ohio State and Michigan is always exciting. This year Ohio State is not the favorite, but don't count the Buckeyes out just yet. Yes they lost Heisman Trophy winner Troy Smith and they will be starting unproven, inexperienced QB Todd Boeckman, but Boeckman is no freshman, he is a senior that has been quietly waiting for his chance to start for three years. Boeckman might be one of the sleeper picks for the 2008 NFL Draft as he has a strong arm and nice size (6' 4" 235 lbs). Most college football fans will be talking about Ohio State sophomore running back Chris Wells by this time of the year. Big and very fast, Wells looks to be one of the top running backs for the 2009/2010 NFL Draft.

November 23rd might be one of the best games of the entire season pitting Boise State at Hawaii. The Boise State Broncos shocked Oklahoma last year and they are loaded with talent on both sides of the ball. The name to watch in this game however is Hawaii's record setting quarterback Colt Brennan. This is the Rainbows and Brennan's make or break game. On the line for Brennan is a possible Heisman Trophy and a chance to be a first round draft pick. If Brennan lays an egg, he could really slip in the 2008 NFL Draft. Not everyone is sold on Brennan as an NFL Prospect so this game will be huge. All that aside, this should be a fun to watch high scoring shoot out.

The classic in-state rivalry between Florida and Florida State (FSU) will be played on November 24th. Florida might be undefeated and looking ahead to next weeks conference championship game. This would be a bad idea as FSU will once again field a solid team with a fearsome defense. Florida sophomore all-purpose threat Percy Harvin can score with the football any time he gets his hands on it and outside linebacker/pass rusher extraordinaire Derrick Harvey will make things miserable for the Florida State quarterback. The Seminoles won't be a push over however, with defensive tackle Andre Fluellen clogging up the running lanes and getting after the QB, he might make a rude introduction to Florida QB Tim Tebow.

Big Games for the 2007 College Football Season

College Football season is almost upon us so it's time to mark your calenders and cancel any plans that will take you away from your wide screen TV, unless of course you're going to the game and then your calender should already be marked.

It all starts off with a bang on September 1st with a big time grudge match. Tennessee plays at California. Quarterback Erik Ainge might emerge as a legitimate NFL Prospect if he can look good and win this game. But it won't be easy, Tennessee crushed California last year 35-18 in Knoxville and this year it is at California, plus the Bears have had a full year to plot their revenge. Did I also mention California is a solid football team with a Heisman Trophy Candidate named wide receiver DeSean Jackson that can score from any point on the field. Also that weekend Oklahoma State plays at Georgia. Watch wide receiver Adarius Bowman launch himself on the national stage, but also keep an eye on the young, talented sophomore Georgia quarterback Mathew Stafford. He has serious NFL potential for the future.

September 15th might be USC's toughest game of the season. USC is the top ranked college football team in the nation and their opponents won't have any problem getting up for them. They play at Nebraska and this should be Coach Bill Callahan's best team since arriving in corn country. USC has a phenomenal defense with 9 out of 11 starters eventually very early NFL Draft picks. Nebraska has a secret weapon this year named Sam Keller, but don't call Vegas with an upset pick, the last time Keller faced USC he was the QB of Arizona State and he threw five interceptions.

September 22nd looks like a wild weekend for the Big Ten, a solid Penn State team travels to Ann Arbor and plays a dominate Michigan squad. The Wolverines are loaded on offense, so I don't see an upset in this one, however it should be a good, physical game. I like the Iowa Hawkeyes in a surprise upset over highly ranked Wisconsin. The Hawkeys will go only as far as young untested sophomore Quarterback Jake Christensen will take them. Christensen has patiently been waiting in the wings to take over at quarterback ever since he signed with the Hawkeyes in 2005. He (Christensen) is the son of former NFL quarterback Jeff Christensen. Jake was one of the nation's most highly rated and recruited quarterbacks coming out of Lockport Illinois High School.

