Being the top team in the Big 12 North, Bo Pelini’s football team looks to take the country by storm and put Cornhusker football back on top. After a 9-4 season a year ago, the Cornhuskers are fresh off a Gator Bowl victory over Clemson and led by runninback Roy Helu Jr, a junior who rushed for 803 yards on 125 carries with seven touchdowns. With quarterback Joe Ganz moving on to the NFL, the Huskers are very inexperienced at quarterback and will be led by Zac Lee, a junior who got the job after Patrick Witt transferred to Yale. For the Nebraska offense, they will live and die with the performance of Lee, and Helu Jr will have to get it going on the ground. If Helu can hit the holes and help Nebraska establish the run, Lee should have an easier time in the passing game. Lee’s top returning target is TE Mike McNeill, a junior who caught 32 passes for 442 yards and four touchdowns. Pelini’s team is very young on offense, and it will remain to be seen whether they can overcome the defenses of the Big 12, as the Huskers face Texas Tech and Oklahoma at home. The most intriguing non-conference game is at Virginia Tech where Nebraska travels out to Blacksburg on September 19th. Tech is returning an experienced offense led by Tyrod Taylor, to know just how far the Huskers can go this season, all you have to look at is the performance in this game. Nebraska shut down Clemson’s offense in the Gator Bowl and the defensive oriented Pelini will need his black shirts to step up.

On defense, the Huskers return seven starters, and as returning starters doesn’t mean everything, experience is very key and Nebraska has it on defense. With a squad that allowed 28 points per game last season, Pelini’s team will have to perform at their highest level and possibly gives scares to Texas Tech and Oklahoma along with Virginia Tech in non conference play. The most exciting returnee is DT Ndamukong Suh, a stud pass rusher and run stopper who plays as unusual as his name. Suh collected 75 tackles, 16 for loss and 7.5 sacks. Nebraska has the longest win streak in their conference and Suh is the vocal point of a defense that has the country thinking the old Nebraska is back. Being the top defensive tackle in the country, yes that’s right in the country, everyone needs to learn how to say hsi name correctly before Roger Goodell is calling it in the first round of the NFL Draft. With a rare combo of size and speed, the Huskers will have one of the best run defenses in the country and startle North conference foes in Kansas and Colorado. With a tough schedule this year, the Huskers look to go 9-3 in the regular season along with a Big 12 North title, only sending them to the gallows to either face Texas, Oklahoma or Oklahoma State. With Suh anchoring a tough defense, Bo Pelini has another Glenn Dorsey like player and could spell success like he had at LSU.

With Aaron Rodgers at quarterback, the Green Bay Packers haven’t ruled out signing free agent quarterback Michael Vick. Vick, who is fresh off a 23 month prison sentence, has a list of teams that have expressed interest in the 29 year old run and gun quarterback. Not playing since 2006, Vick looks to be hungry to get back on the field as he threw balls to high schoolers in Virginia Beach yesterday.

 With the UFL as a possible  option, some say Vick’s best option is to go play the six game season in the UFL, prove himself then go on to the NFL. To this point, it looks like Green Bay is the top suitor as several players and even GM Ted Thompson has expressed an interest in Vick who led Virginia Tech to the national championship game in 1999. Thompson was quoted earlier this week by saying, “What is the answer that we give to questions like this? We’re always looking to improve our team,” Thompson said. “We look at all options at all times. I wouldn’t care to speculate in terms of the odds or the percentages [of signing Vick] or anything like that.” So this isn’t a bold prediction that Vick will be a Packer but after linebacker Nick Barnett tweeted that he would love to have Vick in the spread formation, the situation is starting to look clearer. Aaron Rodgers isn’t an elite quarterback, and barring injury, Vick would be a benefitial back-up. Without playing a down since the ’06 season, it’s more than likely his skills would be a little rusty so that is why I think he should play in the UFL to show what he’s got. But with Vick, anything is possible so it’s unknown what he will do, but for now Packer fans, just hope Vick comes your way because he would be a good addition to any team.

Seven years removed from Jim Boeheim’s run to a national championship, the Syracuse Orangemen have signed another player named “Melo,” this one from Brazil. Fab Melo is a seven foot center from Brazil who moved to Florida several years ago. Rated by Rivals as the #2 center in the class of 2010, Melo should add to an already stacked class where the Orange have signed four star small forward C.J. Fair and shooting guard Dion Waiters.

