Player Profile: Dommique Easley

Height:  6'2
Weight:  288
School:  Florida
Position:  Defensive Tackle
Ranking:  #5 Defensive Tackle
Projection:  Day 2

Strengths
-Experienced.  Three year starter.  26 games started.
-Explodes at the snap creating instant penetration
-Shows good power at the point of attack. Can move Guards backwards
-Displays good speed getting the QB
-Does a good job of turning speed into power
-Plays with good leverage and pad level
-Stout at the point of attack. Can hold his ground vs Guards and Tackles
-Versatile player.  Lined up at both DT positions and even DE at Florida
-Active heavy hands.  Uses them to keep defenders hands off his body
-Plays with a little bit of crazy and with an edge.
-High Motor player.  Always moving and working towards the ball
-Good football character and was voted team leader

Weaknesses
-Has torn the ACL in both knees during career at Florida.
-Will need to add weight to play DT.
-Short arms causes him to struggle to disengage from blocks.
-Limited scheme fit.  Likely fits in as a 3 technique in a 4-3
-Can get too aggressive and run himself out of the play
-Needs to develop pass rushing moves. Not rely on athletic ability
-Has some off the field maturity issues during fresh and sophomore years

Summary
Coming into this season Dominique Easley was one of the top draft eligible defensive tackles.  Easley is a top notch athlete who explodes off the ball and is instantly into the backfield.  He has elite quickness and is a handful for offensive lineman.  Add in a non stop motor and he is the perfect fit at the three technique. Easley is not just a one trick pony.  He is good at the point of attack and anchors in well to clog up the lanes. However an early season ACL injury this past season was devastating.  Especially for a player who relies on his athletic ability so much.  Add that to him struggling to shed blocks and limited scheme fit and that raises some concerns.  Before the injury he was looking like a first round pick, but is now likely a late second early third round pick.  If Chicago doens't go DT in round one he'd be a great fit with them. Otherwise a team like Oakland, St. Louis, or Seattle could be landing spots.

College Kickoff (Week 9)

Games of the Week

#16 Mississippi State Bulldogs (7-0) at #1 Alabama Crimson Tide (7-0)
For both teams this might be the toughest team they'll both have faced.  Alabama has had a tougher schedule, but they have been blowing everybody out.  Mississippi State is also undefeated but their toughest game was Tennessee.  The winner of this game will control their own destiny and be atop the SEC West standings.  Can Mississippi State's offense score enough points on Alabama's defense to win the game? Or will Alabama assert their dominance over a Bulldog team that won against lesser competition? One thing is for sure, we'll know for sure how good Mississippi State is after this one.
Prediction:  Mississippi State 13 Alabama 35


#4 Florida Gators (7-0) vs #14 Georgia Bulldogs (6-1)  In Jacksonville
Florida is riding high after consecutive wins over South Carolina, LSU, and Texas A&M while Georgia is looking to prove that the South Carolina loss was just a fluke.  A win here would practically give the winner the SEC East Title if they continue to win out.  Florida has made their success behind a good defense and a power running game.  But that could play into Georgia's hand because the strength of their defense is up the middle.  The key to this game could be the play of Georgia QB Aaron Murray.  If he can get the Bulldog offense going, they have a great shot to pull the upset.  But they can't afford to get down big early like they did against South Carolina. 
Prediction:  Florida 17 Georgia 10


#23 Texas Tech Red Raiders (6-1) at #5 Kansas State Wildcats (7-0)
Both of these teams are coming off blowout wins over West Virginia and looking to stake claim to the lead in the Big 12.  You would think that this would be a shootout because of how good each offense is playing.  But lost in all of that, both defenses are actually playing at a high level too.  Will Texas Tech be able to slow down Kansas State's rushing and Heisman front runner Collin Klein?  Can Kansas State's secondary slow down the Red Raider passing attack?  I have a feeling the defense that makes the biggest play will win this game.
Prediction:  Texas Tech 20 Kansas State 34


