Utah State preview: board the train to nowheresville

Previewing the WAC seems like a good job for an intern. Unfortunately, we do not have an intern. Ugh. Previously: SJSU, LaTech, Fresno State, Hawaii. Today: Utah State.

  Utah State

  Team motto: "Failure is totally an option"





By far, the high point of last year for the Utah State Aggies was winning in consecutive weeks against Idaho and New Mexico State to finish the season. If that doesn't set the recruiting trail abuzz, then we don't know what will.



The Aggies have even higher hopes this season now that they have momentum and a full roster of players to work with. Could their two-win 2007 turn into a four-win 2008? Talk about a program on the rise!



At this point, head coach Brent Guy will take anything. His tenure in Logan has been short on winning and long on blowouts, and no matter how you classify last season's two-game winning streak, it doesn't change the fact that the Aggies have been just plain bad. If Utah State has plans on contending in the deep waters of the WAC, they are going to have to overcome their fears of sailing one way or another.

Five questions

Does anyone want to play quarterback at Utah State?

From the looks of things, the answer is "no," followed shortly thereafter by an "Are you kidding me? They're terrible!" First, the Aggies lost quarterback Riley Nelson to rival BYU in what was later termed as upward mobility. Then one of the key competitors in the fall quarterback race, Jase McCormick, up and quit once fall camp started, citing a lack of "interest" (read: winning) in "football" (read: getting Utah State chicks). Can you blame them? Well, Brent Guy probably can because now he is left with senior Sean Setzer holding the reins to the offense. You can loosen your grip, Sean. The offense isn't going anywhere.



What's this new weight room I am hearing so much about?

Utah State is at least doing things right with their facilities and infrastructure. Over the summer, they replaced their athletic director and duped the new guy into thinking that the football program can be a viable income source some day. Sucker. As a result, the Aggies have a brand new training facility that is either state-of-the-art or better-than-whatever-high-school-we-were-at-before. The press release was not clear.



The Aggies are hoping that the upgraded facilities will bring in new recruits, and their hopes are being met at least a little bit this season. USU will have the full allotment of roster players for the first time since people believed Guy was the right choice for the job. In other words, the first time in a long time.



Does Brent Guy keep fresh copies of his resume on hand, you know, just in case?

Hey, we were just speaking about Guy! As a former Boise State assistant coach, we wish we didn't have to poke fun at his win-loss record (6-29) or his striking resemblance to Mr. Belvedere.

 

But when you're a bad head coach with a bad team, the ribbing is inevitable. So, too, is the shaky job security. Though Guy maintains that he is indeed not on the hot seat, the results of his tenure say otherwise. If he cannot at least tread water in the WAC and beat Idaho and NMSU again, the Aggies could be looking elsewhere for unconvincing coaching candidates.



Jake Hutton: superstar by association or statistical anomaly?

The Aggies' "star" linebacker gets credit for being a good player on a bad defense. His stats reflect as much: 102 tackles and a sack only because no one else had the desire to sack and/or tackle. To be sure, WAC offenses will gameplan for Hutton but only because there is no one else to gameplan for and they'd get bored otherwise. The jury's still out on whether or not returning nine starters on defense is a good thing or a bad thing.



Describe in a picture what will happen when Utah State visits Oregon.

Over/Unders

+/- 1 minute, 30 seconds into their first game it takes for the Aggies to lose the momentum from last season

+/- 3 starting quarterbacks, in addition to Jase McCormick, who suddenly decide that football just isn't their thing

+/- 7 thirty-point losses



Are things improving at Utah State? From certain angles, yes. But in the big picture, the Aggies are still the Aggies.



Certainly, building a modern weight facility is a good start. Thick-necked high school seniors will appreciate that. But the product on the field is several years behind in the quest for belonging in the WAC.



With no clear-cut leader of the offense and nothing to scare opponents on defense, the Aggies have the look of a typical Aggies team...except with more guys standing on the sideline. Having a full roster must be great for practice ("We don't have to play both ways any more! Hooray!"), but unless the roster is full of four- and five-star recruits, it won't matter much on Saturdays.



Speaking of not mattering, that's the case for Utah State again. And so long as the Aggie administration is happy with that, Brent Guy should be back to do it all again next year.

Perfect situation

NCAA allows Utah State to play with 13 men, Aggies win three games instead of two

Reality

the offense struggles to score, the defense struggles to matter, USU loses to Idaho, Brent Guy takes head coaching job at Cole Valley Christian High School in Meridian

Final record: 2-10 overall, 1-7 conference

Hawaii preview: live in the past, it's better there

Previewing the WAC seems like a good job for an intern. Unfortunately, we do not have an intern. Ugh. Previously: San Jose State, LaTech, and Fresno State. Today: Hawaii.

  Hawaii

  Team motto: "What would Colt Brennan do?"


