2009 College Football All American Team

I always enjoy these All American Teams and I like to do one in the pre-season, mid-season and then a final post-season All American Team. It's interesting to compare the three teams to see which players either improved or tailed off as the season went along. They will also give you a glimpse of some of the fine young talent that will be playing college football in the future.

Let me explain a few of my picks. The quarterbacks seem to always be the most difficult choice. Unlike the Heisman Trophy, which is just a popularity contest, I tried to look at not only statistics, but how well they played and what they meant to their team. At quarterback I gave the nod to Boise State's Kellen Moore. Not only was he undefeated this year at 13-0, but he led the nation in pass efficiency with a rating of 167.35 and threw for 39 touchdowns. The other quarterback selection that might surprise you is Notre Dames's Jimmy Clausen. Yes Notre Dame had an abysmal season, but Clausen did not. He finished as the #2 rated passer in the nation with a QB rating of 161.42 with 28 touchdowns (TDs) and only 4 interceptions.

At running back, Heisman Trophy winner Mark Ingram got a complete snub, he is a very good player, but there were more accomplished running backs this year. Stanford's Toby Gerhard rushed for an NCAA leading 26 TDs and Fresno State's Ryan Mathews led the NCAA in rushing with 1,808 yards.

On the defensive line, unless you have been living in a cave you have already heard of Nebraska's DT Ndamukong Suh, but did you know that UCLA's Brian Price finished the season with an amazing 22.5 tackles for loss (TFL). Price's 22.5 TFLs rank him #2 in the nation in that statistic and the only other player weighing over 300 pounds within the top 14 is? You guessed it, Ndamukong Suh. I am not going to tell you that the 6' 2" 300 pound Price is in the same league as Suh, but then again, no one is. Suh is the highest rated player that I have ever seen enter the NFL Draft.

Maryland Junior linebacker Alex Wujciak made a surprise entry to our Post-Season All American Team. At 6' 3" 255 pounds he is a large, powerful, tackling machine recording 131 total tackles this year.

Small, but speedy offensive weapon Dexter McCluster from Mississippi made the team. He is just too good to ignore. I have him listed as a receiver, but he has developed more into a running back this season. In his last three games combined, he accumulated 524 yards and for the season he finished with 1,016 rushing yards and 6 TDs and another 475 receiving yards and another 3 TDs.

There was a serious youth movement on this post season All American Team. There were some freshmen and sophomores that were fantastic this year and I wanted to give them some credit.

North Carolina Sophomore defensive end Robert Quinn evolved into one of the most feared pass rushers in the nation finishing with 19 tackles for loss (TFL) and 11 sacks.

Sticking to the sophomore theme, there were a few defensive backs that were fantastic this year. UCLA cornerback Rahim Moore led the NCAA with 9 interceptions and Texas Safety Earl Thomas wasn't far behind with 8. Another young player that you will be hearing more about in the future is Alabama Safety Mark Barron. At 6' 2" 214 pounds he (Barron) can come up and lay the lumber and his 7 interceptions prove is also pretty solid in pass coverage.

Three freshmen managed to end up as NFL Draft Dog All Americans. Pittsburgh RB Dion Lewis, Oregon RB LaMichael James and Rutgers do everything playmaker Mohamed Sanu. Lewis was one of the best looking running backs in the entire nation, great balance, speed and power. RB Dion Lewis finished as the Big East Player of the Year and ranked #3 in the entire NCAA with a 136.67 yards per game average and 16 TDs.

Freshman RB LaMichael James saved Oregon's season when LaGarrette Blount got suspended. James finished the season ranked #8 in the NCAA with 123 yards per game average and 14 touchdowns.

Rutgers' true freshman Mohamed Sanu is half receiver and half running back and once you get a look at him you will quickly realize he is special. A rock solid 6' 2" 195 pounds he already has an NFL type body. For the season, Sanu accumulated 639 receiving and 361 rushing yards with 8 combined TDs. Rutgers already played their bowl game (St Petersberg Bowl) and Sanu was the star. Rutgers beat Central Florida 45-24 and Sanu finished with 3 total touchdowns, 2 rushing and 1 receiving.

