By Bobby “Blackjack” –Taking Football Live Host-on Special to Football Reporters

Rutgers running back, Joe Martinek, after the Rutgers-Army game. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Greetings from Piscataway!  Ok, so it doesn’t have the same zing as Bruce Springsteen’s Greetings from Asbury Park.  But those in attendance were there to see either the next great export from New Jersey, WR Mohamed Sanu or perhaps the next great hidden gem, FB Joe Martinek.  Among those under the Rutgers practice dome included scouts from 25 NFL teams and I even saw one from the Canadian Football League.  Rutgers’ Alums in attendance included All-Pro RB Ray Rice, Bengal RB Brian Leonard, the Dolphins’ new LB Jamaal Westerman and Eric LeGrand among others.

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Here are FRO’S top College Football links for Friday, Nov 5……

• Rutgers’ Eric LeGrand Back in Hospital
• NCAA Places Michigan on Three-Year Probation
• 4th Quarter KO Return Saves Virginia Tech’s Season
• SEC Championship Game Divisional Scenarios
• Student-Atlhete Spotlight: Baylor’s Tim Atchison
• C-USA: UCF LB Josh Linam, Four Others Named to Academic All-District Team
• MAC: Ohio Bests Buffalo For 6th Straight Victory
• Ferentz, Iowa Guard Against Letdown vs Indiana
• Rose Bowl May Not Have Pac-10 Representative This Year

Here are seven carefully selected stories in College Football for Thursday Nov 4..

• Michigan, Rodriguez To Be Exonerated by NCAA
• Remembering Bob Fulton, the Voice of South Carolina Football
• Big East: USF Rallies to Beat Rutgers, 28-27
• Pac-10: Arizona and Stanford Have Come a Long Way
• Colts’ TE Jacob Tamme Reflects On His Kentucky Career
• TCU, Houston to the Big East?
• Week 10 Around the FCS: November is Here- Time to Heat Up

By Mark Chisholm

That audible exhalation coming from the direction of Providence, RI is that of Big East commissioner John Marinatto. No word of how advisor Paul Tagliabue helped to keep the Big East ship intact in the face of Hurricane Re-alignment, but intact it is. For now.
The Big East can now focus on what happens on the field. A conference flush with potential star QB’s, they can ill afford to take a step backwards after the gains made in the last couple of seasons. The mother of all basketball conferences must win meaningful games in the non-conference battles and during bowl season. Likewise, with their ESPN national television contract they must make Thursday and Friday night games a “must-see” event. Even then, the likelihood of losing at least one of the football schools next year when the mad poaching begins again is very great.

To QB or not QB or How I learned to stop worrying and love the spread
1) B.J. Daniels South Florida – A slick and slippery sort that throws the ball much better than he is given credit for. The redshirt sophomore will continue to make better decisions and pay for play scouts will start adding an inch and a half to his height. He will thrive under new Coach Skip Holtz scheme even though the cupboard is bare at receiver. Some unheralded Bull WR will owe his jump in Twitter followers to Mr. Daniels.

2) Zach Collaros Cincinnati – The little QB that would be king. Word is that Zach hasn’t lost a game as the starting QB since they started putting chili on pasta. He introduced himself to the world by spanking a USF defense that sent 6 players to the pros last year before a national TV audience. Like Daniels, the elusive Collaros throws the ball better than average, but unlike Daniels, he has weapons galore.

3) Tom Savage Rutgers – Savage set a Big East record for passing yards for a true freshman last year. Do everything WR/RB/QB/ <(ok, I just wanted to put another slash) Mohamed Sanu will try to relieve some of the pressure, but a young OL, a ravaged WR corp, and a lack of an explosive running game will test the more traditional drop back passer.

4) Geno Smith West Virginia – Is Smith going to heal from a twice occurred broken foot? If he is 100% healthy, he has to show that he has been mentally practicing despite not physically participating. More Jarrett Bell than Pat White, sophomore Smith can lead the Mountaineers to the title with the help of an experienced OL and of course, Noel Devine.

