Fuerto's NCAA Football Preview

We're about at the time where one of the most interesting summers in a while - complete with an newfound American love for the World Cup, the Reds taking first place, and Vince hooking up with another porn star on Entourage - is coming to an end. Schools are starting to open back up, fantasy football leagues are drafting, and 45 year old single guys are once again living vicariously through high school kids courtesy of Yappi. With that said, I guess it's time to let you know how the college football season is gonna shape up.

Teams To Beat (Top 10)


1 Alabama Crimson Tide - I don't think they're gonna win it all, but as defending champs, with the defending champs, with the defending Heisman winner, they get the 1 spot until someone knocks them off. They return the best pair of running backs in the country in Mark Ingram and Trent Richardson, as well as a solid pass combo in Greg McElroy and Julio Jones. The defense is anchored by linebacker Dont'a Hightower, but could struggle against the pass - not good for a schedule that includes pass happy teams such as South Carolina, Arkansas, and Florida. Bottom line is that the Tide will be good - BCS good - but to ask them to run through another undefeated season may be too much.

2 Ohio State Buckeyes - The Buckeyes head into the season with high hopes after knocking off Oregon in January and could possibly be a season away from silencing all critics about the weakness of the Big 10 (With help from Wisconsin, Iowa, and Michigan St). The offense is loaded with playmakers in Terrelle Pryor, Brandon Saine, Boom Herron, Taurian Washington, and of course DeVier Posey, straight out of God's Chosen League. Defensively, they could struggle with getting pass rush as well as replacing some of the secondary, but corner Devon Torrence and linebacker Ross Homan will help out. Unfortunately, OSU may be stuck hoping Boise St loses a game to someone in the dreadful WAC, as they have three very losable games in Miami, Wisconsin, and Iowa, with the latter two on the road.

3 Boise State Broncos - Possibly the best mid major team ever? With Kellen Moore leading an impressive spread attack, a defense that gave up 17 points a game, and special teams as good as anyone in the country, The Broncos could be BCS crashers. An early win over Virginia Tech, and Boise will have smooth sailing the rest of the way. Boise St has lost one WAC game since 2005, and that was against statistically the best college quarterback to ever strap up a helmet, so I wouldn't expect anything from a conference that allowed Idaho to be bowl eligible last year.

4 Texas Longhorns - Year one of the Garrett Gilbert era begins with the Longhorns replacing a number of key starters such as Colt McCoy, Jordan Shipley, and Sergio Kindle. They will rely more on the rush attack with Tre' Newton and Fozzy Whittaker coming back. The defense, led by Sam Acho and Blake Gideon will be the strength of the team. If they can get past Oklahoma and Nebraska in back to back weeks, Texas could be playing for their second straight championship next January.

5 Florida Gators - The Gators are in a similar position as Texas. John Brantley will take the reigns at QB and has a few weapons in Jeff Demps, Chris Rainey, and Deonte Thompson. Unlike Texas, the offense is more of the strength, but the defense has future stars, such as Janoris Jenkins and Jon Bostic. Florida, however, has a much more difficult schedule, and is probably less likely to get through the season unscathed as Texas.

6 Texas Christian Horned Frogs - TCU heads into 2010 looking to make a statement after losing to Boise St last January. They had the number 5 rushing offense last year, but should open up the passing game with QB Andy Dalton and WR Jeremy Kerley back. Their date to circle is November 6 as TCU battles Utah to possibly represent the MWC in the BCS.

7 Oklahoma Sooners - Oklahoma enters on the sour note after completing one of the worst seasons in recent memory. QB Landry Jones returns as probably the best quarterback in the Big 12. The offense will have to gel quickly though as Florida State, Cincinnati, and of course, Texas, loom on the first half of the schedule.

8 Virginia Tech Hokies - Tyrod Taylor leads his Hokies for his senior year. Taylor had over 2500 total yard and 16 touchdowns last year, and will lead one of the most impressive rushing attacks in the country. They will play in the marque matchup of the early season against Boise St, and plays Georgia Tech, North Carolina, and Miami in consecutive weeks later.

9 Wisconsin Badgers - John Clay is about all you need to know for the Badgers this year. Possibly the best RB north of Alabama, JC will be key if Wisconsin wants to overtake Ohio St and Iowa in the Big 10 and make it to Pasadena.

10 Miami Hurricanes - JaCory Harris leads The U into 2010 with hopes of a Heisman and a National Title. With JC12 on the offense, and Ray Ray Armstrong anchoring the D, the Canes will need to knock off Ohio State early, and Georgia Tech and Virginia Tech in conference to make it to the end.

3 Super Sleepers

1 South Carolina Gamecocks - If there's ever a year for the Ole Ball Coach to take down his old Gators and win the SEC East, this is it. The skill positions are loaded with future first round WR Alshon Jeffery and Stephen Garcia, who threw for 2862 yard last year. Add to that freshman Marcus Lattimore (#1 RB) and WR Ace Sanders (sub 4.4) and you have a lot of weapons on O. The D is anchored by one of the best CB in the NCAA in Stephon Gilmore and LB Shaq Wilson. The Gamecocks may be a year away from national title hopes, but they certainly have a chance in the down SEC East.

2 Auburn Tigers - Pardon the southern bias, but Alabama's arch rival may have the best shot at taking them down. The O-line returns 4 of 5 starters, always a recipe for success. Florida transfer Cameron Newton will take over at QB and try to build on the Tiger's strong finish, beating Northwestern in an Outback Bowl thriller. If Newton steps up and the O-Line remains strong, there's no reason to think Auburn can't make the BCS this year.