Daryl's 2010 Mock Draft

1. St. Louis Rams: *Jimmy Clausen, QB, Notre Dame- Looks like the Rams will finally be the bride instead of the perpetual bridesmaid at the draft table. After drafting for singles the last couple years, spending picks on both lines, the Rams need to finally try and hit a home run. There’s no better way to breathe life back into a stale franchise than drafting a QB. Bradford could be the choice, but Clausen is the hotter prospect at the moment.

2. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Ndamukong Suh, DT, Nebraska- Despite finally getting their first win, things should still work out pretty good for the Bucs. They are in the perfect position to reap a substantial windfall from this pick, either by picking the best player in football (just ask the AP who that is) or trading the pick to a team that wants Bradford.

3. Detroit Lions: *Gerald McCoy, DT, Oklahoma- Detroit needs impact players nearly across the board and selecting this standout DT is a great way to continuing stocking the cupboard. An OT like Okung or Bulaga is a possibility as well, but this team finally realizes that it needs to invest in its’ front lines.

4. Kansas City Chiefs: Russell Okung, OT, Oklahoma State- I’ve been saying for 2 years now that Brandon Albert is no NFL LT and it seems people are finally beginning to agree with me after Albert has pretty much struggled through an awful 2009 season. Drafting Okung allows the Chiefs to slide Albert over to RT or back inside where he belongs. I had them taking Terrance Cody and that’s still a possibility. They need a NT to do what they want to do and they don’t have that on their roster right now.

5. Cleveland Browns: *Eric Berry, SS, Tennessee- I still don’t fully believe the Browns will draft a QB. They need talent almost all over the board and may choose address QB in round 2 with a guy like Tony Pike or the rising Sean Canfield. Berry would be too good to pass up here.

6. Washington Redskins: *Sam Bradford, QB, Oklahoma- The Redskins would crap themselves if it worked out this way. Things just haven’t worked out for Jason Campbell in DC and it’s in the best interest of both to part ways.

7. Oakland Raiders: Terrance Cody, NT, Alabama- Cody will never, ever, ever be mistaken for a workout warrior but he will put up strength numbers that will make people drool. That could be enough to get him a ticket to Oakland. Putting someone like Jason-Pierre Paul, Carlos Dunlap, Bruce Campbell or whatever other workout warrior specimen you can think of is a cop out.

8. Seattle Seahawks: *Jonathon Dwyer, RB, Georgia Tech- Seattle will likely be looking to put future pieces in place in their backfield come draft time. With Hasselbeck on his last legs and the RB chart looking rather uninspiring, the Hawks would get an instant boost from this tough runner.

9. San Francisco 49ers (from Carolina Panthers): Jerry Hughes, DE/OLB, TCU- The Niners need more than the 10 sacks top rushers Parys Haralson and Manny Lawson have provided this year. I see pass rushing OLB being a top priority for this Mike Singletary-led team.

10. Buffalo Bills: *Bryan Bulaga, OT, Iowa- The Bills need a new QB, again, but if there isn’t one available the Bills could do a lot worse than taking a top o-lineman. This team has 18 players on IR this year and it sure seems like 17 of them are lineman. Bulaga is no lock to enter the draft.

11. Denver Broncos (from Chicago Bears): Ricky Sapp, DE/OLB, Clemson- This is a gift pick for the Broncos, who through trades managed to swap their 1st round pick, in essence, for the Bears 1st round pick. With the Broncos inching to the play-offs and the Bears floundering, it seems to have worked out very well. Sapp is dangerous, a guy who will make hay in the pros and end up being a better pro than college player.

12. Pittsburgh Steelers: Dan Williams, DT, Tennessee- The Steelers have done a good job of preparing for the future at LB and with 2009 1st round pick Ziggy Hood in the mix at DE, taking Casey Hampton’s replacement and depth at CB are next on the list.