September 29th highlights Nick Sabans return to NCAA football after failing with the NFL's Miami Dolphins. Trust me, by all reports Nick Saban is a man possessed, he wants to win again badly. Saban is the Coach of the Alabama Crimson Tide now and the Tide travel to the state of Florida and take on Bobby Bowden and the Florida State Seminoles. In this game I want you to watch mammoth offensive lineman Andre Smith (6' 4" 345 lbs) from the Alabama side. He is rated as a top ten NFL Draft pick for the 2009 or 2010 NFL Draft.

October 6th might be the biggest weekend of the season for college football (so far). Florida travels to LSU, the defending national champion Gators and Sophomore Quarterback Tim Tebow get their first real road test down in Bayou country. NFL Draft prospects will be all over the field in this game and if LSU wins they look like USC's opponent in the national championship game. Also don't miss Texas against Oklahoma played in Dallas. The winner of that game will also have something to say about who the eventual national champion is. The winner of the Texas/Oklahoma game has played for the BCS title three times in four years.

October 13th should remind everybody who the best player in college football is when we get to see Arkansas' Running back Darren McFadden play at home against arch rival Auburn. The Tigers will be stacking eight defenders in the box to stop McFadden, who gouged them for a whopping 145 yards last year (2006).

If you are an NFL Scout you will love October 18th. South Florida plays at Rutgers. The Scarlet Knights are loaded with NFL talent, everybody knows about all world running back Ray Rice, but watch offensive linemen Pedro Sosa and Jeremy Zuttah dominate their opponents. Junior safety Courtney Green is a player that we will be hearing about in the future for Rutgers. But South Florida is where the real story is, under the radar they have emerged as the other Florida powerhouse and they will be sending a few talented prospects to the NFL in the future themselves. CB Mike Jenkins is one of the top rated corners in the nation and wide receiver Amarri Jackson (6' 4" 195 lbs) is a lanky talent. This game might be fun to watch as an offensive shoot out.

October 20th pits an always interesting instate rivalry between Miami and Florida State. Beleaguered Hurricane quarterback Kyle Wright might get to redeem himself, but I doubt Wright can do much against that tough FSU defense. The Hurricaine defense should be Stout in it's own right with supreme NFL Draft prospect defensive end Calais Campbell. If you like defense you will enjoy this game. Keep an eye on FSU sophomore Safety Myron Rolle (6' 2" 218 lbs). He looks like a very high future NFL Draft pick. USC also plays at Notre Dame, which on paper looks like a blow-out for USC, but in that annual rivalry game you never no what will happen.

Well that breaks down the first half of the season, check back in a couple days and I will highlight some of the best college football games for the second half of the 2007 NCAA Football season.

10 Things You Need to Know About Fantasy Football

If all the knowledge of the 2007 Fantasy Football Season could be condensed to 10 statements, it would look something like this:

By Guest Columnist Tom Van Wyhe

1. Carson Palmer has the potential to outperform Peyton Manning. This is certainly not meant to imply Palmer is better than Manning, but the former USC Heisman Trophy winner has more than enough talent around him – and a similar offense – to statistically catch Manning.

2. Peyton Manning is the only quarterback, however, worth drafting in the first round. While Palmer has the potential to pass him, Manning is still the most consistent fantasy star in the business. He's worth being drafted after the top-tier running backs come off the board: around 6-8 overall. Leave Palmer until the early-mid second round (if your scoring permits it).

3. Reggie Bush is a first round draft choice. Of course, your league will need at least 12 teams to justify it, but Bush is very much a first round candidate. He thrived in an offense built to cater his skills last season and this season should be no different; probably better if the team can get him more red zone touches.

4. Steve Smith is not the number one receiver this year. That spot belongs to Marvin Harrison, these days. The most consistent wide receiver in the business is still side-by-side with his partner in crime, Peyton Manning, while Steve Smith's quarterback situation grows shakier each week.

5. If you're picking number two, there should be one name on your list:
Steven Jackson. He's one of the most talented young backs in the league today and he's in an offense where he can break out and do something special this year. It wouldn't surprise me if he broke 2300 yards (from scrimmage) and 24 touchdowns this season, and earning a fantasy player of the year trophy along the way.

6. Matt Leinart and Jay Cutler are better picks than Vince Young. Young has the uncanny ability to win games using whatever skills he has (and they are aplenty). But his inconsistency will certainly annoy fantasy owners throughout the season. Cutler and Leinart, on the other hand, are both surrounded by more talented – and experienced – teammates. They'll consistently put up solid numbers week in and out.