 Fab Melo isn’t his real name as the Brazilian was born Fabricio de Melo. With a large wingspan and athletic ability, the Orangemen should vie for another title in 2010, this time with another freshman named “Melo” in the Carrier Dome where Big East dominance has been common. Coming off a season where the Orange went 28-10, losing to Oklahoma in the Sweet Sixteen, Boehiem is another coach with a stacked class for 2010, that includes PF Jared Sullinger and Harrison Barnes. This class is one of the best in years and has been compared to the class of 2006 which featured OJ Mayo, Derrick Rose, and Kevin Love. With Melo back in Syracuse, the hoops game looks to be back on top.

Running a 4.3 40 yard dash at 6’3″ 235 lbs is amazing, knocking out the incoming receiver and your own cornerback is amazing, for Pete Carroll his strong safety Taylor Mays is amazing. Forgoing the NFL Draft, Mays decided to come back to Los Angeles and try to win a national championship, something that USC is always expected to do each season. This year, the hopes for the Trojans are that much higher even with the departure of QB Mark Sanchez, LB’s Clay Matthews, Brian Cushing, and Rey Mauluga, the Trojans still are the most talented team in college football. Mays, at his usual spot in coverage, will control the skies for opposing teams and lay hits whenever necessary. Coming back for his senior season, the Seattle native looks to improve on the 53 tackles he made as a junior in a season where Mays was an All-American on everyone’s list and was a finalist for the Thorpe Award. With his size and speed, Mays is an NFL coach’s dream for a strong saftety, showing Ed Reed’s versatility, Jack Tatum’s power when delivering the blow and the playmaking ability of Brian Dawkins. Never in the history of college football have we seen a player of his size and skill.

Coming into his freshman year in 2006, most people were star struck when they saw #2 run onto the field, and for most Trojan fans this was another player in the line of stars USC has produced in the past few seasons. From Carson Palmer to Reggie Bush, Pete Carroll has installed an NFL factory on campus, and Mays looks to be the best yet. With SEC fans claiming Eric Berry is the best safety in the country, they obviously haven’t come out west. Not only did Mays shut down the Ohio State offense, Mays showed every Pac-10 opponent that if they threw the ball his way, their receiver would pay the price. In the Rose Bowl, Mays laid a hit on Penn State WR Jordan Norwood that not only knocked out Norwood, the blow landed in the chest of CB Kevin Thomas, which knocked out the fellow Trojan. In a class of college football stars including Florida QB Tim Tebow, Texas QB Colt McCoy and Cal RB Jahvid Best, Taylor Mays is far beyond the best player in college football.

With the Trojans playing at Ohio State, Mays looks to control the passing game of Terrelle Pryor and the Buckeyes and help lead USC to a national championship berth, something they haven’t experienced since Vince Young and Texas beat the Trojans in Mays’ senior year of high school. For USC, Rose Bowl berths are not enough and Mays wants to take USC to the title game which will be in Pasadena this season. Under scrutiny for NCAA violations, USC coach Pete Carroll looks poised to take his team to the BCS Championship Game and pay them well also. I heard Mays is making around $500,000 a year, just playing but really, Mays is THE BEST player in college football and will show the nation that by winning the Thorpe Award and helping USC win an eighth consecutive Pac-10 title, if not the national title.

For the past ten years, quarterbacks taken first overall have struggled mightily in their first season. Tim Couch, Eli Manning, David Carr, Jamarcus Russell and Alex Smith just to name a few. For Detroit Lions and former Georgia quarterback Matthew Stafford, that is not the case. Stafford scored amazingly well on the Wonderlick test at 32, started all three years at Georgia, and showed he could make every throw that it would take to become an NFL quarterback.

 Joining the 0-16 Lions, Stafford’s expectations aren’t too high as the entire city of Detroit is submerged in poverty, famine and lack of essential resources in the area. With an unemployment rate at 24%, the people in the city are looking for something to hang their hat on and something to look forward to. Stafford may be the light at the end of the tunnel as the Lions return a team improved from a season ago, and the former Bulldog will have very good targets in WR Calvin Johnson and TE Brandon Pettigrew. Signing a contract early on in negotiations, Stafford has been involved in all OTA’s and training camp practices, only improving his chances of starting this season and performing well.