13. San Francisco 49ers: *Anthony Davis, OT, Rutgers- On the other side of the ball, the Niners need to plug some holes on the o-line. Davis is a Boston College product with great size, very good athleticism and through the roof potential.

14. Tennessee Titans: Brandon Graham, DE, Michigan- Tennessee’s d-line just hasn’t been the same this year and could use some more oomph. Graham’s breakout season has come during on the darkest periods in Wolverine history but he could be another LaMarr Woodley. He’s thought to have potential at LB as well.

15. Houston Texans: *Derrick Morgan, DE, Georgia Tech- Houston hasn’t gotten the return expected from their defensive line despite the presence of Mario Williams, whose chugging along with 8 sacks. Morgan will be very appealing as a do-it-all type of end with the potential to be great.

16. Atlanta Falcons: *Greg Romeus, DE, Pitt- It’s been a generally disappointing season for the Falcons. DE John Abraham is wearing down, 2009 1st round pick DT Peria Jerry has been hurt all year and 2007 1st round pick DE Jamaal Anderson has been a colossal disappointment. Enter the steady Greg Romeus. He has the size, speed and athleticism to make people drool and has very quietly been just as good Morgan and Griffin and better than Dunlap.

17. Jacksonville Jaguars: Brandon Ghee, CB, Wake Forest- CB Rashean Mathis has played well when healthy but the Jags secondary is not exactly to be feared, especially at CB. Ghee is another prospect that has quietly been very good this year. Expect him to make noise come draft time.

18. NY Giants: Brandon Spikes, LB, Florida- The Giants season has nearly collapsed with the team looking anything but on the same page at all times, save for the thrashing of the Redskins on MNF. They don’t have any major needs except better health and focus. Spikes is one of the best players available at this point and would give the G-Men a future replacement for Antonio Pierce.

19. Baltimore Ravens: Mardy Gilyard, WR, Cincinnati- Joe Flacco needs targets to throw too and Demetrius Williams’ performance against the Bears in Week 14 aside, their current collection of receivers is lacking. Gilyard is a special player. He may not measure quite as well as Dez Bryant and he’s a little thin but he has that “it” factor about him. That pulse, that feel that he could be a special player. Either way his abilities as a receiver and return man will have him in high demand come April.

20. NY Jets: Corey Wootton, DE, Northwestern- Give the Jets their due already. They’re starting a rookie QB (a guy who had only 16 starts in college), they have the league’s #1 defense in yards and points allowed and they’re at an even .500. This is a team on the right path for next year. If they keep the defence stocked and add a piece or two along the o-line. Wootton is a perfect fit in a Rex Ryan defence as he can line up inside or out, rush the passer and stop the run.

21. Miami Dolphins: *Dez Bryant, WR, Oklahoma State- The Dolphins need a gamebreaking receiver for Chad Henne and Bryant has all the skills he needs to become just that. Could go anywhere from top 5 to 2nd round.

22. Dallas Cowboys: Charles Brown, OT, USC- Lots of OT talent will be available and the Boys will certainly be targeting some of that talent in the draft. If they go for it in round 1 Brown could be a target as the best of the second tier of OTs’.

23. Seattle Seahawks (from Denver Broncos): *Joe Haden, CB, Arizona- Despite some big names and high picks at CB, the Seahawks aren’t that great at the position. Their secondary in general needs an infusion of talented youngsters and getting Haden at this point would be a boon.

24. Green Bay Packers: Jason Fox, OT, Miami- Pass protection has been a liability and Aaron Rogers has proven dangerous with a little time to throw the ball. Adding more pieces to the defence will be in order but the o-line should be the priority. Fox is a veteran of 35 games for the Hurricanes and could even go higher than this.

25. Arizona Cardinals: *Bruce Campbell, OT, Maryland- The Cards depth will be tested with Mike Gandy out. Their key to success is keeping Kurt Warner upright and flinging the ball around and that means investing in lineman. Campbell has the makings of a franchise LT but is considered a workout warrior with raw skills. He might be the best of the bunch left, unless Nate Solder from Colorado declares.