7. If you're looking for a great late-second round running back, look no further than Cedric Benson. No one has more potential in that Bears' offense than Benson. While Grossman struggles, Chicago will undoubtedly look to build a strong foundation with the run game. And Benson has all the potential in the world to break 1300 yards and 10 touchdowns on the ground.

8. If you can't decide what to do with your last draft pick, spend it on Ron Dayne. Or Devin Hester. These two guys have potential if the right situations can present themselves. While neither will be on your roster for anything more than a 4^th running back or 5^th wide receiver, they have potential to move up much higher if injury strikes (Ron Dayne will be the team's starter if Ahman Green is injured) or the Bears use Hester like Reggie Bush, circa-2006.

9. James Jones (Green Bay) looks better every week, and you should find him very late in your draft. I'm beginning to get the impression no one outside of Green Bay knows about this young wide receiver who is quickly catching the attention (and adoration) of fans. He has exceptional hands and is reminiscent of a young, physical Sterling Sharpe. And with questions surrounding Donald Driver's health, Jones' potential grows by the day.

10. If Antonio Gates is drafted don't waste one of your mid-round picks on another tight end. Perhaps more than any other year, tight end has a lot of depth. And considering you start only one per week, it's safe to say you'll find someone you like in the 10-12^th rounds of your draft.

Notes about the author: Tom Van Wyhe is the lead writer of The NFL Minute, a blog devoted to fantasy football. He has also contributed to other websites, such as SteelersFever.com and TheFootballExpert.com.

Notes from the NFL Preseason

As I reported a few weeks back, you can't take too much away from the NFL's preseason, especially the won-loss record. I haven't watched all the games, but here are a few very early random observations from the 2007 NFL preseason.

The Good:

There has been so much good news coming out of the Cowboys camp it almost makes you worried. Let's hope they get beaten badly in at least one of their preseason games so they don't get too over confident. I think the way last year ended the Cowboys needed to get their mojo back, and by every early indication, they have. The only bad news is star linebacker Greg Ellis's slow recovery from last year's Achilles injury, but 2007 first round NFL Draft pick Anthony Spencer is playing so well I don't think anyone even cares. Hats off to Bill Parcells and Jerry Jones for compiling all that talent, now let's see if Wade Phillips can do something with it. If Wade Phillips does win a super bowl in the next couple of years, there should be an asterisk by his name that says, "With help from Bill Parcells."

Minnesota Linebacker Chad Greenway is looking very good and looks fully healed from last year's season ending injury. With outstanding defensive tackles in front of him, look for Greenway to make the pro bowl this year, if he stays healthy that is.

After almost crying during the 2007 NFL Draft, Cleveland Brown Quarterback Brady Quinn looks like he might have been unfairly evaluated. Early indications are that the NFL is not going to overwhelm this kid. My only concern coming out of college was his accuracy, and that is something that can be improved upon over time.

The Baltimore Raven rookie defensive end Edgar Jones looked spectacular against the Giants. I was really high on this Small School Super Star coming out of college and it looks like he has a real chance in the NFL.

I bet the Falcons wish they would have kept Matt Schaub, he has looked good so far for the Texans. Schaub was nine of 12 for 108 yards and ran 5 yards for a score against the Cardinals.

As if they didn't have enough weapons, the Chargers have a dynamic little bottle rocket in Darren Sproles. Against the Rams the
Former K-State star returned a punt 81 yards for a touchdown in the final minute of the first half.

The Bad:

Miami Quarterback Trent Green has looked absolutely horrendous. There seem to be no zip on his balls. It is still very early, I wouldn't write him off yet, but I wonder if he hasn't lost his mojo. Maybe the Chiefs saw something that I didn't. The Dolphins certainly hope Green can find his confidence again as they have almost bet their season on him.

Staying on the Quarterback theme, Dallas Cowboy QB Brad Johnson has also looked like crap. Experience is one thing, but the 39 year old quarterback is playing like he is 49. The Cowboys don't have a proven back up after Johnson and that might prove to haunt them if Tony Romo ever gets injured.

