THURSDAY- Wisconsin over UNLV
Mississippi State over Memphis
Syracuse over Wake Forest
Bowling Green over Idaho
Florida International over North Texas
Kentucky over Western Kentucky
Temple over Villanova
Rutgers over N.C. Central
Connecticut over Fordham
Louisville over Murray State
Georgia Tech over Western Carolina
Toledo over New Hampshire
Utah over Montana State
Arizona State over Cal.-Davis
FRIDAY- Texas Christian over Baylor
SATURDAY- Boston College over Northwestern
Auburn over Utah State
Ohio State over Akron
Missouri over Miami (Ohio)
Alabama over Kent State
UCLA over Houston
Michigan over Western Michigan
Notre Dame over South Florida
Brigham Young over Mississippi
Stanford over San Jose State
Colorado State over New Mexico
Pittsburgh over Buffalo
South Carolina over East Carolina
California over Fresno State
Northern Illinois over Army
Texas over Rice
Indiana over Ball State
Oklahoma over Tulsa
Ohio U. over New Mexico State
Georgia over Boise State
Louisiana State over Oregon
Southern Mississippi over Louisiana Tech
Colorado over Hawaii
Purdue over Middle Tennessee
Illinois over Arkansas State
Florida State over Louisiana-Monroe
Clemson over Troy
Florida over Florida Atlantic
Oklahoma State over Louisiana-Lafayette
SUNDAY- West Virginia over Marshall
Texas A&M over Southern Methodist
MONDAY- Maryland over Miami
Wednesday, August 31, 2011
College Football Rankings
My opening rankings for college football:
EAST- 1. West Virginia
2. Pittsburgh
3. Penn State
4. Navy
5. Syracuse
NORTH- 1. Nebraska
2. Wisconsin
3. Michigan State
4. Notre Dame
5. Ohio State
6. Missouri
7. Iowa
8. Illinois
9. Northwestern
10. Michigan
SOUTH- 1. Oklahoma
2. Alabama
3. Louisiana State
4. Florida State
5. South Carolina
6. Texas A&M
7. Oklahoma State
8. Virginia Tech
9. Arkansas
10. Texas Christian
11. Mississippi State
12. Auburn
13. Florida
14. Georgia
15. Southern Mississippi
WEST- 1. Stanford
2. Oregon
3. Boise State
4. Arizona State
5. USC
6. Brigham Young
7. Nevada
8. Utah
9. Washington
10. Hawaii
EAST- 1. West Virginia
2. Pittsburgh
3. Penn State
4. Navy
5. Syracuse
NORTH- 1. Nebraska
2. Wisconsin
3. Michigan State
4. Notre Dame
5. Ohio State
6. Missouri
7. Iowa
8. Illinois
9. Northwestern
10. Michigan
SOUTH- 1. Oklahoma
2. Alabama
3. Louisiana State
4. Florida State
5. South Carolina
6. Texas A&M
7. Oklahoma State
8. Virginia Tech
9. Arkansas
10. Texas Christian
11. Mississippi State
12. Auburn
13. Florida
14. Georgia
15. Southern Mississippi
WEST- 1. Stanford
2. Oregon
3. Boise State
4. Arizona State
5. USC
6. Brigham Young
7. Nevada
8. Utah
9. Washington
10. Hawaii
Monday, August 29, 2011
Week 1 High School Football Review
A review and some observations of the three games I attended last week:
THURSDAY NIGHT-Fairport at Harvey. The 54-21 victory for Harvey is what one might expect from a matchup of a Division 2 team and a Division 6 team, notwithstanding the long, storied rivalry between these two that dates back to 1921. The Red Raiders simply controlled the line of scrimmage and had way too much speed for the Skippers. Harvey's leader and star is clearly junior QB Kaleb Coffee, although he has some help in DeVante Ward, Jerome Becks, and Jaren Young. The defense is still a question mark for this team. My sense is that the Red Raiders will not score 54 points in their next three games COMBINED. I can see them struggling next week against Kirtland, but I could be wrong if they're able to break a few big plays on offense with their speed. Fairport will be all right once they start to play teams their own size. They 've got a few good players-Kyle Burchett, Brian Griffith, Ryan Greenwood, and Tyson Lautanen come to mind. How about Hali Butler? Two interceptions make her the early area leader.