26. New England Patriots: CJ Spiller, RB, Clemson- Getting Spiller at this point for a team whose leading rusher, Laurence Maroney, has all of 735 yards and a 3.9 avg is a complete steal. Concerns that Spiller may not be big enough to handle the lion’s share of carries will keep from being a top 10 pick.

27. Philadelphia Eagles: Navorro Bowman, LB, Penn State- Some of the Eagles young talent at LB has either struggled to stay healthy, hasn’t performed to expectations or both. Picking up Will Witherspoon was shrewd and getting Stewart Bradley back healthy next year will help, but just in case the Eagles may look to add another LB as insurance.

28. Cincinnati Bengals: Jared Odrick, DT, Penn State- Despite their surprise season, the Bengals have needs before reaching elite status and making multiple play-off runs. Finding a Pro Bowl-calibre DT is high on the list. Odrick finally started to put things together this year and could sneak into the first round. He has the athletic ability to wow in workouts.

29. Minnesota Vikings: *Earl Thomas, S, Texas-The Vikings have gotten exactly 1 INT out of safeties Madieu Williams and Tyrell Johnson. Getting this playmaker would make a staunch defence even better.

30. San Diego Chargers: Mike Iupati, OG, Idaho- One of the Chargers biggest needs is RT. Iupati is nimble enough to kick out to the right or stay inside and develop into one of the league’s best interior lineman.

31. New Orleans Saints: Dennis Pitta, TE, BYU- Pitta’s production, while inflated, is tough to ignore. He stepped up as BYU’s top pass catcher after losing WR Austin Collie to the draft to lead the team across the board in all receiving categories. He has never missed a game and is a very mature, intelligent person. He’s too good to ignore for the Saints.

32. Indianapolis Colts: Syd’Quan Thompson, CB, Cal- While Cal’s disappointing season has put a damper on his draft prospects, Thompson turned in a fine season as one of Cal’s best players. The Colts could look at the o-line talent but Thompson is a Colt type of player.

Daryl's 2010 Mock Draft

1. Cleveland Browns: Ndamukong Suh, DT, Nebraska- By far the best player in college football right now. Would they spend another high draft pick on a QB? It’s a possibility but not a certainty.

2. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: *Jimmy Clausen, QB, Notre Dame-The Bucs don’t need a QB but probably won’t be making this pick, flipping it to someone interested in taking Clausen, Locker or Bradford.

3. St. Louis Rams: *Sam Bradford, QB, Oklahoma- For the Rams to continue starting over they need a QB. 2009 1st round pick Jason Smith will have a year of experience under his belt and hopefully will be able to hold down Bradford’s blind side next year. Bradford is a risky pick but the Rams have played it safe with little return from their top picks.

4. Oakland Raiders: *Eric Berry, S, Tennessee- Arguably the top junior defensive prospect, Berry finished #2 in tackling on the Vols D, and led the team in PBU and tied for lead in INT. Maybe one year the Raiders will surprise people and go away from their workout warrior routine.

5. Kansas City Chiefs: Terrance Cody, DT, Alabama- Could the Chiefs take another lineman? They need a NT and that’s not Glenn Dorsey. The lines will be a priority so don’t be surprised.

6. Detroit Lions: *Gerald McCoy, DT, Oklahoma- Like Kansas City, the Lions should be focusing up front since they have other pieces in place at important positions. McCoy helped spearhead the Big 12 top pass defence along with DE Jeremy Beal, a potential 1st round pick in 2011.

7. Buffalo Bills: Russell Okung, OT Oklahoma State- The Bills continue spinning their wheels, handing the team to QB Ryan Fitzpatrick and giving up on Trent Edwards. It’s not going to matter who is behind center unless they fix things up front.

8. Seattle Seahawks: *Jake Locker, QB, Washington– This is a great landing spot for Locker. Not only would he be staying in Washington where he’s beloved, he could sit behind Matt Hasselbeck until he was truly ready to take over. As Stafford and Sanchez are proving this year, it’s not all roses starting rookie throwers.