Stafford has always been a fast starter, most notably his freshman season at Georgia where Stafford started as a true freshman, throwing for 1,749 yards and 7 TD’s. Although he threw 13 interceptions, Stafford showed glimpses of greatness and the Detroit fans will hope for the same this year. Battling with Daunte Culpepper, the competition for the starting job should only make each quarterback better. Culpepper had a rough year last season as did each player on the team, passing for 786 yards and 4 TD’s. Culpepper was coming off knee surgery after a season ending surgery in 2006, and has never been the same.

The Lions should be much improved this season as new head coach Jim Schwartz looks to at least win one game this season and Detroit starts off with a road game in the Superdome in New Orleans. For the first six games, Detroit might lose all six as they play at New Orleans, home vs the Vikings, home vs the Redskins, at Chicago, home against the Steelers then at Green Bay. This seems like a brutal schedule for a team that hasn’t won a game since 2007. Detroit’s likely wins are November 1st, in a home game vs St. Louis, the next week at Seattle, then November 22nd in a home game against the lowly Cleveland Browns, a team that I think honestly the Lions could have beat last year if they had played. Detroit did beat Cleveland in the preseason, and the Browns have some of the same problems as Detroit in that both teams are going through coaching changes, they both have a quarterback controversy and are cities that have high unemployment rates. After a winless season, the expectations aren’t too high for Stafford and with his current situation it looks like he might have a chance to win Rookie of the Year and bring the Detroit franchise to a win total around five, mediocre for most teams but just right for the Lions.

In the Pittsburgh Pirates record 17th consecutive losing season, to the average fan it looks like there is nothing that can salvage their season. With GM Neil Huntington trading away six of the nine opening day starters, most fans are unfamiliar with the players on the field now but the one thing all Pirates fans can enjoy is up and coming center fielder Andrew McCutchen.

Only 22 years of age, McCutchen has been the Pirates best player since he was called up on June 3, replacing the 2008 All-Star Nate McClouth, who was dealt to Atlanta. Batting .296 with 7 HR’s and 32 RBI’s, the five tool outfielder looks to be a lock for Rookie of the Year. When the Pirates management called up the 5’11″ 175 lb McCutchen, they expected him to be good but not great this early on in his career.

For the native of Fort Myers, Florida, Andrew McCutchen realizes what he has done for the city of Pittsburgh just in his two months on the team. Upset by the trades Huntington has made and the performance on the field, the fans needed something good to talk about. When #22 hit the field, there was already a buzz going around PNC Park that had been missed with the departure of Barry Bonds in 1992. In his first game, McCutchen went 3-4, with a double and two singles, remarkable for a debut.

Only in 54 games, McCutchen has five triples, good enough for first in the league along with former Pirate Nyjer Morgan who was traded earlier this season also to the Washington Nationals. It’s a game against the Nationals that will live on for McCutchen’s career. On August 1st, the last place Pirates squared off against the last place Nationals. For the fans at the game, all they expected was bad baseball with two teams that deserved to be playing AAA ball. The rookie stepped up and had the stadium rocking. On that night, Andrew belted three home runs and drove in six RBI’s in an 11-6 win for the Bucos. McCutchen became the 10th Pirate to hit three bombs in one game and the first to do so in their rookie year. Even when the Pirates are down a few runs and have positioned themselves far behind the Cubs for first place, when McCutchen steps in, the fans around the stadium give off a playoff like buzz because when Huntington talks of a “youth movement,” it starts with Andrew and for most Pirate fans, that’s a great start for a team that seems to not know how to finish.

Following David Ortiz’s positive steroid test in 2003, the Boston Red Sox have enjoyed the luxury of playing at home for the past six games. With nobody bashing the Boston slugger, the Sox have performed well positioning themselves for a run at the Yankees for first place.