FRIDAY NIGHT-Riverside at Perry. The Perry PROGRAM is what won this one. New good kids stepping up to replace graduated good kids, following the proven formula of success the Pirates have enjoyed year after year. The Pirates have an easy one this week at Lakeside, but after that comes a huge matchup with archrival Madison. Riverside took another step forward as a program, but are still a notch below Perry on the Lake County ladder. 27-20 is sure a lot better than 49-14. It will be interesting to see how they do against West Geauga this week. It's not out of the realm of possibility that the Beavers can pull the upset.
SATURDAY NIGHT-Boardman at Benedictine. Early in the second quarter, when Benedictine trailed 21-3, I was wondering why the Bengals would schedule a D1 potential playoff team as their opener after having had 5 straight losing seasons. Then new coach Ben Malbasa's "Air Benny" attack took off, and the Bengals got back into the game and then took the lead with 3 straight touchdowns in the middle quarters. Benedictine certainly has the athletes for a wide-open offense. Bengals aren't very big, and that could hurt them with the schedule they play. Also, the defense has struggled in recent seasons and did again for a quarter plus on Saturday. To their credit, the defense did rebound and play well enough for most of the rest of the game. The most striking thing when looking at Benedictine's roster: 46 players in grades 10-12, 36 ninth graders. The future could be very bright for the Bengals. As for Boardman, they are a very talented team with big linemen, quick backs, and tall and fast receivers that will win a lot of games this year. They're the type of team that just might end up facing Mentor in November, being in Region 1.
THURSDAY NIGHT-Fairport at Harvey. The 54-21 victory for Harvey is what one might expect from a matchup of a Division 2 team and a Division 6 team, notwithstanding the long, storied rivalry between these two that dates back to 1921. The Red Raiders simply controlled the line of scrimmage and had way too much speed for the Skippers. Harvey's leader and star is clearly junior QB Kaleb Coffee, although he has some help in DeVante Ward, Jerome Becks, and Jaren Young. The defense is still a question mark for this team. My sense is that the Red Raiders will not score 54 points in their next three games COMBINED. I can see them struggling next week against Kirtland, but I could be wrong if they're able to break a few big plays on offense with their speed. Fairport will be all right once they start to play teams their own size. They 've got a few good players-Kyle Burchett, Brian Griffith, Ryan Greenwood, and Tyson Lautanen come to mind. How about Hali Butler? Two interceptions make her the early area leader.
FRIDAY NIGHT-Riverside at Perry. The Perry PROGRAM is what won this one. New good kids stepping up to replace graduated good kids, following the proven formula of success the Pirates have enjoyed year after year. The Pirates have an easy one this week at Lakeside, but after that comes a huge matchup with archrival Madison. Riverside took another step forward as a program, but are still a notch below Perry on the Lake County ladder. 27-20 is sure a lot better than 49-14. It will be interesting to see how they do against West Geauga this week. It's not out of the realm of possibility that the Beavers can pull the upset.
SATURDAY NIGHT-Boardman at Benedictine. Early in the second quarter, when Benedictine trailed 21-3, I was wondering why the Bengals would schedule a D1 potential playoff team as their opener after having had 5 straight losing seasons. Then new coach Ben Malbasa's "Air Benny" attack took off, and the Bengals got back into the game and then took the lead with 3 straight touchdowns in the middle quarters. Benedictine certainly has the athletes for a wide-open offense. Bengals aren't very big, and that could hurt them with the schedule they play. Also, the defense has struggled in recent seasons and did again for a quarter plus on Saturday. To their credit, the defense did rebound and play well enough for most of the rest of the game. The most striking thing when looking at Benedictine's roster: 46 players in grades 10-12, 36 ninth graders. The future could be very bright for the Bengals. As for Boardman, they are a very talented team with big linemen, quick backs, and tall and fast receivers that will win a lot of games this year. They're the type of team that just might end up facing Mentor in November, being in Region 1.