9. Washington Redskins: Brandon Graham, DE, Michigan- The bright spot of a dismal season for Michigan is Graham’s 25 TFL and 9.5 sacks. Who the heck knows what will happen with the Redskins. They probably won’t even keep the pick. If they do keep it, they could do a lot worse than adding Graham. They gave up a perfectly good DE in Brian Orakpo to turn him into a perfectly good SLB. Which means they still need an end.

10. San Francisco 49ers (from Carolina Panthers): Jerry Hughes, DE/OLB, TCU- The back-to-back MWC Def. Player of the Year finished with 11.5 sacks in his final collage season. 49ers are still looking for a dominant pass rusher as Manny Lawson leads the team with 4.5 sacks.

11. Denver Broncos (from Chicago Bears): Ricky Sapp, DE/OLB, Clemson- A hybrid player with tremendous athletic ability, Sapp racked up 12 TFL and 5 sacks this year. His ultimate position will likely be LB and he could turn out to be a better pro than college player.

12. New York Jets: Brandon Spikes, LB, Florida- Numbers have fallen off year to year but the Gators D has gotten better. Interesting coincidence but the Gator D is very talented. Still made big plays at the right moments and the eye gouging incident likely won’t hurt too much.

13. Tennessee Titans: Brandon Ghee, CB, Wake Forest- Not a pick-off artist but gets his hands on balls, is very solid all around and is battle tested. Teams are going away from him this year.

14. Houston Texans: *Derrick Morgan, DE, Georgia Tech- Morgan has really emerged this year with 17 TFL and 12.5 sacks. Houston has struggled rushing the passer despite investing money and picks on the unit.

15. New York Giants: Dan Williams, DT, Tennessee- Really liked him before the season started and even had him on my very, very early mock. Has been overshadowed by a multitude of guys at the position but is still a fantastic, consistent player.

16. Atlanta Falcons: *Greg Romeus, DE, Pittsburgh- This three year starter has racked up 37.5 career TFL with 19 sacks. Plays the run and the pass equally well but does little flashy. Just a playmaker with excellent potential and a large frame that will only get bigger.

17. Miami Dolphins: Mardy Gilyard, WR, Cincinnati- Gilyard really missed Tony Pike when the senior QB was hurt. Things re-clicked when Pike returned and Gilyard put up back to back 100-yard games to give him his 2nd career 1,000-yard season. Could eventually be the top receiver for the Dolphins.

18. Jacksonville Jaguars: Jared Odrick, DT, Penn State- His play tailed off at the end but he had a great year none the less. Odrick is very athletic and would look great playing next to the very large John Henderson.

19. San Francisco 49ers: Corey Wootton, DE, Northwestern- Was in the same mock draft as Williams was and got dropped for others but has proven he’s healthy with 4 sacks and 6 TFL in Northwestern’s last 5 games. Big frame with room to grow into a dangerous pass rusher and run stopper.

20. Seattle Seahawks (from Denver Broncos): *Jonathon Dwyer, RB, Georgia Tech- Hard to argue with Tech’s winning ways but you give Dwyer 150 of Josh Nesbitt’s carries and he might just lead the nation in rushing. A spectacular player who gives the Hawks a one-two punch for the future with Locker.

21. Baltimore Ravens: *Dez Bryant, WR, Oklahoma State- Ravens get a steal in Bryant, a receiver who was just coming into his own with 17 catches and 4 TD in only 3 games this year before his suspension.

22. Philadelphia Eagles: *Bryan Bulaga, OT, Iowa- Bulaga may very well stay at Iowa as the Hawkeyes will return quite a bit of their team next year, including QB Ricky Stanzi, their leading receiver and both leading rushers. The season turned sour with 2 late losses so the core might return for one more try.

23. Pittsburgh Steelers: Charles Brown, OT, USC- Another fantastic blocker with loads of potential, Brown could quickly become a centerpiece of the Steelers line.