New York, is a team that has had the same situation already this season, with Alex Rodriguez’s positive test in May. When the Bronx Bombers went to play in Fenway Park, A-Rod took a psychological beating from the fans and most New York fans remember this very vividly. “A-Roid,” “A-Fraud,” “Cheater,” “At least our team is clean,” were chants that were heard from the Red Sox fans. Well now their whole team is linked to steroids and it will be exciting to see if the always more brutal New York fans will get on not only Ortiz but the whole team. With all the steroid allegations coming from all levels of the franchise, I wouldn’t be surprised to find out that Terry Francona was juicing so he could dip more.

The series starts on Thursday, and continues through  Sunday. Winless against Boston, the Yankees hope to change their fortune and take a large lead in the division. With the surging Rays coming up from third place, it would be awesome to see Tampa take over the Wild Card lead and send Boston back home to the harbor. Starting on the mound for New York in the opening game of the series will be Joba Chamberlain, who has been hot as of late, going at least seven innings and winning his last three decisions. Opposing Chamberlain is longtime veteran John Smoltz, the tale of the tape for Smoltz is the exact opposite of Chamberlain as Smoltz who is 2-4 with a 7.12 ERA has been shelled and when he pitches, Boston struggles.

For Joe “Doesn’t Know What He’s Doing,” Girardi, it would be benefitial if the Yankees could jump out to an early series lead to send a message. If this is to happen, the top of the lineup needs to keep producing, and the bottom will have to get hits like they did the last game against the White Sox as Melky Cabrera hit for the cycle. The newly acquired Jerry Hairston Jr needs to be in the lineup and Nick Swisher should be in the clubhouse taking batting practice. With Girardi, anything is possible, so don’t expect Hairston to be in center, or Johnny Damon or Cabrera to be in right or left. The Yankees are too talented to have a manager like Girardi, when Swisher is batting second with his .230 average, something is wrong. Let’s hope the players can make up for Joe’s blunders and the Yankees sweep the “PED” Sox.

Entering his ninth season as the Ohio State football coach, Jim Tressel is in his 35th overall season and many times has stated when he hits his 40th year he wants to call it quits. As heard on The Big Show on 97.1 The Fan here in Columbus, if that was the case who would you want as the coach of the Ohio State Buckeyes?

With a 70-17 record at Ohio State, Jim Tressel has cemented his place as one of the best coaches in Buckeye history, winning a national championship in 2002, capturing five Big Ten championships and owning a 7-1 record against arch rival Michigan. With a conservative approach, Tressel’s teams have been known for being slow paced, run oriented and Ohio bred. As of late, Tressel has transformed this team into a more athletic, fast paced team that has dominant defense. Keeping the same coordiators on both sides of the ball for the past four seasons, Tressel’s teams have played poorly in big time games and have looked unathletic and slow against the top tier teams from around the country. With a revamped offense and defense coming into 2009, Ohio State has starters from all across America. Starting at LE, Cameron Heyward is a product of Suwanee, Georgia and has started since his freshman year in 2007. At linebacker, the Buckeyes have two starters from South Florida in Brian Rolle and Etienne Sabino. Tressel hopes to play more man defense and pass the ball to the large group of shifty receivers the Buckeyes possess. With such great talent flowing in for Ohio State, if Tressel were to step down, who would you hire?