Last season, the Hawaii Warriors reached the pinnacle of the non-BCS mountain, which only made their fall that much harder. And farther. And more humiliating.

Losing to Georgia quickly put an end to their undefeated dreams (not that their WAC championship rings got the memo), and now look at them. No Colt Brennan. No June Jones. Four fewer cocky wide receivers. This is nowhere near the same Hawaii team we saw last year.

But before you go writing the Warriors off, new head coach Greg McMackin would like to remind you that they still have 85 percent of the team back. He’d also like to remind you that Coke now has fewer calories.

Five questions

Hawaii plays defense?
This year they do. In fact, Hawaii has some of the best defenders in the WAC with LBs Solomon Elimimian and Adam Leonard and DE David Veikune. These players will be key to whatever the Warriors hope to do this season, whether it be competing for another WAC title or simply not losing to San Jose State.

Could Hawaii be the least convincing defending conference champion of all-time?
We have yet to find a single person who thinks that the Warriors will repeat as WAC champs. Not even Trev Alberts in his prime would touch this team. The Warriors simply have too much turnover in key places to be in the conversation for the WAC championship. When the Broncos lose a lot of players, they have the depth to reload and be right back at the top of the conference next year. When Hawaii loses a lot of players, McMackin drowns his sorrows in Fanta and thinks happy thoughts.

I miss Colt Brennan.
You are not alone. The island legend was largely responsible for the success of the team the last few years, but he certainly will not be forgotten at Hawaii, especially when Inoke Funaki is throwing up prayers into triple coverage. Brennan's imprint on the program will remain until the Warriors can find a capable replacement. Funaki may be it. So, too, might junior college transfer Greg Alexander. But secretly, the islands are pulling for Tyler Graunke, and by "pulling," we mean "writing his papers for him." Graunke might be back from academic suspension soon, and he may have time to win the starting job before the season starts.

If the Warriors are not rebuilding, then what exactly are they doing?
The word "rebuilding" is a dirty word on the campus of UH. So, too, is "perspective." Of course this team is rebuilding! They lost half of their offense from last year, the greatest coach in team history left, and Georgia gave everyone a blueprint on how to shut down the run 'n shoot. But if they don't want to use the term "rebuilding," we can respect their wishes. Besides, that's what our Roget's thesaurus is for. Do "renovating," "refurbishing," or "improvising" sound better?

Would Hawaii have gone undefeated last year if they were playing this year's schedule?
The Warriors sailed to the Sugar Bowl on the coattails of an easy schedule, and rest assured that the same thing would not have happened with the murderer's row Hawaii has on tap this fall. Good bye, Northern Colorado. Hello, Florida. Wish you could stay longer, Charleston Southern. Make yourself at home, Cincinnati. At least Weber State will be dropping by for a visit or else the Warriors might have been in serious trouble. Can you say drinking Mylanta straight from the bottle?

Over/Unders

+/- 4.0 GPA that Tyler Graunke earns this semester thanks to some generous Hawaii faculty members
+/- 12,000 Colt Brennan jerseys in the crowd this year
+/- 4 Inoke Funaki jerseys
+/- 3 games where the Warriors score fewer points than the defense has turnovers

The most intriguing part of the fall of Hawaii is that they are no longer intriguing. Hawaii games were known for being shoot-outs; this year they may more closely resemble defensive struggles. No one wants to stay up until 3:00 a.m. eastern to watch that! With their stars gone, the hype and attention typically paid to the program is as non-existent as a "Tyler Graunke 4 Heisman" t-shirt.

Another intriguing part about their fall is that they haven't really fallen yet. The media is quick to bury Hawaii before a single game is even played, yet the Warriors could turn out to be a decent team when all is said and done. They have strong players on defense, Graunke knows what he's doing most of the time, WR Malcolm Lane has potential, and much of the coaching staff returns.

Unfortunately, decent is a long way from good. The WAC has too many other good teams for the Warriors to make much noise. They've lost too many key players, their schedule is daunting, and the momentum from a season ago is only a memory. In other words, we're going to need more Coke.

Perfect situation

McMackin finds a time machine, visits the past to steal Colt Brennan, Warriors go undefeated, face Georgia in championship game, lose by fewer points this time

Reality

the offense struggles, the early schedule puts the Warriors in a hole, Tyler Graunke puts the Warriors in a deeper hole, Hawaii loses winnable WAC games, McMackin lifts the moratorium on the word "rebuilding" for next offseason

Final record: 5-8 overall, 4-4 conference

Morning paper: Boise State football links 8/4

Brian Murphy on QB competition [Statesman]
Coach Pete and Harsin have been there before.

Chadd Cripe on QB competition [Statesman]
Well, at least the Statesman isn't blowing this thing out of proportion.

Alex Guerrero doing color on Spanish radio [Fight Fight BSU]
Donde esta el futbol? En el endzone! Seis puntas!