24. Green Bay Packers: Jason Fox, OT, Miami- An o-line in shambles needs an infusion of good prospects. Fox has really come on this year and looks simply fantastic in pass protection. A sleeper but should be well known come draft day. For the record, I turned Rob onto this guy.

25. Dallas Cowboys: Darrell Stuckey, S, Kansas- A solid senior leader that is the backbone of the Jayhawk defense. Not racking up the stats this year but plays hard, attacks the run and doesn't give up many big plays. Leads the Jayhawks in tackles with 93.

26. Cincinnati Bengals: CJ Spiller, RB, Clemson- Spiller has set all sorts of records this year and would make a great compliment to Cedric Benson. A threat running, catching and returning kicks and has star potential.

27. Arizona Cardinals: *Joe Haden, CB, Florida- Played fantastic football this year, climbing draft boards and proving that he warrants first round consideration. Picked off 4 INT and 7 PBU this year.

28. San Diego Chargers: Micah Johnson, LB, Kentucky- Cracked 100 tackles for first time in his career and posted 6 games with 10+ tackles. Way better than many are giving credit and will fit in perfectly on a 3-4 team.

29. New England Patriots: Dennis Pitta, TE, BYU- Produces at a high level game in and game out and has been very durable throughout his career with only 1 missed game. Leads Cougars in receiving despite being the focal point for opponents.

30. Minnesota Vikings: Colt McCoy, QB, Texas- McCoy may lack the arm of an elite prospect but he has a knack for winning football games and making the right decisions. The Longhorns career passing leader in almost everything. Getting a year under Brett Favre would be great for his career.

31. New Orleans Saints: *Navorro Bowman, LB, Penn State- Flies around the field making plays. Bowman has great speed and athleticism and will fit best in an attacking defence like the one the Saints are employing.

32. Indianapolis Colts: *Earl Thomas, S, Texas- The future of Bob Sanders has become very murky as the safety struggles to stay healthy after receiving big money. Thomas is tied for second in the nation with 8 INT.

NFL Coaches on the Hot Seat

White hot

Dallas/Phillips Last week owner Jerry Jones told his coach in public what people had been saying for a year—Win in the playoffs or you're gone. There are just 3 problems with Phillips' chances for being back next year. First, the team has under the control of Phillips done very badly in December. An example of that was their 31-24 loss to the stumbling Giants last week. Second, the team has not won a playoff game since Moses was a small child, or at least to the fans it seems that long.

But the most significant reason is there are several “brand” name coaches that have won Super Bowls available. Names like Gruden, Cowher, and Shanahan make Jones drool. Jones wants to make a splash similar to the Jones Palace stadium. OC Jason Garrett is supposedly the coach in waiting. He will be waiting a long time because when the change is made Jer will go for the name not CIW. The Boys is a very attractive job because the team has under achieved for the entire tenure of Phillips.

Washington/Zorn Under Zorn the team's record has gotten worse each year. 2007- 9-7 2008 8-8 2009 3-9 to this point. Owner Daniel Snyder said he hurt for the fans at 2-5. He will not hurt for Zorn. The Z man is gone and Snyder will try to outbid the Boys for a name coach. The problem that he can not overcome is that he has much less talent on this team than Dallas has. The coaches with credentials will prefer the Boys to the Skins.

Oakland/Cable If Cable could only get the team to fight like the coaches do—oh well. Cable is on the hot seat because he benched QB disaster Russell and because his owner is Al Davis. Enough said.

Cleveland/Mangini Mangini thinks that the fan cry for his firing is just noise. Owner Lerner has talked about bringing in a football Czar with great cred to change the direction of the team. The problem is that reportedly he has invited several such potential Czars to interview. They have seen that job and wouldn't touch it with a 40 foot pole with a 30 foot extension. The only thing that might save Mangenous' job is that he has screwed the team and roster up so badly that no one with half a brain would want to even try to fix it.