Possible Candidates

1. Urban Meyer, Head Coach-Florida-Northeast Ohio native, who was once on John Cooper’s staff in the 90′s. Meyer is the head coach at Florida and in five years has won two SEC championships and along with that two BCS National Titles. An innovative coach that gets the best out of his players, Meyer would be a great fit at Ohio State. Meyer has planted deep roots in the hotbed of football, Florida, and if he were to come to Ohio State, would bring much more athleticism to a team that lacked it severly when Meyer and Florida beat up on the Buckeyes 41-14 in 2006. Developing athletic swing players like Percy Harvin, Jeffery Demps and Tim Tebow, Meyer could do the same at Ohio State. If Urban could bring a new approach to Ohio State football with his creative packages, just imagine what the Buckeyes could do.
2. Turner Gill, Head Coach- Buffalo-Taking the once winless Buffalo Bulls from cellar dweller to MAC Champs, Gill would bring a hardwork mentality to a Buckeyes team that has had off the field issues lately. Not taking anything from anybody, Gill would bring a hardnosed mentality to Ohio State and teach his players what it is like to win a national title, he won a championship with Nebraska as a player in 1984. Gill is a hungry coach that is still upset over not getting the job at Auburn and would be good for Ohio State considering we already have the talent, a move for Gill could put us over the top.
3. Mark Dantonio, Head Coach-Michigan State- Dantonio, who was Jim Tressel’s Defensive Coordinator from 2002-05 at Ohio State, is another of the Tressel tree that continues to coach schools all over the midwest. An aggressive defensive coach who has a run oriented offense, Dantonio has ignored the personnel on defense and has continued to blitz heavily and get pressure on the quarterback while stuffing the run. With a tough defense last season led by DT Justin Kershaw, the Spartans won seven games and made it the Capital One Bowl. After helping bring Cincinnati to where they are today, Dantonio has had a great resume at Michigan State, recruiting Ohio very well and winning games in the Big Ten. With a system related to Tressel’s, the transition would be easy for the players, would it work in big games?
4. Kirk Ferentz, Head Coach-Iowa-Going into his ninth season at Iowa, Kirk Ferentz has consistently had teams that know how to play football the right way and compete. Splitting the Big Ten Championship with Ohio State in 2002, Ferentz has known how to recruit and get his players ready to play. With a team that can run the ball very well, Ferentz’s teams have always lacked a quality quarterback and if he landed the job at Ohio State in the near future, it’s more than likely that he would have that for the Buckeyes. Having an above average record at Iowa is impressive, but would Ferentz’s success carry over to Ohio State?
5. Jim Heacock, Defensive Coordinator-Ohio State-Heacock has been successful as Jim Tressel’s defensive coordinator the past three seasons but has been cited as play calling too soft in the big games. Heacock is part of the Tressel bunch that has landed jobs all across the midwest. With a 33-6 record as defensive coordinator, it’s more than likely that Heacock would be hired by Tressel, who more than likely would be deeply involved in the hiring process. Tressel has always made sure to keep his coaches occupied, so Heacock could be a viable option. With the big time losses, Heacock hasn’t received any attention for head coaching jobs elsewhere, so why would he work at Ohio State? If Heacock isn’t popular among fans of the Buckeyes, would you want him as your coach?

With all these coaches mentioned, who do you think would be the best fit? Is it the above five or another coach? You tell me, all I know is that Tressel is seriously considering retirement in the next five seasons and with the talent Ohio State continues to reel in, an experienced and innovative coach would work best for the Buckeyes. Or do you believe Ohio State needs to hire another young, not well known coach similar to Tressel? It worked once, would it work again? You be the judge? Meyer, Gill, Dantonio, Ferentz or Heacock, or do have other ideas? Submit your comments and tell me what you think.

Riding into his first full year of a starter, Buckeye quarterback Terrelle Pryor hopes to show the nation that he is a passer that also runs not vice versa. Already being named Preseason Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year, the sophomore  has high expectations this season after starting ten games a season ago. Taking Texas to the wire, Pryor showed accuracy in the pocket but will need to start throwing the ball downfiled more and quit throwing the ball like a dart. At times last season, Pryor looked like a deer in the head lights in the pocket and sometimes tried to do too much and make a big play, most notably, the fumble at home against Penn State that resulted in a 13-7 loss for Ohio State. Although, Pryor did fumble against the Nittany Lions, Pryor showed just what he can do throwing the football for 227 yards. If the Jeanette grad can make the easy passes and take chances downfiled, Ohio State should be in good shape this season and look to make a Rose Bowl appearance.

After leading the Big Ten in passing efficiency as a true freshman, Terrelle hopes to improve on his 60% completion percentage and increase the average yards per pass that last season was at 7.95. Only throwing four interceptions last year, Pryor has set high expectations for himself as Ohio State will throw the ball more this season, it will be exciting to see where his passing game will go this season. With WR’s Deveir Posey, Ray Small, Lamaar Thomas, Dane Sanzenbaccher, Duron Carter, James Jackson and Taurian Washington all catching the ball this season, Pryor has a plethera of receivers with speed and great hands, Pryor’s game should reach a new level in terms of his passing game and once he gets defenses settled on the pass, thats his time to use his athleticism and get yards on the ground. With a player at Pryor’s level and ability, Ohio State will keep opposing defenses off balance and that will be the key to Ohio State’s success. Jim Tressel has already stated that the Buckeyes will pass much more, expect Pryor to throw for 2,500 yards and rush for at least 700 yards. If Pryor has a really big year, the sophomore from Pittsburgh might be one of the four finalists for the Heisman Trophy.