#3 Notre Dame Fighting Irish (7-0) at #8 Oklahoma Sooners (5-1)
Even with the two SEC games this week, this is the game of the week.  Both teams are in the hunt for the National Title and need to win this game to stay in the race.  This will be a battle between the Irish Defense vs the Oklahoma offense.  The winner of this battle will win the game.  The Irish defense has played as one of the best in the nation.  Their front 7 is playing at a high level and have the ability to shut down the Sooner running game.  If there is a weakness it could be the Irish secondary.  QB Landry Jones has improved, but at this point can you trust him in a close game?  If Notre Dame's defense can keep playing well and the offense can run the ball like they did against BYU they can win this game.  Oklahoma will need a big game from Landry.  They go as he goes.
Prediction:  Notre Dame 21 Oklahoma 20


#22 Michigan Wolverines (5-2) at Nebraska Cornhuskers (5-2)
The winner of this game basically wins the Legends Division.  Michigan right now is undefeated in Big 10 play while Nebraska's only conference loss is to Ohio State.  Nebraska under HC Bo Pelini has struggled against mobile QBs and in last year's meeting the Huskers defense struggled to contain Dennard Robinson.  If the Huskers defense can contain him like they did Kain Colter last weekend they should do well.  Another thing to remember is that the game is played in Lincoln at night.  Nebraska has won their past four night games in Memorial Stadium and overall are pretty tough to beat in that environment. 
Prediction:  Michigan 42 Nebraska 31

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Coaching Hot Seat

Jeff Tedford, California

Career Record:  82-52
8 Bowl Appearances

Tedford has been a coach whose seat has been getting warmer every year.  Tedford came to Cal with the reputation of being a QB guru.  He tutored the likes of Trent Dilfer, David Carr, Akili Smith, and Joey Harrington.  Things started out good for Tedford.  In his first year he took them from one win to seven.  From 2003-2006 the Bears won at least 8 games and even were ranked #2 at one point.  He was even Pac 10 coach of the year twice.  A big reason for the success early on was due to the ability to get top flight talent into the program.  Aaron Rodgers, DeSean Jackson, and Marshawn Lynch are just a few of the top players he's had. 

Things started to change in 2007.  That season they started off 5-0 but ended up losing 6 of their last 7 games and finished with a 7-6 record.  Also in 2010 they only won 5 games.  Coincide the amount of talent that has come to Berkely hasn't been the same.  Tedford has also lost some of his best coaches/recruiters to other schools. 

With all of this, the program has grown stale over the plast couple of years and there really doesn't seem to be any real impact players on the roster.  They are 3-5 on the season so far and they'll be lucky to make it to 5 wins.  With this downturn paired with Stanford and USC being top flight teams and UCLA on the move up could result in Cal administration feeling like they need to do something.

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What happened to....

Florida International Golden Panthers
If you checked out my preseason rankings, you'd see that I had FIU at #24.  Any why not.  They just came off an 8-5 year and were starting to play some really good football under HC Mario Cristobal.  The returned 17 or 22 starters with 10 of them being defense.  They were poised to roll through the Sun Belt and have a legit shot at an undefeated season. 

However this season has been a giant failure.  After losing their opener against Duke, FIU looked to get things back on track with a hard fought win over Akron.  However the Panthers have dropped their next 6 games and look to be settled into the last place in the Sun Belt.  The common thought that having to replace their starting QB and key pieces to the offense has been the issue.  But instead the defense (with 10 returning starters) has been the biggest concern.  The Panther defense is giving up an average of 37 points per game.  It's hard to win games when you have to score 40 points to win.

What's worse is that HC Mario Cristobal was a hot name in the coaching carousel.  He ended up turning down jobs to stay at FIU.  With a season like this, it could hurt his chances of getting the type of job he was being offered.

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How about....

Duke Blue Devils
When you think of Duke we all think of their basketball team and how successful that program is.  The exact opposite can be found in the football program.  There has been some success throughout Duke's history, but most of us know them as being a yearly bottom dweller in the ACC standings. 

However things have changed this year.  Under HC David Cutcliff the Blue Devils leading the Coastal Division with a 3-1 conference record and are already 6-2 on the season.  Even if they don't win another game this season, the Blue Devils are already Bowl Eligible and will go to their first bowl game since 1994.  That's pretty remarkable for a team that had a 22 game losing streak in the middle of that stretch. 

The Blue Devils are lead by senior QB Sean Renfree who has really taken a big step forward this year.  Renfree has thrown for 1,793 yards and 11 TDs so far this season.  His two favorite options are senior Conner Vernon and sophomore Jamison Crowder.