Thursday, August 25, 2011
High School Football-Week 1
LAKE COUNTY GAME OF THE WEEK-Brush at North
These teams have opened up against each other every season during the era of the PAC (1998-present). There's a lot of talk about each team, with each expected to have big seasons. The guess here is that the home team has greater depth, and should prevail in a shootout. PICK: North
ASHTABULA COUNTY GAME OF THE WEEK-Geneva at Edgewood
Old Ashtabula County rivals keep each other on the schedule. Geneva usually wins this one, and should again. PICK: Geneva
GEAUGA COUNTY GAME OF THE WEEK-Chardon at West Geauga
Will Mitch Hewitt's Hilltoppers be ready? You bet. Wolverines have won easily the last two years, and have good senior group. Should be a close one. PICK: West G.
EASTERN CUYAHOGA COUNTY GAME OF THE WEEK-Mentor at Euclid
Sorry Panthers fans, once again it will be Mentor having the upper hand, and piling up big offensive yards.
PICK: Mentor
The rest of the docket:
THURSDAY NIGHT:
Harvey over Fairport
Warren Howland over Lakeside
FRIDAY NIGHT:
Beloit West Branch over Kirtland
Strongsville over Lake Catholic
Madison over Cortland Lakeview
Riverside over Perry
South over NDCL
Wickliffe over Richmond Hts.
Grand Valley over Conneaut
Struthers over Jefferson
Berkshire over Pymatuning Valley
Garrettsville over Cardinal
University over Hawken
Hudson over Kenston
Ledgemont over Independence
Chagrin Falls over Richfield Revere
Orange over Bay
SATURDAY AFTERNOON:
Beachwood over Gilmour
Mayfield over Medina
VASJ over Our Lady of the Lakes (Michigan)
SATURDAY NIGHT:
Boardman over Benedictine
Johnstown Northridge over Newbury
These teams have opened up against each other every season during the era of the PAC (1998-present). There's a lot of talk about each team, with each expected to have big seasons. The guess here is that the home team has greater depth, and should prevail in a shootout. PICK: North
ASHTABULA COUNTY GAME OF THE WEEK-Geneva at Edgewood
Old Ashtabula County rivals keep each other on the schedule. Geneva usually wins this one, and should again. PICK: Geneva
GEAUGA COUNTY GAME OF THE WEEK-Chardon at West Geauga
Will Mitch Hewitt's Hilltoppers be ready? You bet. Wolverines have won easily the last two years, and have good senior group. Should be a close one. PICK: West G.
EASTERN CUYAHOGA COUNTY GAME OF THE WEEK-Mentor at Euclid
Sorry Panthers fans, once again it will be Mentor having the upper hand, and piling up big offensive yards.
PICK: Mentor
The rest of the docket:
THURSDAY NIGHT:
Harvey over Fairport
Warren Howland over Lakeside
FRIDAY NIGHT:
Beloit West Branch over Kirtland
Strongsville over Lake Catholic
Madison over Cortland Lakeview
Riverside over Perry
South over NDCL
Wickliffe over Richmond Hts.
Grand Valley over Conneaut
Struthers over Jefferson
Berkshire over Pymatuning Valley
Garrettsville over Cardinal
University over Hawken
Hudson over Kenston
Ledgemont over Independence
Chagrin Falls over Richfield Revere
Orange over Bay
SATURDAY AFTERNOON:
Beachwood over Gilmour
Mayfield over Medina
VASJ over Our Lady of the Lakes (Michigan)
SATURDAY NIGHT:
Boardman over Benedictine
Johnstown Northridge over Newbury
Tuesday, August 2, 2011
High School Football Schedule Changes-Last Part
High school football camps are under way in the area, and it's time to close the books on schedule changes for this year-with one last look. Today's focus is on Eastern Cuyahoga County.