The club is a group of tightknit ball players that put aside their stardom they enjoy at their respective high schools, and get the job done as one. As Catcher Caleb Woodson puts it, “Hard work and god given talent with good coaching combine to form a great team that shines on and off the field.”

In a day and age where youth athletes receive exposure for their talents in atheltics, the same can be said for this team. Tyler Stage, one of the team’s top pitchers threw a complete game, one-hitter today in the Buckeye Elite Showdown, a tournament involving teams from all over the Midwest and Canada. Stage, who will be a senior in the fall, has received interest in many D1 schools across the country, including Kent State, West Virginia, and Virginia Tech, due in part to the velocity he has on his fastball. In the showcase before the Buckeye Elite tourney, Stage hit 89 four times on the radar gun, major league speed from a kid still maturing. Stage looks on pace to be pitching on the Big Stage one day.

Another dominant pitcher that scouts are drooling about is Josh Dezse, an incoming senior who also gets it done at the plate, batting around .600. Dezse has been scouted by virtually every team in the Big Ten and around the country including Ohio State, Michigan State, and Louisville.  Dezse was recently offered a full ride scholarship to Ohio University but has yet to make a committment to any school. Dezse hopes to be drafted next June, the same draft that SI wunderkid Bryce Harper will be entering, another player this team has defeated.

The next star-studded athlete is Brad Carrico, who also happens to play baseball. Carrico, who is 6′6″, 250 LBS, is an everyday player when he is not at football, which seems to be his calling card. Carrico, another incoming senior, was offered a full ride scholarship to play football for the Cincinnati Bearcats, the reigning Big East Champions and Orange Bowl participant. Probably the most jaw dropping stat about Carrico is that the big guy runs a 4.85 40 yard dash, a very rare statistic for someone his size.

Baseball runs in the blood of loyal fans everywhere and the next mentioned player literally has the blood line. Mike O’Neill, nephew of former Yankee and Red, Paul O’Neill, is another aspiring prospect. O’Neill has been scouted by Michigan State and Louisville and ran a 6.5 in the 60 yard dash. Success stories are a plenty with players that have the genetics to get it done, and O’Neill looks to be right on track.

Isaac Beller is another key part to a team that looks immune to anything thrown their way. Similar to the Braves pitching staffs of the 90s, the Ohio Elite squad has a solid rotation of future D1 players. Beller, is another good one. In his last game he pitched, Ohio University made the trip up from Athens to watch the prospect throw a game in which he won decisively. Another great performance from a club that seems to come up clutch every summer.

The next two spotlights are on two players I know very well. Patrick Moreland and Caleb Woodson are two players that have played together since tee-ball and continue to get it done each year. Moreland, who is coming off an arm injury, has blazing speed on the basepaths, swiping 15 bags in 20 games. The most compelling stat is that Moreland, who will be a junior at Dublin Coffman next year, has only been caught stealing once, impressive considering he is running on the top pitchers and catchers in the country. Woodson, the catcher and arguably funniest guy on the team, drew the interest from the head coach of Indianapolis University, a D2 program in the state’s capital. Woodson has a rocket arm and a slick bat, similar to Joe Mauer. These two seem to get better each summer and do everything in their power to lead their teams to success.

It’s really amazing in the age of contract disputes and selfish superstars, that a team composed of cant miss prospects is getting it done at such a great rate and meanwhile having fun in the process.

“We just go out there and get the job done, no matter what. This team is a team, nobody is an individual and we let the country know that in each and every tournament,” Moreland was quoted the day before the Championship Round of Buckeye Elite.

Ohio Elite looks to play in the Championship at Bill Davis Stadium, the home of THE Ohio State Buckeyes tomorrow, time still has yet to be determined due to the rain the past two days. Make sure to check this team out, and see the promise of this team and the players on it, and see for yourself how these guys are the real deal. They arent called Ohio Elite for no reason.