Extremely warm seat

Tampa Bay/Morris and GM Dominik. Both are first time holders of their current jobs and are clearly in over their heads as head coach and GM respectively. In January 09 Morris was named Defensive Coordinator then went to get a haircut. When he came back, Gruden had been fired and he had been named Head Coach. When long time DC Monte Kiffin the new administration named Jim Bates to replace him and Jeff Jagodzinski to be Offensive coordinator. Ten days before the season started Jag was history because of a less than stunning preseason by the O. After the team dropped to 1-10 with a 38-7 loss to the Saints, Morris assumed DC responsibilities from Bates. The two took over a roster that started out 9-3 in 08 before injuries resulted in a 4 game losing streak and a 9-7 record.

The Owner Malcolm Glazer has to realize that both these bozos are way too inexperienced to handle their current jobs. He may choose to bring in an experienced people to help both try to learn on the job or fire them and try again depending on who is available.

Houston/Kubiac Kubiac took over the team in 06 and can't get this team over the .500 mark. In 07 and 08 the team was 8-8. The biggest problem they have is they can't seem to win division games against Indy and Tennessee. There was some hope as the Titans struggled earlier in the season but now they have climbed over the Texans due to tie breakers. That got the seat warming started. The seat has gotten hotter because Jacksonville is now a competitor for the wild card seat. The team is average and won't get above 500 without a super coach.

Starting to heat up

Chicago/Smith Smith has suffered as many critical injuries as any coach in the league. Those plus the resurgence of the Vikes have driven the Bears to a 5-7 record. He was under a lot of pressure after a 7-9 season in 07 but recovered a little last year with a reversal of that mark. Now even though he has coached the team to a Super Bowl, the heat is back. The Bears have gotten old. The trades and draft choices that GM Angelo has made have not worked out. Smith is going to have to win at least 3 of his final 4 games to survive. Angelo may go as well.

NY Giants/Coughlin Not many people are talking about Coughlin being on the hot seat but I think he is. After getting an extension with the Super Bowl win against the Pats in the 07 season, his team had a disappointing 08 and is stuck in 3rd place in the division in 09 with a 7-5 record. If the Giants don't make the playoffs and get to the NFC Championship game, Coughlin will be in trouble. He may survive one more year or may be gone in January.

Carolina/Fox This is another little talked about situation. This team was 12-4 last year but then folded in the playoffs due to interceptions thrown by QB Delhomme. This year Fox started him again only to be forced to replace him mid season. The team is 5-7 and will probably lose all 4 of their remaining games against NE, MIN, NYGiants and NO. If he goes 5-11 he is gone.

Cooling a bit

Jacksonville/Del Rio Last year Del Rio barely survived but he has the team playing much better this season and right now is line for a playoff spot. He has a tough schedule the rest of the way with games against NE and Indy. To make the playoffs he needs to win one of those games plus the two against the Browns and the Dolphins. If he makes the playoffs he is safe for a couple of more years. If not, he may not survive this off season.

That's what I think. Tell me what you think.

Bill Smith is a former coach of several semi-pro teams, has officiated both football and basketball, done color on radio for college football and basketball and has scouted talent. He is a senior writer for http://NFLDraftDog.com and edits http://fryingpansports.com. He has also published several novels on http://www.eBooks-Library/Contemporary/Author.cfm?AuthorID=1003 and edits http://fryingpanpolitics.blog.com.

QB Jimmy Clausen enters the 2010 NFL Draft

With the departure of Coach Charlie Weis last week, it was all but inevitable that Notre Dame QB Jimmy Clausen would enter the 2010 NFL Draft. I can't blame him, Clausen is widely considered an early 1st round draft pick and should be the first quarterback taken.

Even though he is only a junior, Clausen is well suited for the NFL. He has been a starter since he was a freshman and has started 35 games in which he has thrown 60 touchdowns. He is a big kid with not only NFL size (6' 3" 223 lbs), but a powerful NFL caliber arm.