I am surprised Tom Coughlin hasn't been fired yet. He just hasn't been able to bring a fairly talented Giant team together. He is supposed to be a disciplinarian, but the Giants have never been a disciplined team. In the August 19^th preseason game against the Raven they were penalized 12 times for 111 yards. Coughlin is coaching on borrowed time, a one year contract extension for the 2007 season that is.

I can't believe I saw Darrell Hackney surface in the preseason playing quarterback for the Broncos. Passed up in the 2006 NFL Draft, the Browns signed him as a free agent, but cut him before the start of the season, The Falcons worked him out but passed on him, and now the Broncos have given him a shot this year (2007). Hopefully we have seen the last of this guy, yea he throws the ball very hard but, he couldn't hit the broad side of the barn with a football. Short (5' 11") and slow (4.82) his accuracy is horrendous. Not a good combination.

The Redskins offensive line, they are one of the worst units in the NFL and almost got their young franchise quarterback Jason Campbell killed against the Steelers. He only suffered a bruised knee, but by the looks of the hit, it could have easily been a season ending injury.

Minnesota Vikings running back Adrian Peterson looked fantastic running the football. I love his aggressive style of running and his spin move was world class. So why is he in the bad category? I am deeply concerned about his running style. He refuses to run out of bounds and he won't be able to stay healthy with that overly aggressive style.

College Football Touchdown Machines

The number one touchdown machine during the 2006 college football season was Boise State junior running back Ian Johnson. Johnson finished the season (2006) ranked first in the nation in scoring with 25 touchdowns. He also finished eighth in the Heisman Trophy voting and was named a semifinalist for the Doak Walker Award. The 5' 11" 185 pound speedster ranked second in the country in rushing averaging142.83 yards per game, and an impressive 6.2 yards per carry average. Ian Johnson and Boise State are very underrated and whenever Johnson enters the NFL Draft, either this year or next, he will be a highly sought after NFL Prospect.

Wide receiver Jarrett Dillard (junior) from unheralded Rice University is the Rodney Dangerfield of college football, he scored 21 touchdowns last year, but you rarely he his named mentioned as an elite NFL Draft Prospect. His TD total ranked him 3^rd in the nation in scoring. He is a little small at 5' 11" 184 pounds, but he is lightening fast and has a knack for getting open. Dillard runs crisp routes and rarely drops a pass, especially in the end zone. Look how impressive his 21 touchdowns were, he was the only receiver to finish ranked in the top 20 in scoring last year (2006). Dillard is on the 2007 NFL Draft Dog College Football Preseason All-American Team.

Running Back Ray Rice (junior)
has been written about a lot this year already. Rice rose along with Rutgers into national prominence last year (2006) and along the way he plunged into the end zone 20 times. At 5' 9" 202 pounds he runs low to the ground (literally) and has great strength and balance. Some running backs seem to get some extra strength and adrenaline when they get close to the end zone. Emmett Smith had a nose for the end zone when he was in his prime, the Dallas Cowboys' Marion Barber seems to have it now, and Ray Rice also seems to be in that same category.

Junior Quarterback Pat White from West Virginia is a serious touchdown machine, last year (2006) he scored 18 touchdowns, mostly with his legs running the ball. White is a supreme athlete; he turned down a major league baseball contract with the California Angels and has been timed with low 4.4 speed. White's yards per carry average was an amazing 7.3. You have to wonder about his future in the NFL though, with a mediocre arm and a 57% completion percentage, we might see a switch to receiver in his future.

Pat White's team mate running back Steve Slaton scored 18 touchdowns as a sophomore last year (2006). His 18 TDs were impressive indeed, but he was also arguable the best pass catching running back in the nation. Slaton was the 2^nd ranked all purpose back in the nation. He finished with 360 receiving yards to go along with his 1,744 rushing. Slaton line up all over the field similar to how USC utilized Reggie Bush when he was in college.

Running Back/Full Back Jorvorskie Lane (junior) is an interesting touchdown machine. With his amazing size (6' 0" 275 pounds) he is almost automatic inside the five yard line. Lane powered the ball in the end zone 19 times last year. Texas A&M has a heck of a thunder and lightning combination at running back with power back Lane and super speed demon sophomore Mike Goodson. Lane finished ranked 8^th in the nation over-all and 4^th among running backs in scoring with 8.77 points per game.