It will be interesting to see where Duke goes from here.  They'll have two tough ones in a row with Florida State and Clemson, but end the season against Georgia Tech and Miami.  If they can win two or three of those games it will be a huge season for the Blue Devils.  But even if they go 0-4 a bowl game will be a great treat for this team and it's fans.

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Player Spotlight

Jordon Poyer

Height:  5'11
Weight:  190
School:  Oregon State
Year:  Senior
Position:  Cornerback

One of the biggest reasons that Oregon State is having the success they are this year is the play of defensive standout Jordon Poyer.  Poyer who is a former safety who is only in his second true season as a cornerback.  Poyer is none for being a good athlete and his ability to match up with wide receivers and shadow them all over the field.  He has good ball skills and that has shown with his 5 INTs so far this year.  He even had 3 against Washington State, one of which he took back for 6 which sealed the game for the Beavers.  Poyer also returns kicks and punts for the Beavers. 

SEC Predictions

Every year the SEC has a representative in the National Title game. This year shouldn't be any different. The SEC is the premier conference in college football and will have several teams ranked in the top 25 all year long.

Here is how I believe the SEC will play out this upcoming college football season.

East

1. South Carolina Gamecocks, 10-2 (7-1)

After some years of struggling, Steve Spurrier finally has the Gamecocks a yearly contender for the SEC East Championship and for the SEC Title. This year should be no different. QB Stephen Garcia is back and so is ultra talented RB Marcus Lattimore. If Garcia can stay out of trouble and limit turnovers the Gamecocks will find their way back into the SEC Title Game, and maybe have a chance to win it.

2. Florida Gators, 7-5 (4-4)

Florida struggled in their first year in the post Tebow era, but that was understandable since they had pro style QB John Brantley trying to run a spread running attack. Now that Charlie Weis is now the OC the offense will be built around the stengths of Brantley. On defense HC Will Muschamp will bring some attitude back to a team that seemed to loose that the past couple of years. I'd watch out for Ronald Powell who Muschamp could use much like he did with Brian Orakpo and Sergio Kindle.

3. Georgia Bulldogs, 7-5 (4-4)

A lot of people are higher on Georgia than I am, but I'm just not seeing it. They'll really miss what AJ Green did for their offense and with Caleb King being ineligible will put a lot of pressure on true freshman Isaiah Crowell. However their defense will be strong and Aaron Murray is a very good quarterback. They could surprise me, but I think a 7 or 8 wins is all they will get.

4. Tennessee Volunteers, 6-6 (2-6)

There were a lot of qustion marks about Tennessee last year leading up to the season and after starting the season at 2-6 it was looking like a lost season. However QB Tyler Bray emerged and the Vounteers rallied to win their final four games against the SEC celler dwellers. I have a feeling this year might be very similar. They'll struggle against the top level teams and have a chance against the Vanderbilt'\s and the Mississippi's. However if Tyler Bray can elevate his game they could surprise a few teams and finish with better than two or three wins.

5. Kentucky Wildcats, 6-6 (2-6)

Kentucky finished last season with two wins in the confernece and I don't see them winning more than that this year. Last year they were blessed with two talented offensive weapons in Derek Locke and Randall Cobb. Both are gone and that leaves them without many other options. I would not be surprised if they went winless in confernce play either.

6. Vanderbilt Commodores, 5-7 (2-6)

After going hard after Gus Malzahn to be their head coach they ended up getting James Franklin who was the OC at Maryland. Now Vanderbilt is not a destination job by any means, but the Franklin hired is a dud in my opinion. He was the OC but Maryland's offenses where not anything to brag about. And he'll be coaching in the toughest conference in the NCAA and against some of the best defenses in all of college football. Its an uphill battle and they have a long way to go.

West

1. Alabama Crimson Tide, 12-0 (8-0)

Its crzay how talented the SEC is when Alabama last year had a veteran QB and three first round picks and all the rest of that talent and lost three conference games. This year should be different. The Crimson Tide are loaded on defense and are going to make it very difficult for teams to score on them. The real question mark will be at quarterback. They have Phillip Sims and AJ McCarron battling out at quarterback, but look for the Tide to rely on Trent Richardson to carry the early load till whoever wins the QB race gets more comfortable. But none the less the Tide will be the team to beat and have a great shot to make it back to the National Title game for the second time in three years.