Unlike a lot of college quarterbacks, Clausen has played in a pro style offense his entire career and is used to taking snaps from center. He was well coached by offensive guru Charlie Weis, who was the architect of the New England Patriots high powered offense. He (Clausen) processes informations and goes through his reads very quickly. Clausen has a cannon for an arm and can easily make all the throws in the NFL.

His favorite receiver Golden Tate has also declared for the 2010 NFL Draft. I am sure they made their decision together as it was announced on the same day (7 December 2009).

Clausen really came into his own this year and even though Notre Dame had a bad year, it wasn't at the fault of Clausen, he almost single handily kept them in the game during many of their close losses. Clausen finished the season ranked #2 in the NCAA in pass efficiency with a 161.42 quarterback rating. He also threw for 3,722 yards and 28 touchdowns with only four interceptions.

NFL Draft Dog currently has Clausen being drafted #2 overall to the Rams in our most recent 2010 NFL Mock Draft, but he could easily go 1st overall to the Browns or slide down a little to the Raiders, Redskins or Seahawks.

Decision Day for the Heisman Voters

This is a big day in college football, we all pretty much know that the winner of Alabama and Florida will most likely play Texas for the College Football National Championship. But another prize will be won or lost today, the Heisman Trophy.

Most voters will be casting their ballots based off what they see today (Saturday December 5th 2009), because at this point there isn't any clear front runner. My personal favorite is Nebraska defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh. He (Suh) is hands down the best player in college football and his stats, for a defensive lineman are impressive. He has recorded one interception, 10 passes defended, 6.5 sacks, 15 tackles for loss, one forced fumble, 12 quarterback hurries and 3 blocked kicks. Nebraska plays Texas for the Big 12 Championship on December 5th (7 PM) on national TV and if Nebraska wins and Suh dominates, he could emerge as the Heisman winner.

The deck is stacked against Suh however, no defensive lineman has ever won the award, although defensive end Hugh Green of the University of Pittsburgh finished second in 1980.

The front runner has to be Texas quarterback Colt McCoy, Texas will be heavily favored, but Nebraska has a tough defense and even though Texas should win, it might not be the flamboyant win that the Heisman voters are looking for.

The other big game is Alabama against Florida in the SEC Championship. Alabama RB Mark Ingram will be playing and if he has a huge game he could emerge as the Heisman front runner. Ingram is averaging 119 yards a game and Florida will be without one of their top defensive players in Carlose Dunlap who was recently suspended for DUI. Florida QB Tim Tebow will have his hands full with a tough Alabama defense, but if he has a huge game he could win the Heisman again. Ingram is coming off of a hip pointer though, so his performance will be in question.

We can't forget about Stanford RB Toby Gerhart, even though Stanford doesn't play today, Gerhart is ranked #2 in the nation with 1,736 yards an an amazing 26 touchdowns. If the above mentioned players stumble, Gerhart could sneak right in there and win the coveted Heisman. Stanford has a 8-4 record and I don't think anyone wants to try and tackle Gerhart at this point in the season.

With all the talk about Texas, Alabama and Florida, we forget there is another undefeated team out there with a Heisman caliber quarterback. Boise State's Kellen Moore has had a fantastic season throwing for 38 touchdowns. Boise State plays New Mexico today and that has been their achilles heal, they just don't play a tough schedule.

The ACC Championship game between Clemson and Georgia Tech also has a legitimate Heisman contender, Clemson RB C.J. Spiller is the most explosive offensive player in college football and with his blazing speed can take it to the house every time he touches the ball and he will touch the ball, besides running, he catches passes and returns punts and kicks. Spiller is a touchdown machine, he is the only player in college football that has scored a touchdown in every single game this year and he has nine scores of 50 yards or more.

Can an offensive guard (OG) win the Heisman? No, not going to happen, but if I was going to vote for one it would be Idaho Vandal Mike Iupati, this 6' 5" 333 pound powerhouse is an incredible talent. The Vandals ranked 12 in the nation averaging 451 yards per game. Iupati was recently selected as a first team American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) All American.