Virginia Tech running back Brandon Ore is yet another ultra talented underclassman. Ore scored 17 touchdowns last year (2006). The 5' 11" 202 pound first team All-ACC running back also recorded an impressive 5.9 yards per carry average. Ore finished 25^th in the nation in rushing with 1,137 rushing yards. Ore blends a delightful combination of speed, strength and balance and has already developed into an elite NFL Draft Prospect.

Junior running back James Davis from Clemson is a legitimate touchdown machine with excellent NFL potential. He has decent size at 5' 11" 205 pounds and his production last year as a sophomore was outstanding. He finished ranked 17^th in the nation in scoring with 17 touchdowns. He accumulated 1,187 rushing yards and his 5.8 yards per carry average was among the best in college football.

Running back P.J. Hill is the only super sophomore on this list, but he is indeed worthy. The 5' 11" 222 pound, Wisconsin super star was the Big Ten Freshman of the year in 2006 and he scored 16 touchdowns with a 5 yards per carry average. Hill ranked 8^th in the nation in rushing with 1,569 yards. Hill is very shifty and powerful and also seems to have a nose for the end zone. The NFL will have to wait one or two years for this guy, but eventually he will be toting the pig skin on Sundays.

Not many football fans have ever heard of Tulsa running back Courtney Tennial, but his opponents are sure to remember his 16 touchdowns that he scored last year (2006). His 16 touchdowns ranked him 25th nationally in scoring, but his 16 TDs ranked him 11^th among running backs. Not real big at 5' 9" 215 pounds, but the transfer from Oklahoma has power in his legs and the speed to get outside. His 4.9 yards per carry average were nothing to sneeze at.

Preseason NFL Football

In case you just woke up from a coma or something, NFL Football is back, thank goodness, after an off season that seems to last longer and longer each year, we can now get our fix of bone crushing hits and scintillating one-handed touchdown catches. But hold your horses it's not real NFL Football, it's preseason football, the games don't count, the stars rarely play and you will see nothing but a generic game plan, in other words, no exciting plays from the play book.

Most casual football fans don't care much for preseason NFL Football, but if your reading this NFL Draft blog, you are not a casual fan. Preseason football is just an extension of training camp, starters rarely play more than a quarter until the last couple preseason games, which they normally play a full half as a final tune up to the regular season.

Preseason NFL Football is where the draft picks and free agents showcase their skills for a chance to become professional football players, and the stakes are high, a chance to get paid millions of dollars to play a game, or if things don't work out, they will have to get a real job like you and me. So many of those young men out there in the second half of those games are playing for their livelihood.

Not only is it a time for us draftnics to watch our favorite 6th round draft pick, but NFL Scouts from all 32 teams will be drooling over the game film of each game trying to see who they can pick up off the waiver wire when some of these kids get released or placed on the practice squad.

Every year during the preseason I get a laugh out of all the die hard NFL fans that get giddy or sad when their team has a good or bad record in the preseason. Let me make my point here, it doesn't matter who wins or loses these games, the NFL coaching staffs are trying to evaluate talent and many of these players won't even be on the roster after the final cuts. So enjoy the preseason, have fun evaluating talent, but take it with a grain of salt. I have provided a schedule so you won't miss any games:

2007 preseason NFL schedule
All times are US/Eastern

HALL OF FAME GAME
Sunday, Aug. 5
Pittsburgh 20, New Orleans 7

WEEK 1
Thursday, Aug. 9
Detroit 27, Cincinnati 26
Dallas 23, Indianapolis 10
Friday, Aug. 10
N.Y. Jets 31, Atlanta 16
Tampa Bay 13, New England 10
Buffalo 13, New Orleans 10
St. Louis 13, Minnesota 10

Saturday, Aug. 11

Green Bay at Pittsburgh 7:30 p.m.
Jacksonville at Miami 7:30 p.m.
Kansas City at Cleveland 7:30 p.m.
Carolina at N.Y. Giants 8:00 p.m.
Chicago at Houston 8:00 p.m.
Washington at Tennessee 8:00 p.m.
Arizona at Oakland 10:00 p.m.
Sunday, Aug. 12
Seattle at San Diego 8:00 p.m.
Monday, Aug. 13
Philadelphia at Baltimore 7:00 p.m.
Denver at San Francisco 8:00 p.m.