Broncos ranked #26 by NYT [New York Times]
A good read, if you're into looking up words in dictionaries.

15 minutes of fame for the laundry guy [Statesman]
No word on the Tide-to-go pen.

Dinwiddie CFL player of the week [CFL.ca]
Bags of milk for everyone!

If Aztecs are out, will Broncos be in? [Union-Tribune]
SDSU may be without stadium, which makes it hard to play football.

Nevada gets QB commit [Gazette-Journal]
See? Early recruits can happen outside of Boise.

WAC recruiting budgets [ESPN]
Blogger is out to get us [Blogger Buzz] 

Friday: Links with Fall Camp

Story of the day:

Bronco recruits hit double digits [Press-Tribune]

The tenth verbal commitment for the Boise State Broncos came yesterday from Saguara (Arizona) defensive end Justin Jungblut. The senior-to-be is 6'6", 250 pounds, and he should feel right at home when he hits campus next fall.

Jungblut will join former Saguaro teammate Joe Kellogg on the Boise State roster. Kellogg is a freshman offensive lineman. Jungblut said he had 40 tackles, 15 for losses, and also had two sacks last season.

Jungblut also said that he had, like, 50 fumble recoveries.

Fight Fight BSU has the scouting report on Jungblut, who sounds like a keeper. Don't they all? He spurned offers from Idaho (good choice), Utah, UNLV, Air Force, and Wyoming. Coach Pete's penmanship sealed the deal.

“They did the best job of making me feel welcome, by far,” Jungblut said. “Coach Petersen has written me two letters — hand-written, so I thought that was pretty great.”

For some reason, Robb Akey's singing telegram just didn't do it for Jungblut.

Other links:

USA Today's preseason poll released [USA Today]
Boise State comes in at #34.

Murphy picks best offensive players in WAC [Statesman]
Not surprisingly, no Utah State players make the list.

KTVB 24/7 to air Bronco classics [Bronco Country]
Good luck finding KTVB 24/7.

USC #1 in Rivals countdown [Rivals.com]
Mark Sanchez must know someone at the Rivals office.

Fantasy CFB takes it up a notch [Wall Street Journal]
Now with names!

Coach Pete among up-and-coming coaches [Coaches Hot Seat]
Then again, so is Derek Dooley.

Unique shots of stadium expansion [Statue Left]
It looks so huge!

LaTech preview: slap some lipstick on that pig!

Previewing the WAC seems like a good job for an intern. Unfortunately, we do not have an intern. Ugh. Previously: San Jose State. Today: Louisiana Tech

 Louisiana Tech

  Motto: Just Dooley it

The Louisiana Tech Bulldogs are the trendy pick to surprise people in the WAC this season. But does anyone know why?

The Bulldogs certainly don't instill confidence with their outstanding offense. They are not revolutionary in their approach to special teams. Their defense is not suddenly good. No, most people are basing their sudden optimism on two things.

1. Derek Dooley.
2. Not sucking as much as usual last year.

Sadly, the WAC has come to this.

Five questions

Taylor Bennett. Thoughts?
If the Bulldogs were going for mediocre, semi-competent, vanilla quarterbacks with so-so arm strength and accuracy, then they hit the nail on the head. In fact, Bennett and last year's starter Zac Champion could very well be the same person, right down to the yuppy first names. But is Bennett ordinary enough?
Not yet, apparently. The Georgia Tech transfer is currently sitting at No. 2 on the depth chart to sophomore Ross Jenkins. Bennett will have to start misreading routes and throwing behind receivers pretty soon if he wants to get the job.

Are you drinking Derek Dooley's Kool-Aid?
Derek Dooley's Kool-Aid is more like a mojito of energy and positivity, and there is plenty for everyone. The head coach/athletic director/campus tour coordinator has Ruston buzzing with the anticipation of a .500 season and a berth in an obscure bowl game. Isn't college football great?
But as far as we're concerned, Dooley's shtick isn't doing it for us. We can't help but get this vibe when we hear his name:



No matter how he spins things, Louisiana Tech will always be Louisiana Tech--that is to say, they will always be mostly above average. So if Dooley has that flavor of Kool-Aid, then we'd be more than happy to drink it.


Describe the LaTech defense using only adverbs.
Disjointedly. Awfully. Tragically. Unwittingly. Openly. Unfortunately.


Will Patrick Jackson matter in three months?
LaTech's senior running back will have to matter for the Bulldogs to be successful. Though he has never rushed for more than 1,000 yards in a season, he is always good for about four yards a carry, especially when Idaho is in town, and he and his fellow running backs will be the best part of the offense for the foreseeable future.
The good news is that the LaTech offensive line returns three starters from a year ago. The bad news is that both tackles are gone. Hope you like dive plays. We get the feeling that Jackson will find the going pretty tough this year, and he'll be forgotten about once backup Daniel Porter breaks a few 70-yard touchdown runs. Also, we doubt that will take three months.