BENEDICTINE (Div.3, NCL Blue)-The Bengals will have a season of change this season. A new head coach takes the helm this year, and Benedictine will participate in a conference for the first time since the 1971 season, their last year in the Senate Athletic Conference. Half of the schedule will change also, with Chardon, Fremont Ross, St. Edward, Youngstown Mooney, and Louisville Aquinas coming off the slate. Replacing them will be Boardman, Akron Hoban (Blue Division game), Bedford, Holy Name (NCL crossover), and Padua (Blue Division game). Lake Catholic, NDCL, and Walsh Jesuit stay on as Blue Division opponents. The Bengals hope their fortunes change, as well. Benedictine appeared in the Division 3 state championship game three seasons in a row (2002-2004), winning the latter two. Since then, they have not had a winning season, going 18-42.
BRUSH (Div.1, NOC Lake)-The Arcs will trade Collinwood, Cuyahoga Falls, and North Royalton for Madison, Twinsburg, and Lakewood this season. Brush has high hopes for this season, and hopes to attain the school's first winning mark since 2005. That season the Arcs went 7-3 and qualified for the playoffs for the only time in school history.
CHAGRIN FALLS (Div.4, CVC Chagrin)-The Tigers are coming off back-to-back appearances in the Division 3 state final, and find themselves dropping to Division 4 this season. Other than that, not much will change-the same 10 teams are on the schedule as last year. One has to go back to 1996 to find the last time that Chagrin Falls had a losing season (2-8).
EUCLID (Div.1, LEL)-The Panthers say goodbye to Strongsville and South, and hello to Canton GlenOak and Lorain. The Mentor game becomes a non-conference affair for the first time since 1997. Euclid was 4-6 last season, but that was just the 3rd non-winning season in the last 29 years for the Panthers.
GILMOUR (Div.5, Independent)-The Lancers will see half of their scheduled opponents turned over from last year. Gone are Peninsula Woodridge, Linsly Academy (WV), Gibsonburg, Oregon Cardinal Stritch, and Geneva. In for this year are Tusarawas Central Catholic, Grand Valley, Trinity, Conneaut, and VASJ. Gilmour has had back-to-back 2-8 seasons, but had 7 consecutive winning seasons before that.
MAYFIELD (Div.1, NOC River)-The Wildcats won't face Bedford, Solon, Strongsville, Brunswick, or Nordonia this season. They will take on newcomers Mentor (for the first time since 1992), Stow, North Royalton, Hudson, and Cuyahoga Falls. The winning season streak for Mayfield stands at 6, since finishing 4-6 in 2004.
ORANGE (Div.3, CVC Chagrin)-The Lions pick up Kirtland as a Week 3 opponent this year in a CVC crossover. Orange has not had a winning season since 1999 (6-4).
RICHMOND HTS. (Div.6, CVC Metro)-The Spartans will not play Morral Ridgedale or Edgewood this year, facing Oberlin and Berkshire instead. Richmond Hts was winless the last 2 seasons, but went 6-4 as recently as 2008.
UNIVERSITY (Div.3, PAC)-The Preppers will enter their first football season as a conference member (unless you count the Inter-State Prep League), with a slew of returning players. They'll drop Fremont Ross, Lincoln-West, WRA, Akron SVSM, and Jefferson from the schedule and replace them with new league opponents Madison, Lakeside, Riverside, North, and Chardon. South and Geneva remain on the schedule from last year and will become conference foes.
VASJ (Div.6, NCL White)-The Vikings' enrollment is the smallest it has been, probably ever. The school was Division 1 in 1987. Nevertheless, the spirit of the Columbia Blue & Red lives on. VASJ will replace Chardon, NDCL, and Elyria Catholic with new NCL White foes Warren JFK and Holy Name, along with nearby Gilmour. The Vikings will play 5 Saturday afternoon games this year-3 are home games against teams that have to travel a great distance, and two are road games. Three home games will be played on the more traditional Saturday night under the lights at Sparky DiBiasio, with one Saturday night and one Friday night game on the road.
There are just 3 matchups involving these 10 teams facing each other.