WEEK 2
Thursday, Aug. 16
Miami at Kansas City 8:00 p.m.
Friday, Aug. 17
Atlanta at Buffalo 7:00 p.m.
Carolina at Philadelphia 7:00 p.m.
Minnesota at N.Y. Jets 8:00 p.m.
Tennessee at New England 8:00 p.m.
Saturday, Aug. 18
Houston at Arizona 4:00 p.m.
Detroit at Cleveland 7:00 p.m.
New Orleans at Cincinnati 7:30 p.m.
Tampa Bay at Jacksonville 7:30 p.m.
Denver at Dallas 8:00 p.m.
Pittsburgh at Washington 8:00 p.m.
San Diego at St. Louis 8:00 p.m.
Seattle at Green Bay 8:00 p.m.
Oakland at San Francisco 10:00 p.m.
Sunday, Aug. 19
N.Y. Giants at Baltimore 8:00 p.m.
Monday, Aug. 20
Chicago at Indianapolis 8:00 p.m.

WEEK 3
Thursday, Aug. 23
Jacksonville at Green Bay 8:00 p.m.
New Orleans at Kansas City 8:30 p.m.
Friday, Aug. 24
Tennessee at Buffalo 7:00 p.m.
New England at Carolina 8:00 p.m.
St. Louis at Oakland 10:00 p.m.
Saturday, Aug. 25
Detroit at Indianapolis 7:00 p.m.
Tampa Bay at Miami 7:30 p.m.
Baltimore at Washington 8:00 p.m.
Dallas at Houston 8:00 p.m.
N.Y. Jets at N.Y. Giants 8:00 p.m.
San Francisco at Chicago 8:00 p.m.
Cleveland at Denver 9:00 p.m.
Minnesota at Seattle 9:00 p.m.
San Diego at Arizona 10:00 p.m.
Sunday, Aug. 26
Philadelphia at Pittsburgh 8:00 p.m.
Monday, Aug. 27
Cincinnati at Atlanta 8:00 p.m.

WEEK 4
Thursday, Aug. 30
Buffalo at Detroit 7:00 p.m.
N.Y. Giants at New England 7:30 p.m.
N.Y. Jets at Philadelphia 7:30 p.m.
Washington at Jacksonville 7:30 p.m.
Cleveland at Chicago 8:00 p.m.
Dallas at Minnesota 8:00 p.m.
Green Bay at Tennessee 8:00 p.m.
Houston at Tampa Bay 8:00 p.m.
Kansas City at St. Louis 8:00 p.m.
Miami at New Orleans 8:00 p.m.
Pittsburgh at Carolina 8:00 p.m.
Arizona at Denver 9:00 p.m.
Oakland at Seattle 10:00 p.m.
San Francisco at San Diego 10:00 p.m.
Friday, Aug. 31
Baltimore at Atlanta 7:30 p.m.
Indianapolis at Cincinnati 7:30 p.m.

Pass Rushers for the 2008 NFL Draft

Any successful defense must have a strong pass rush and the most versatile and arguably the most important member of that defense is the pass rushing outside linebacker. An elite pass rushing outside linebacker has the speed to cover backs and tight ends out of the back field, the size to come up fight through blocks and stuff the run and of course the quickness to flash past huge offensive tackles and sack the quarterback.

But it even goes deeper than that, an elite pass rush can compensate for a mediocre secondary, not only does the quarterback have less time to look for the open receiver, but the offense will often leave extra blockers in to help out with the pass rush, enabling more double and zone coverage in the secondary.

How important is the pass rushing outside linebacker? As an example the Dallas Cowboys, desperate for a pass rush, have used their first round draft pick on one of these guys in each of the last three years: DeMarcus Ware (2005), Bobby Carpenter (2006) and Anthony Spencer (2007). The need arises even further for teams using the 34 defense because all of their four linebackers have to be able to rush the passer on any given play.