What's going to happen when LaTech comes to town?
We don't usually get nervous about Louisiana Tech visiting Boise. That's kind of like the U.S. worrying about border safety with Canada. But this year might be different. Rather than the traditional Saturday kickoff, the Bulldogs will be in Boise on a Wednesday night. And the game is practically in September.
We worry that the Broncos will still be working out the kinks when LaTech comes on October 1st. We worry that Derek Dooley will look into our eyes and see straight to our souls. We worry that the Broncos may only win by four touchdowns.
And then we wake up and realize it was all just a dream. There's really nothing to worry about.

Over/Unders
+/-5, the number of times we fall asleep watching LaTech games this year
+/-0, Derek Dooley's Q rating
+/-450, rushing yards given up to Nevada
+/-11, times Taylor Bennett tries one of these, only with much less success and many more turnovers:



Jumping on the LaTech bandwagon is the new black. "They're cool! They're hip! They are geographically indifferent to their own conference!" Well, we're not buying it.

The reign of Derek Dooley might have gotten off to a good start, but let's look at the facts. In 2006, the Bulldogs finished 1-7 in the conference with losses to Idaho, NMSU, and San Jose State. In 2007, the Bulldogs were 4-4 in the WAC with wins over the same schools. There is a big difference between beating bad teams and being a good team. Basically, all LaTech did last year was win against four of the worst teams in the country, and we have a hard time placing our trust in a program that has, to this point, only proven their lack of awfulness. Beat Fresno State or Hawaii and then we can talk.

Perfect situation:
Taylor Bennett wins the starting quarterback job, the offense finds balance, the defense is allowed a "three-mississippi" head start on all pass plays, the Bulldogs win the WAC and go to the Hawaii Bowl, and Derek Dooley names himself King of Louisiana

Reality:
Taylor Bennett wins the starting quarterback job, proceeds to be not all that good, the defensive line forgets to show up for multiple games, Bulldogs somehow finish 5-3 in the WAC, media members write articles about how right they were in picking LaTech as a sleeper, Derek Dooley gives himself a promotion

Final record:
7-5 overall, 5-3 conference

San Jose State preview: fight the mediocrity!

Previewing the WAC seems like a good job for an intern. Unfortunately, we do not have an intern. Ugh. Today: San Jose State

 San Jose State

 Team motto: "Attack the lower tier of the WAC"

Two years ago, the San Jose State Spartans were 9-4 and winners of the New Mexico Bowl. Last year, the Spartans were 5-7 and winners over UC Davis. In the immortal words of Mike LaFontaine, "Wha' Happened?"

The 2007 Spartans had a lot working against them. They opened with a difficult schedule that saw them start out 0-3. They lost starting running back Yonus Davis for the season to injury. They forgot to recruit impact players. Taking Hawaii to overtime was a good sign, but scoring a combined seven points against Fresno State and Boise State wasn't. When all was said and done, the Spartans were stuck in WAC mediocrity, not good enough to scare anyone but not bad enough to be confused with Idaho. Enjoying the Dick Tomey era yet, Spartan fans?

Five Questions

Is Kyle Reed the next Steve DeBerg or Jeff Garcia?
Forget DeBerg and Garcia. The Spartans would be ecstatic if Reed was the next Adam Tafralis. A transfer from Cal, Reed is battling for Tafralis' old QB spot with Myles Eden and Jordan LaScela. He may have the upper hand simply because he did, at one point, have Pac-10 talent. That should be good enough to fill Tafralis' "Don't blame me, I complete 62 percent of my passes" shoes.

What were you thinking when you chose Jeff Schweiger as your preseason WAC defensive player of the year?
Thinking outside of the box is good, provided that the box is full of Hawaii players. Schweiger seemed like a good pick because we see him and the SJSU defense being a key to the Spartans' "success" this year. Schweiger, a transfer from USC, and Coye Francies, a CB transfer from Oregon State, will take on the responsibility of the departed Dwight Lowery and Matt Castelo. A better question might be why Pac-10 players want to transfer to San Jose State.

Will I have to wake up at 9:00 a.m. to watch the SJSU-Boise State game?
Fortunately, no. The Spartans love to start their Saturday games smack dab in the middle of Dragonball Z, but they won't have the luxury of catching the Broncos mid-Pop Tart this year. The two teams face off on a Friday night ESPN2 telecast. Guess we'll have to tape the Bill Engvall Show.

Tell me a joke.
What do the San Jose State offensive line and George O'Leary's resume have in common? Both are unreliable and full of holes.