Week 6-Mayfield vs. Brush
Week 9-Chagrin Falls vs.Orange
Week 10-VASJ vs. Gilmour
BENEDICTINE (Div.3, NCL Blue)-The Bengals will have a season of change this season. A new head coach takes the helm this year, and Benedictine will participate in a conference for the first time since the 1971 season, their last year in the Senate Athletic Conference. Half of the schedule will change also, with Chardon, Fremont Ross, St. Edward, Youngstown Mooney, and Louisville Aquinas coming off the slate. Replacing them will be Boardman, Akron Hoban (Blue Division game), Bedford, Holy Name (NCL crossover), and Padua (Blue Division game). Lake Catholic, NDCL, and Walsh Jesuit stay on as Blue Division opponents. The Bengals hope their fortunes change, as well. Benedictine appeared in the Division 3 state championship game three seasons in a row (2002-2004), winning the latter two. Since then, they have not had a winning season, going 18-42.
BRUSH (Div.1, NOC Lake)-The Arcs will trade Collinwood, Cuyahoga Falls, and North Royalton for Madison, Twinsburg, and Lakewood this season. Brush has high hopes for this season, and hopes to attain the school's first winning mark since 2005. That season the Arcs went 7-3 and qualified for the playoffs for the only time in school history.
CHAGRIN FALLS (Div.4, CVC Chagrin)-The Tigers are coming off back-to-back appearances in the Division 3 state final, and find themselves dropping to Division 4 this season. Other than that, not much will change-the same 10 teams are on the schedule as last year. One has to go back to 1996 to find the last time that Chagrin Falls had a losing season (2-8).
EUCLID (Div.1, LEL)-The Panthers say goodbye to Strongsville and South, and hello to Canton GlenOak and Lorain. The Mentor game becomes a non-conference affair for the first time since 1997. Euclid was 4-6 last season, but that was just the 3rd non-winning season in the last 29 years for the Panthers.
GILMOUR (Div.5, Independent)-The Lancers will see half of their scheduled opponents turned over from last year. Gone are Peninsula Woodridge, Linsly Academy (WV), Gibsonburg, Oregon Cardinal Stritch, and Geneva. In for this year are Tusarawas Central Catholic, Grand Valley, Trinity, Conneaut, and VASJ. Gilmour has had back-to-back 2-8 seasons, but had 7 consecutive winning seasons before that.
MAYFIELD (Div.1, NOC River)-The Wildcats won't face Bedford, Solon, Strongsville, Brunswick, or Nordonia this season. They will take on newcomers Mentor (for the first time since 1992), Stow, North Royalton, Hudson, and Cuyahoga Falls. The winning season streak for Mayfield stands at 6, since finishing 4-6 in 2004.
ORANGE (Div.3, CVC Chagrin)-The Lions pick up Kirtland as a Week 3 opponent this year in a CVC crossover. Orange has not had a winning season since 1999 (6-4).
RICHMOND HTS. (Div.6, CVC Metro)-The Spartans will not play Morral Ridgedale or Edgewood this year, facing Oberlin and Berkshire instead. Richmond Hts was winless the last 2 seasons, but went 6-4 as recently as 2008.
UNIVERSITY (Div.3, PAC)-The Preppers will enter their first football season as a conference member (unless you count the Inter-State Prep League), with a slew of returning players. They'll drop Fremont Ross, Lincoln-West, WRA, Akron SVSM, and Jefferson from the schedule and replace them with new league opponents Madison, Lakeside, Riverside, North, and Chardon. South and Geneva remain on the schedule from last year and will become conference foes.
VASJ (Div.6, NCL White)-The Vikings' enrollment is the smallest it has been, probably ever. The school was Division 1 in 1987. Nevertheless, the spirit of the Columbia Blue & Red lives on. VASJ will replace Chardon, NDCL, and Elyria Catholic with new NCL White foes Warren JFK and Holy Name, along with nearby Gilmour. The Vikings will play 5 Saturday afternoon games this year-3 are home games against teams that have to travel a great distance, and two are road games. Three home games will be played on the more traditional Saturday night under the lights at Sparky DiBiasio, with one Saturday night and one Friday night game on the road.
There are just 3 matchups involving these 10 teams facing each other.
Week 6-Mayfield vs. Brush
Week 9-Chagrin Falls vs.Orange
Week 10-VASJ vs. Gilmour
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