Front Row.com Blog

 The Clemson Tigers had the misfortune to draw an SEC team in their first game. With Clemson ranked in the Top 10 and the Alabama Crimson Tide as low as 20, it should have been fairly evenly matched. It wasn’t. Nick Saban had the Tide ready to play, denying the Tigers any semblance of offense while running rampant over Clemsons defense in a 34-10 win. The Clemson Tigers rep for blowing big games grows.

The Ohio State Buckeyes are holding their breath. Heisman Trophy candidate Chris Wells went out with a foot injury in the second quarter. with only two weeks until the primetime contest with the USC Trojans, the Buckeyes can ill aford to lose a major weapon like Wells.

Missouri came out on top of a 52-42 college football shootout with the Illini. Ranked #6, Missouri is looking for bigger and better things as they showcase a powerful offense. The same could be said of Illinois, who recovered from a similiar defeat by Mizzou to play in the Rose Bowl last year.  

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  In a not too surprising move, the Arizona Cardinals have picked Kurt Warner to be the starting quarterback for their opening game against their NFC West opponent San Francisco 49ers. While many, including myself, have had warner pegged as a quarterback on the downside of his career he has once again battled the odds and emerged on top. Matt Leinart, hailed as a franchise savior not long ago, has battled inconsistency and bad press. But a three interception outing against the Oakland Raiders seems to have been the deciding factor.

 Leainart joins Alex Smith on the sidelines after Smith lost his starting job to J.T. Sullivan. So, come Sept. 7th in San Francisco, you’ll have two of the highest paid and most disappointing #1 picks in the NFL holding a clipboard, a testament to the high stakes gamble of the NFL draft, and a testament to the value of sucking it up, keeping your mouth shut, and waiting for your chance.

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 Chad Johnson of the Cincinnati Bengals is now Chad Ocho Cinco, having legally changed his name. Asides from being nuts and craving attention, Johnson has put himself in as bad a position as he possibly could. The Bengals are faltering, struggling with organizational power issues, bad press, and a do or die season. Ocho Cinco is coming off an embarrasing incident that saw him bluffing a holdout and then relenting. He has to have a killer season, but he’s also playing on an ailing ankle and a bad shoulder. Bit off a little more than he could chew, I think.

 From the City by the Bay comes the news that J.T. O’Sullivan will be the starter for the San Francisco 49ers, winning the job over grossly overpaid Alex Smith. Sullivan has been a journeyman, playing for half a dozen NFL teams in his career. His secret? Sullivan played for 49ers O-coordinator Mike Martz in Detroit. Could he be Martz’s next Kurt Warner?

 Bad Decision? The San Diego Chargers Shawne Merriman decided to play in 2008, despite doctors advice to the contrary. I have to admire his dedication but doubt his decision.

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 And so the grand experiment begins. Instant replay has hit the MLB. I, for one, kind of liked the idea of keeping things in fallible human hands. The next step will be the elimination of umpires calling balls and strikes. The principle of using technology just because it’s there has infested every aspect of sports nowadays. Besides, how much fun will it be to boo a computer generated replay? Oh well.

The Tampa Bay Devil Rays are still leading in the AL East. The Red Sox trail by a handful of games but the faltering Yankees are out of the playoff picture for all practical purposes. Suddenly, the Big Apple loves the New York Mets. The axles on the old bandwagon are getting creaky.

 In an age where it seems perrenial hard luck jackets are being cast off, I turn my eyes to the Chicago Cubs. Firmly in control of the NL Central, the Cubs have the best record in the National League. Over the next 30 or so games, Chicago plays very few teams that aren’t sporting winning records. In other words, the battle to prove they belong in the World Series is about to begin. The frustration could end soon. I kind of like that idea.    

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 The Florida Gators have a chance to set themselves up in 2008. They come into the college football season ranked in the middle of the Top 10. they also come in with an explosive offense and a Heisman Trophy candidate at quarterback. But can Florida show enough defense to make the cut? Remember, this Gators team finished 98th against the pass and 46th in scoring in 2007. A schedule that includes the LSU Tigers at home and the Georgia Bulldogs in Jacksonville will make the difference in their SEC ranking.

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 The Missouri Tigers wrapped up 2007 with a Cotton Bowl win over Arkansas. Now they have to come back and convince the BCS that they’re for real. That means outplaying the Oklahoma Sooners without actually playing them.

 Missouri has some weapons on both sides of the ball. Chase Daniels is coming off a season that saw hm earn Big 12 Player of the Year honors. Wide receiver Jeremy Maclin is ready to build on over 1,000 yards receiving and tight end Chase Coffman also returns. An experienced linebacker group on a defense that grew by leaps and bounds last season means the Tigers will be one of the mre formidable teams in the Big 12.

 After winning the Big 12 North in 2007 the Missouri Tigers enter 2008 with high hopes. Getting into a BCS Bowl game is #1.

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 The LSU Tigers will have a tough time repeating their BCS national Championship. That’s true of any team that finishes first in college football. But the Tigers enter the 2008 college football season virtually leaderless on offense. heir apparent Ryan Perrilloux is gone and les Miles has no pool to raw from, or at least no pool of experience. The choices are a redshirt freshman in Jarrett Lee and a transfer from Harvard in Andrew Hatch. Not quite the situation Miles envisioned while holding up the crystal trophy at the BCS National Championship Game.

 On the plus side the Tigers are set at running back, wide receiver, and offensive line. Surprisingly, despite the loss of #1 NFL pick Glenn Dorsey, Miles has expressed considerable confidence in his defensive line. Considering the uncertainty at quarterback, LSU will have to meet 0r exceed their SEC leading defensive stats of 2007 to be in the hunt in the conference.

Big games: Auburn, Georgia, Alabama.

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 The West Virginia Mountaineers finished on a high note in 2007, beating Oklahoma in the Fiesta Bowl to end an 11-2 campaign. Expectations are high for the 2008 college football season. the Mountaineers are ranked as the best team in the Big East and #8 in the country by the AP. It remains to be seen how adversely the loss of Head Coach Rich Rodriguez will affect the Mountaineers. New Head Coach Bill Stewart plans on using Pat White’s arm more than his legs, a small change that could propel West Virginia into another major bowl. The 2008 schedule offers some challenges, namely Auburn and Louisville, and surprising South Florida.  

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 The Clemson Tigers enter the 2008 college football season with a heavy burden. Namely, being the top ranked team in the ACC and the #9 ranked team in the nation. That quite a challenge, considering Clemson has fallen short of expectations more than once in the last decade. For Clemson Tigers ticket holders the answer may come not from the usual glory positions but from the trenches. The Tigers offensive line is a huge question mark. It’s quite possible the Clemson will field a line with absolutely no real game experience. On the plus side, quarterback Cullen Harper is a senior and running backs Harper and Spiller have game time experience. keep your fingers crossed Clemson fans, and watch the line.  

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 Auburn Tigers tickets will have new look in the 2008 college football season as the Tigers move to a spread offense. Plenty of no huddle and lots of passing will mark the debut of offensive coordinator Tony Franklin. Head Coach Tommy Tuberville got a little preview last season when Auburn used the spread in the Chic-Fil-A Bowl last season and racked up season highs. That offensive power will come in handy as the Auburn Tigers face top ranked SEC teams like the LSU Tigers and the currently #1 ranked team in the country, the Georgia Bulldogs. Oh, and those big games will be at home in Jordan-Hare Stadium so reserve your Auburn Tigers tickets now.

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