Is Yonus Davis the first person in the history of football to miss an entire season due to a sprained ankle?
Yes, probably. Davis suffered the injury on the Spartans' first offensive play last season, and he was barely heard from again. His final numbers: 3 carries, 1 yard, 500 rolls of Ace bandage. Davis was awarded a sixth year of eligibility, giving him one more chance to run over WAC defenses and call dibs on the rehab hot tub. Tommy Boy quote!

Tommy: You know, a lot of people go to college for six years.
Richard: I know. They're called doctors.

Over/Unders
+/- 76 Times Kevin Jurovich is wide open and nobody sees him
+/- 4 How many games it takes for us to regret picking Jeff Schweiger as WAC defensive player of the year
+/- 10 SJSU third-down conversion percentage

Recognizing what went wrong last year should help the Spartans creep back toward moderate respectability. An easier schedule should help (Hey there, San Diego State!). The return of Yonus Davis won't hurt (not the last time you'll see "hurt" and "Yonus" in the same sentence this season). And the addition of impact transfers on offense and defense should make a difference.

Still, unless the Spartans have plans to upset one of the top teams in the WAC, they will continue to tow the line just above awful, just below talented, and all over ordinary.

Perfect situation:
Stanford and Nebraska forfeit their non-conference games, Kevin Jurovich grows six inches and learns to throw go routes to himself, Jeff Schweiger becomes an All-American, and San Jose State goes to a bowl other than the New Mexico Bowl.

Reality:
The San Jose offense struggles with a new quarterback and porous offensive line, the defense guts out wins over San Diego State and Hawaii, the Spartans get to 6-3 before losing their final three games, and Dick Tomey's lobbying for a New Mexico Bowl berth falls on deaf ears.

Final record: 
6-6 overall, 4-4 conference

Broncos picked first, Johnson picked best

Take that, Fresno State. In your face, Chase Holbrook.

The Broncos were chosen by the WAC media to finish first in the conference, and Ian Johnson was named the WAC's preseason offensive player of the year at the WAC media convention in Salt Lake City.

Boise State received 383 points and 25 first-place votes from media members around the WAC and the nation. Fresno State was picked a close second after garnering 379 points and 20 first-place votes.

Here are the official standings for the media poll.

1. Boise State (383)
   
2. Fresno State (379)
   
3. Nevada (296)
   
4. Hawaii (243)
   
5. Louisiana Tech (209)
   
6. San Jose State (183)
   
7. New Mexico State (167)
   
8. Idaho (87)
   
9. Utah State (78)
   

The coaches had Fresno State on top, but what do coaches know? Okay, they know more than we will ever forget. The Bulldogs got seven first place votes from the conference coaches, and Boise State got the remaining two.

Ian Johnson and Hawaii LB Solomon Elimimian were voted as the players of the year for the conference. Johnson is without a doubt the face of the WAC, considering his success in the Fiesta Bowl season and his national notoriety, but NMSU QB Holbrook could have just as easily duped the media into picking him.

We're actually a little surprised that the Broncos were chosen to finish first. We have heard everyone and their mother tout the greatness of the Bulldogs this upcoming season, and we figured that the media would think the same. They have obviously skipped the Fresno Kool-Aid in favor of Boise State coffee and Red Bull.

In lieu of this really early announcement (what are they doing awake this early?), we'll run the daily links later this morning.

Broncos picked first... [Bronco Sports]

Far out predictions for preseason WAC awards

Today: Preseason WAC players of the year
Tomorrow: Preseason conference standings
Thursday: a nap

The official preseason players of the year in the WAC will be revealed in the next couple days, and they are sure to reek of predictability and groupthink. Ian Johnson, anyone?

Our picks are a little different. We know from experience that a college football season rarely plays out as planned, which is why we've done our best to think outside of the box with preseason prognosticating. Does Chadd Cripe know any better than we do about what will happen this season? Of course not.Will his ballot reflect a stuffy assuredness of safe answers and false modesty? We hope not.

To be sure, we know the right answers to the preseason players of the year questions; they are obviously outlined in every preview magazine on the shelves. However, we stand by our decisions for players of the year, and we're more than happy to eat crow when things start falling apart in Week Three.

So without further ado, here are the picks:

OBNUG's preseason WAC defensive player of the year

Jeff Schweiger, San Jose State DE

Who? What? Are San Jose State linemen even eligible? These same questions ran through our heads, too, but we put peer pressure and good sense aside and went with Schweiger anyway.

Perhaps a little background would help: Schweiger is a 6'5", 255-pound transfer from USC. He owned SJSU's spring practice, and he was so good that 2007 all-WAC DE Jarron Gilbert has moved inside to tackle. Obviously, Pac-10 competition is a step above WAC play, so we're expecting Schweiger to really be an animal this fall. San Jose State is supposed to be one of several strong WAC defensive teams, and Schweiger will be the reason.

Don't let us down, Jeff Schweiger. Although, from a San Jose State Spartan, we may be asking the impossible.