2. LSU Tigers, 10-2 (7-1)

The Bayou Bangles might be one of the most talented teams in all of college football but their success will all be dependent on how well Jordan Jefferson plays at quarterback. Jefferson is very talented, but often makes bone headed decisions that really costs the team. If he can improve his decision making the Tigers will be a National Title contender. But if he doesn't, all will be for not and they'll find themselves back in the Cotton Bowl. No pressure huh?

3. Arkansas Razorbacks, 9-3 (6-3)

Its too bad that the Razorbacks aren't in the SEC East where they would be the favorite to win the division. However they are in the West where 4 out of the 6 teams have a legit shot to win the division (instead of one in the East). Arkansas took a big jump last year finishing with a 10-3 record and a birth in their first BCS Bowl. The good thing is that they return all their skill position players but they have to replace some key starters along the offensive line. They also lost QB Ryan Mallett, but replace him with Taylor Wilson who might not have the physical talents of Mallett, but is a much better decision maker which better suits the offense. The key will be the defense. Bobby Petrino is known for his offenses, but not for his defenses. If they can stop the likes of Alabama and LSU they'll have a shot to win the divison, but that might be too hard of an accomplishment.

4. Mississippi State Bulldogs, 8-4 (4-4)

Mississippi State hit a home run hire when they got Dan Mullen from Florida. Mullen has turned the Bulldogs from SEC West bottom dweller to a 9 win team last year. They are lead by QB Chris Relf who has done a good job running Mullen's spread offense. They have to replace some key linebackers, but the Bulldogs should find themselves in that 8 to 9 win category. But just like Arkansas its too bad they play in the West and not the East where they would contend for a division title rather than having to challenge Alabama and LSU for the West Title.

5. Auburn Tigers, 6-6 (3-5)

You don't see teams win the National Title and they go .500 or wose the next year, but that could very well happen this year. Last year Auburn had the best offensive player in the country in Cam Newton and the most dominant defensive player in Nick Fairley. Those two players elevated a medicore team into a National Title. Both are gone and the Tigers are going to feel it. But Gene Chizik and company are hoping the experience they got last year and the young talent they brought in will allow them to make it to a bowl game. But It will be a long season in Tiger country.

6. Mississippi Rebels, 3-9 (0-8)

I bet Ole Miss fans were wishing that the University didn't fire David Cuttcliff who had the Rebels as a constant 9 win team and yearly bowl appearances. However after they have fired him they had to endure the Ed Orgeron era and now Houston Nutt. Nutt has had one good year (with Orgeron's players) but has struggled since. This year shouldn't be any different. The Rebels don't have the talent and its going to show. They'll be lucky to win a game in conference and Nutt will probably be goon in two or three years.

Offensive Player of the Year: Trent Richardson RB Alabama

Defensive Player of the Year: Devin Taylor DE South Carolina

Freshman of the Year: Isaiah Crowell RB Georgia

Coach of the Year: Steve Spurrier, South Carolina

All SEC Team

QB: Taylor Wilson, Arkansas

RB: Trent Richardson, Alabama

RB: Marcus Lattimore, South Carolina

WR: Alshon Jeffery, South Carolina

WR: Greg Childs, Arkansas

TE: Phillip Lutzenkirchen, Auburn

T: Cordy Glenn, Georgia

G: Larry Warford, Kentucky

C: William Vlachos, Alabama

G: Josh Dworaczyk, LSU

T: DJ Fulker, Alabama

DE: Devin Taylor, South Carolina

DT: Jaye Howard, Florida

DT: Josh Chapman, Alabama

DE: Ronald Powell, Florida

LB: Courtney Upshaw, Alabama

LB: Jerry Franklin, Arkansas

LB: Chris Marve, Vanderbilt

CB: Dre Kirkpatrick, Alabama

S: Robert Lester, Alabama

S: Mark Barron, Alabama

CB: Stephon Gilmore, South Carolina

K: Blair Walsh, Georgia

P: Drew Butler, Georgia

KR/PR: Joe Adams, Arkansas