3 Houston Cougars - Case Keenum will look to keep his stats rolling after leading the NCAA with 5671 yards and 44 TDs last year. The defense sucks, but that doesn't matter when you average 42 points per game. It also doesn't hurt that your schedule features offensive "juggernauts" such as Texas State, UTEP, Memphis, and Southern Miss. The Cougars are capable of putting up points on anyone, and with their soft schedule, can definitely put together an undefeated regular season.

The Hunt for Red October

To answer your question, no, the Mack is Berning trio has not been hammered for the past 3 plus weeks...or at least not every day. The only thing that has woken me from my writer's slumber is this team some refer to as the Cincinnati Reds...and of course that 104 mph fastball that I could feel from all the way here in North Mack. Anyways, alert the millions, the drought is over.

The following article is a replica of my debut in the St. Xavier Blueprint. I'll apologize in advance if it lacks the usual Burnside furniture fair style and flair, but you have to realize not every chump at St. X that will be reading this is as bro as you are. So without further ado...


Reds baseball in September? That’s a funny joke. Coming from a franchise that hasn’t even fielded a winning team in a decade, it’s about that time of the year these guys should be hosting tryouts for next year’s squad. But that was then and this is now. Fresh off an impressive 5-1 homestand, the Cincinnati Reds are still flying high in September. The Redlegs are currently perched atop the NL Central in what had been known as the tightest two-team pennant race in major league history through the first 4 months of the season. Speaking of the NL Central, with the sweep of the Milwaukee Brewers this past week, the Redlegs improved to a staggering 17-3-1 in series against division opponents. It just doesn’t get much better than that. Anyways, since being swept by the St. Louis Cardinals at home just three weeks ago, the Reds have gone on to post a 14-4 record, and more importantly, have built an 8 game lead over the Cards. This remarkable momentum swing, coupled with the excitement of “Chapmania” has this city thinking playoffs. In case you haven’t noticed, this team is for real. The offensive attack, led by MVP candidate and Triple Crown hopeful Joey Votto, leads the league in hitting and runs, while the defense boasts an equally as impressive mark as tops in the league with the fewest errors. Quality baseball is something Cincinnati fans have not seen as of late, and as the Redlegs head into final month of the season on their quest for the playoffs, it’s time for this city to get rowdy again.

Even with an 8-game lead, it’s easy to think these Reds will surely find a way to muff what seems to be a storybook season (see Bearcat basketball). For all you pessimists out there, yes, teams have found ways to blow these types of leads before in the final month of the season, but I really don’t see that happening with this squad. For one, of the 29 games remaining on the Reds schedule, a whopping 20 of these games are against sub .500 opponents including home series with cellar dwellers such as the AA Pirates and Arizona D-backs. Two more trips out west (and a mere total of 6 games) remain on the schedule, but after the recent success out in the land Horace Greeley once implored Americans to explore, there needn’t be much to fear. Speaking of playing on the road, the Reds are an impressive 37-28 away from Great American Ballpark, and lead the majors with 5 road series sweeps. I’d say that bodes well for a post-season hopeful team. A trip to St. Louis this weekend that only weeks ago might have seemed a key series for the Reds postseason hopes is now honestly just another series. Bottom line is that if the Reds play even just decently down the stretch, the post season is theirs as they control their own destiny.


While pitching has been a concern all year for this ballclub, I’m pleased to announce the Reds now have a Cuban Missile Crisis on their hands. In case you haven’t heard, Chapmania is here ladies and gentlemen. We have already gotten two glimpses of what the young Cuban phenom can do on the bump at the big league level, and it is mind blowing. The kid’s got a fastball that tops out at 105 mph and a slider that drops off the face of the earth. It’s not fair, really, but look for the Reds to continue to utilize this weapon of mass destruction down the stretch. In the final month, also look for the Reds to continue to mix and match their starting rotation to find the right 3-man rotation come playoff time. Even though this staff doesn’t have a bonified ace, guys like Bronson Arroyo and Johnny Cueto can certainly hold their own and will be vital parts to any sort of playoff success.


Under the guidance of veterans Scott Rolen and Brandon Phillps, along with the emergence of unsung heroes such as Miguel Castro, Ryan Hanigan, and, Xavier French ‘11’s boy Paul Janish, the Reds have taken the league by surprise with their aggressive, and quite frankly successful, style of play. Johnny “Chawny” Gomes has been at the forefront of this aggressive play more times than not, and it really makes this Redlegs squad an exciting team to watch. And of course how could I rattle off a list of players without mentioning Sir Joey Votto. Talk about a guy who keeps his mouth shut and talks with his game. He is a nightmare for any pitcher, and has provided one clutch hit after another all season long. Not to mention he picks it with the best of ‘em down at first base. He really didn’t become relevant until his All-Star snub just 2 months ago, and ever since he has been doing what he’s done all year: tearing it up. The offensive surge has shown little signs of slowing down, and with the recent call-ups of Juan Francisco, Chris Valaika, and Yonder Alonso, I only see this offense being more dangerous with more weapons

With the Reds currently ahead of the St. Louis Cardinals by a whopping 8 games, the post-season is beginning to look more and more attainable. It’s almost as if I’m dreaming considering the pain I have endured as a die-hard Reds fan over the past decade and a half. I’d be lying if I said I, along with many other faithful in Mr. Cappel’s reer’d home room last year, wasn’t calling this last back in the winter, but that’s largely irrelevant. Moral of the story is that this team has silenced its doubters time and time again throughout the year, and it’ll undoubtedly be exciting to see the GAB rocking come September as the hunt for October continues. Fasten your seatbelts Reds fans, here comes the homestretch.