What the media will say: Solomon Elimimian or Adam Leonard, Hawaii LBs

Other candidates we considered: Ryan Winterswyk, Derrell Acrey, Jake Hutton, David Veikune, Moses Harris, Elimimian, Leonard, Marty Tadman

OBNUG's preseason WAC offensive player of the year

Nick Graziano, Nevada QB

The Nevada Wolfpack have tangible hype going into the season, which could be dashed in an instant by a 4-for-26 Colin Kaepernick quarterbacking performance.

The funny thing is that you probably didn't even flinch at the absurdity of those numbers. Kaepernick completing one-sixth of his passes is a very real possibility, and thusly Kaepernick finding the bench is just as plausible. When it happens, we could see former starter Graziano stepping in and saving the Pack's season.

He'll have a wonderful running back behind him in Luke Lippincott. The offensive line will be solid. He'll have every chance to put up big numbers, and he could bring stability to an offense that will become fairly predictable once Kaepernick starts breaking the pocket immediately on passing plays. You may be thinking, "Then why not pick Lippincott for player of the year?" Because we're idiots. But only time will tell.

FYI: We were thisclose to picking Idaho RB Deonte Jackson, but we couldn't bring ourselves to openly support anything that has to do with the Vandals or anyone who shares a backfield with Nathan Enderle.

What the media will say: Ian Johnson, Boise State RB

Other candidates we considered: Jackson, Malcolm Lane, Ian Johnson, Titus Young, Ryan Mathews, Taylor Bennett, Lippincott, Ryan Dinwiddie

What do you guys think? Who would get your vote? Do you agree with our picks? Are we idiots? Actually, don't answer that last one.

Thursday: Links with anonymity

Story of the day:

More reasons to fear Southern Miss [NCAAFootball.com]

In addition to Southern Miss being big, athletic, and playing at home, Boise State will now have to contend with the Eagles being loaded. Conference USA has released its preseason polls and rankings, and Southern Miss is well represented to say the least.

Golden Eagle junior running back Damion Fletcher was chosen as the league’s preseason Offensive Player of the Year. Fletcher carried the ball 29 times for 155 yards in the Papajohns.com Bowl to finish last season with a single-season best 1,586 yards and 15 touchdowns.

Another Golden Eagle, reigning C-USA Defensive Player of the Year Gerald McRath, was picked as the preseason favorite to repeat as the conference’s top defensive player. He led C-USA in tackles with 139 (71 solo, 68 assist) in 2007 and averaged 10.7 per game.

Preseason Offensive and Defensive Players of the Year?  Yikes, indeed. Is there any way we can get Weber State back on the schedule?


Other links:

Is Brian Murphy famous enough to interview? [Kellis Robinett]
Relative to Pocatello people, he is.

Budweiser to support Hawaii athletics [Honolulu Advertiser]
Coca-cola to support head coach Greg McMackin.

BSU's new South African walk-on [Fight Fight BSU]
He plays running back, receiver, and philanthropist.

Oregon to sell single-game tickets tomorrow night [GoDucks]
Fifty-four dollars per seat. Seeing the Broncos win in Autzen? Priceless.

Tuesday: Links with procrastination

Story of the day:

Dave Southorn's WAC picks [Dave's Blog]

The Idaho Press-Tribune's Dave Southorn has posted his preseason picks for WAC media days on his blog at the IPT website, and we could not be happier to see that homerism reigns supreme.

I don't see the Broncos losing a WAC game before they play Fresno State at the end of the season. By then, the new QB will be comfortable, and the Broncos get the Bulldogs at Bronco Stadium, so that's why their (sic) my pick to win the conference.

Good for you, Dave Southorn. There's no reason to pick the Bulldogs just because everyone else is, especially when they have yet to prove they can handle pressure or win outright WAC championships.

But the good BSU football vibes don't end there. In addition to having the Broncos as WAC champs, Southorn also has a Boise State player listed as his player of the year.

Offensive player of the year: Ian Johnson, RB, Boise State

I think it will be extremely unlikely he matches 2006's numbers, especially considering the great depth behind him. However, no other player in the conference demands a defense's full attention like IJ.

Kellen Moore must have been a close second.

Other links

Coach Pete to fly with the Blue Angels [Fight Fight BSU]
Robb Akey to ride a float at Dairy Days.

That stadium sure looks good at night [Statue Left]
But does it look $30 million good? Yeah, we think so.

BSU athletic website previews the offense [BroncoSports.com]
Talk about a conflict of interest.

WAC quarterbacks aren't all that bad [Bruce Feldman blog]
Take that, Sun Belt QBs!

Colt Brennan signs with Redskins [YB Sports]
And the state of Hawaii has the day off today.

Matt Nelson signs with Spanish team [Press-Tribune]
Donde esta la biblioteca, Pedro?