So as the 34 defense becomes more utilized, so does the need for the pass rushing linebacker. Those guys rarely become available during free agency, therefore the best place to get them is via the NFL Draft. The 2008 NFL Draft isn't loaded at that position, but there are a few elite players that NFL Scouts are targeting for the 2008 NFL Draft. Most of these prospects played end in college but will almost certainly be converted to outside linebacker in the NFL.

Even though he will only be a junior this year, the top prospect in this category is Florida's Derrick Harvey, he is 6' 3" 250 pounds and when he gets in his zone, he can take over games. During the 2006 National Championship game against Ohio State, Harvey had three sacks and one fumble recovery, his performance was instrumental in Florida's 41-14 dominating win and he was named the defensive MVP. He finished the season with 35 tackles and 11 sacks, but he seemed to really peak towards the end of the year. Harvey is a consensus first team All-SEC defensive end heading into the 2007 football season.

Bruce Davis from UCLA is another prospect that will be converted to outside linebacker. At 6' 3" 247 pounds he is not huge, but he has a knack for getting to the quarterback and has excellent foot speed. The consensus first team All-PAC Ten Star finished last season with an impressive 12.5 sacks. Davis also had three pass break ups in 2006, so he is accustomed to falling back into pass coverage. Davis is much to quick for offensive tackles to block at the college level, this sack master is even going to give NFL tackles fits.

Tommy Blake from TCU is a NFL Draft prospect that just doesn't get enough respect. He is this year's Anthony Spencer. Blake has been very productive on the football field. Blake is 6' 3" 255 pounds, already has 26 starts, 134 tackles and 19 sacks. Blake is a unanimous first team MWC conference selection. Last year (2006) in the 37-7 Poinsettia Bowl win over Northern Illinois, Blake was named the game's Defensive Most Valuable player. He ranked #1 in the Mountain West Conference (MWC) with 16.5 tackles for a loss. He just knows how to get to the quarterback.

Auburns Quentin Groves at 6' 2" 251 is another prospect that might be too small to play defensive end in the NFL, but that shouldn't stop him from hearing his named called early in the 2008 NFL Draft. Groves almost entered the 2007 NFL Draft, but now that he is returning to Auburn, only needs four sacks to become Auburns all time leader with 23 sacks. The first team All-SEC sack master recorded 9.5 sacks last year (2006). Groves is also on the Bronko Nagurski Trophy Watch List.

Jameel McCLain plays for Syracuse, who hasn't been very successful as of late, and therefore has kind of fallen under the radar, but he is a talented pass rusher with the size and athletic ability to possible play outside linebacker in a 34 defense. He was moved to defensive end from linebacker in the spring of 2006 and he has been nothing short of sensational at that position ever since. He finished last season with 14.5 tackles for a loss and 9.5 sacks. McClain is a tad short at 6' 1" but at almost 260 pounds he has the beef.

Wallace Gilberry from Alabama is another under rated football player, but he was very successful on the football field in 2006 finishing with 10 tackles for a loss, 3 sacks and 10 quarterback hurries. He recorded 39 total tackles (21 solo) which lead the Alabama defensive line. Nick Saban is the new head coach and Saban is a master of the 34 defense, Alabama will eventually play the 34 defense and I would expect Gilberry to move around a lot this year, rush from different spots and plays on his feet more. At 6' 2" 256 pounds he has the size to play outside linebacker and with Saban's tutelage he should be a name that we keep an eye on in the 2008 NFL Draft.

I really like Cliff Avril from Purdue, he reminds me so much of Dallas Cowboy's Pro Bowl linebacker DeMarcus Ware. He has almost the same body style as Ware at 6' 3" 247 pounds. With Anthony Spencer on all the scouts' radar last year, Avril kind of went unnoticed. But he will be noticed this year if he builds upon his stellar season last year (2006): He started all 14 games, the first four at linebacker and last 10 at defensive end. He ranked only behind Spencer with 15.0 tackles for loss, 6 sacks, 6 pass breakups and 84 tackles (51 solo, 33 assists). Avril is very light on his feet and looks fluid in pass coverage.