Bold predictions for Non-BCS schools [ESPN.com]
BSU losing at home is not bold; it is erroneous.

College football countdown...catch the IPT fever!

The Idaho Press-Tribune's Phil Dailey and Dave Southorn have embarked upon the daunting task of ranking all 120 Division 1-A teams before the season starts and, in so doing, have discovered the most awesome form of busy-work ever. How serious are they about the task? Serious enough to give the countdown its own personal website.



The countdown, which began with Western Kentucky and will hopefully end with Boise State, is already into the 90's, which typically means that half of the WAC would be mentioned by now. And sure enough, Utah State, Idaho, San Jose State, and NMSU have already been highlighted...or low-lighted, as it were. Here are some kind words the IPT guys had to say about the University of Idaho:

The season is a success if ... The team wins more than three games.

We thought #112 was a little high for the Vandals.

With nearly 100 more teams to go, there is still a lot of intrigue left in the countdown. For instance, will Phil Dailey's love for Louisiana Tech propel the Bulldogs ahead of Nevada where they probably do not belong? Is there any way that Dave Southorn does not vote Colorado #1? How does William Love fit into all of this? Are the IPT rankings part of the BCS formula? Will a conflict of interest prevent them from voting for Boise State? Is this whole thing an excuse to write off Southorn's preview magazine purchases at Barnes & Noble?

And most importantly, what will happen to the College Football Countdown once there is no college football left to count down? We're just praying that the Women's College Basketball Countdown is not in the works.

College Football Countdown [Press-Tribune]

Thursday: Links with religion

Story of the day:

Peak redeems itself with Jadon Dailey [Statesman]

With the hiring of former BSU center Jadon Dailey as the new color commentator for Bronco football games, Peak Broadcasting has done something that has thus far eluded them: appear competent. If the reaction to Dailey's hiring is any indication, then Bronco fans are feeling pretty good about life after Paul J.--at least as good as they could feel.

Bob Behler's already a fan.

Behler, who said he has worked with many first-timers in the booth, was impressed with Dailey's intelligence and enthusiasm. "He's going to add a lot in stories and knowledge," Behler said. "He's going to help me a heck of a lot, knowing personnel, history and coaches. He's going to bring a lot to the table."

Will Dailey's lack of experience be an issue? Not with Behler, the father of modern radio, in the booth! Besides, if things get bad, Peak can always just play snippets of Dailey's Out of the Blue commentary in between Behler's live-action play-by-play calls. Don't think anyone would mind that. 

Other links:

New recruit Mooney not taking other campus visits after all [Press-Tribune]
Guess he was okay missing out on all the fun times at Army.

Bush Hamdan is a better man than you are [Scott Slant]
Thanks to Tom Scott we suddenly feel much less charitable for giving that homeless guy a dollar.

Boise State season preview [Don Best]
Always trust a man with a mustache...except for Robb Akey.

Cocaine hoax fuels Big XII rivalry [SI.com]
We anxiously await the Idaho "pirated Norbit DVD" hoax.

Monday: Links with passion

Story of the day:

Scandrick tries humility on for size [Fort Worth Star-Telegram]

Former Boise State CB Orlando Scandrick has his work cut out for him if he wants to be in the Cowboys' secondary come opening week. As such, O.S. is taking a slightly different approach to things than usual.

(Scandrick) admitted that he could have been "a little more humble" in college. His approach was much different during his first Cowboys minicamp, when veterans such as Anthony Henry said they were impressed as much by his attitude as they were by his speed.

From what we hear, Scandrick has been very impressive in his time with Dallas. The Cowboys have one of the deeper secondaries in the league, but we would be surprised if Scandrick doesn't find somewhere to contribute, whether it be in dime packages or on special teams.

The story also gives some insight into why Scandrick may have fallen into the fifth round despite Mel Kiper's second round projection.

Scandrick can think of only one reason for the dropoff: a vague reference to "major character concerns" on his NFL.com draft profile.

Interesting. We had no idea Robb Akey had access to NFL.com draft profiles.

Other links:

Re-working WAC BCS payouts [Fresno Beehive]

"Should Idaho go to a BCS game..." Let us stop you there.

BSU-Fresno a bigger game than Ohio State-Michigan? [Red Zone Report]
 We don't know. Both rivalries seem kind of lopsided if you ask us.

BSU football players to play softball for charity [Statesman]
The Bronco coaching staff has yet to announce a starting pitcher.

ESPN's Boise State preview [ESPN.com]
At last, our ESPN Insider subscription starts paying for itself.

The WAC is not getting any less WAC-ish [Fresno Beehive]
Benson against expansion, realignment, and having nine competitive teams.

Jerard Rabb interview [Press-Democrat]
The MAC has a new logo [MAC Report Online]

Friday: Links with possiblities

Story of the day:

Phil Dailey on the Fresno bandwagon? [Dailey's Bottom Line]

The local media is starting to turn in their preseason WAC ballots, and the transparency of the Idaho Press-Tribune affords us the luxury of peering into Phil Dailey's thought process. Playing a prominent role in Dailey's thoughts: the Hawaii Bowl.

I think you have to give Fresno State the nod, after all, the Bulldogs won their bowl game over Georgia Tech, while Boise State blew it against a not-very-good East Carolina team in the Hawaii Bowl.

Dailey has Fresno State at the top of the WAC, with Boise State at number two. Right behind them? Louisiana Tech. A gutsy call, but we like our local media members to think outside the box.

I’m a big Derek Dooley fan and I think he’ll have his team ready for the WAC after non-conference tilts against Mississippi State, Kansas and SE Louisiana.

We'll give you two guess who the teams at the bottom are.

Other links:

Reggie Larry does not hear his name called [Yahoo!]
He may still have a chance to catch on with a team this summer

BYU snags two recruits that had BSU's interest [Daily Herald]
When you factor in Mormon missions, the Cougars can have 'em.

IPT recaps preview mags [Press-Tribune]
And in the process, saves us $14.95.

Tom Scott weighs in on stadium expansion [Scott Slant]
Scott: The south end zone will be a horseshoe by 2013.

J Bates snidely rips Brian Murphy's blog [J's Blog]Nice to know we're not the only ones who notice these things.

Weekend series on Montana's D-1 hopes [Missoulian]

Idaho gets the spotlight today. Enjoy it while it lasts, Vandals.

South American vacay for Dan Hawkins [Longmont Times]
"It's Rio De Janeiro! It's the Amazon River! It ain't intramurals!"

San Jose State preview [Saturday Soundoffs]
If anyone cares.

Thursday: Links with practice

Story of the day:

Boise State gets rare underrated distinction [Dawgsports]

Over the past several years, the word "underrated" has rarely been used when referring to the Broncos. "Dominant," yes. "Underrated," no. But maybe being underrated isn't all that bad.

The Broncos have owned the Western Athletic Conference since joining the league, posting a 46-2 ledger against their W.A.C. coevals. Boise State is nigh-invincible on the blue turf, where they host Hawaii (in the Warriors’ post-deal-with-the-devil season) and the Golden State Bulldogs in Friday night showdowns.

Plus, this guy even has an optimistic view of the Oregon game.

This is a good year for the Broncos to get Oregon early. The Ducks open with a conference rival whose embattled coach has guaranteed a victory and travel to Purdue the week before hosting Boise State. That’s a pretty rough opening run for a team that lost Dennis Dixon and Jonathan Stewart.

In an offseason where the consensus seems to be shifting away from Boise State's winning tradition, it is refreshing to see that someone still believes. Although, we do prefer the word "dominant."

Of course, then the author had to go and ruin things by bringing up the Georgia game again.

Other links:

Reasons to root for every CFN team [Grand National...]
Boise State: Ian Johnson. Utah State: seeing a winless season.

BSU-Oregon kickoff time set [Broncosports.com]
A 1:30pm start time? What is this? San Jose State?

Jenny Slater's composite Top 25 [Hey Jenny Slater]
Boise State clinging to the "also receiving votes" group.

Fresno State's tough opening month [FSU football blog]
To say nothing of their tough final WAC game.

BSU long jumper makes nationals [Press-Tribune]
Q&A with Ryan Clady [Predominantly Orange]

Phil Steele's messed-up All-WAC team

Phil Steele, one of the more famous names related of college football preview magazines, has released his picks for the WAC's all-conference teams. And boy did he pick some doozies.

First, allow us to disagree with a number of items:

• Kyle Brotzman: 4th team kicker
• First team defense: no Broncos
• Second through fourth team offense: no Broncos
• No Jeron Johnson
• No Titus Young
• No Vinny Perretta
• No Richie Brockel

At least Steele found Ian Johnson's name while he was figuring, in vain, the distance between his rear end and a hole in the ground. In all, Boise State had three first team members (Andrew Woodruff and Jeremy Childs joined Johnson with that distinction), and one second team member. That is exactly one more than Utah State and two less than Idaho.


In addition to egregious mistakes on the Bronco front, we had some nits to pick with the rest of Steele's reality-challenged opus. But the greatest one might have been the horrible future he predicted when he named NMSU QB Chase Holbrook to the first team.

Needless to say, we will not be purchasing Steele's print publication.

Phil Steele's 2008 WAC all-conference [Philsteele.com]

Ian Johnson shares cover of Athlon sports mag

The above image is the cover of the upcoming Athlon Sports college football preview issue. Personally, we would have preferred to see a four-headed manga monster of Johnson, D.J. Harper, Doug Martin, and Jeremy Avery on the cover. Then again, we don't have very good taste.

Pre-order your copy here.