QB with the most to prove?
Pittsburgh’s native son Tino Sunseri. Expectations are sky high for Pitt. Opening at Utah won’t help. Will the Steel City faithful be kinder to Sunseri than they were to Bill Stull?

2010 Tidbits
Biggest Non-Conference Game: Miami FL at Pittsburgh (Thur. Sept. 23 ESPN) Both schools face a big boys non-con schedule that culminates with this battle. If ESPN hasn’t sold all of their ad spots for this game by now, they need a government bailout.

Surprise Team: Rutgers. It’s not a good surprise. Just like realizing that Miles Austin was picked four rounds ago after writing his name on your fantasy draft board, Rutgers fans will be aghast when the Scarlet Knights limp home with a losing conference record.

Fantasy Studs: Noel Devine, Dion Lewis, Jonathan Baldwin, Mohamed Sanu, Armon Binns, Zach Collaros, Isaiah Pead, Jacob Rogers, Jordan Todman, Pitt’s defense

Fantasy Sleepers: Geno Smith, Ray Graham, Marcus Sales, Dontavia Bogan, Tavon Austin, Brad Starks

Best Insurance Policy: Pitt RB Ray Graham. Dion Lewis is the darling of fantasy geeks everywhere, but Graham is a more explosive runner.

Most Undervalued Player: Pitt LT Jason Pinkston. All he does is lock down #1 pass rushers and execute multiple run blocking assignments on the same play. That’s all.

True Freshmen to Make Biggest Impact: USF CB Terrence Mitchell (aka T-Rex) and Rutgers WR Jeremy Deering. Both from Tampa, they will use their speed, athleticism, and desire to force their way onto the field and make a difference.

Coach on the Hot Seat: None. I would say Bill Stewart’s seat might be warm, but any head coach that’s ever been in Morgantown will tell you that the locals think they could do a better job.

Best Conference Game: West Virginia at Pittsburgh (Fri. Nov. 26) The Backyard Brawl will determine the Big East Champion. The Mountaineers will be rolling by the time they hit Heinz Field. Smith, Devine and that nasty offensive line will bowl over Pitt. The smell of another crushing defeat with the Big East title on the line for Pitt fans. It could be even worse for the Pitt band if they don’t assign someone to guard their area from rank WVU fans.

Predicted Conference Standings:
1) West Virginia – An iron man offensive line returns to protect Geno Smith and allow speed demons Devine and Austin to run wild. An under-rated defense led by DT Chris Neild and S Robert Sands will get the job done.
2) Pittsburgh – Sunseri must manage the game and not lose it. The defense must play to their potential every game Wannstadt has yet to win the big one.
3) Cincinnati – An inexperienced defense will allow more points than the high octane offense can score in a couple of conference games.
4) South Florida – Coach Holtz and defensive coordinator Mark Snyder has some tricks up their sleeves. The Bulls will reverse their recent trend: no splashy non-conference wins but finally they record a solid conference slate.
5) Connecticut – Teams will load up eight-man fronts, and force Zach Frazer to beat them. He won’t.
6) Rutgers – The shine might be starting to fade from Greg Schiano’s star. Savage and Sanu will have to be the offense. Defense will be over-worked. Will they win even one conference road game?
7) Louisville – Charlie Strong has Cardinals faithful in full throat again. It will take time, but he will recruit Florida. Louisville will have success…just not this year.
8) Syracuse – Wounded. The Orange are depleted by injuries on both lines, and Doug Marrone will have to get creative. Syracuse does sport its best LB corp in years, led by Derrell Smith. They will keep them surprisingly close in a few games.

Did you know?
Syracuse once sported pink uniforms….ESPN analyst Lee Corso is former head coach at Louisville….South Florida kicker Maikon Bonani has recovered from back surgery after falling from a theme park ride….Cincinnati’s defense recorded 11 sacks at Syracuse in 2007….The Big East boasted ten of the first 97 players taken in the 2009 NFL Draft….Two Big East schools play home games in NFL stadiums (USF, Pitt)

It’s Official: Strong heads to Louisville

By John Kelly

Football Reporters Online

Senior Writer

Midwest/Northeast Correspondent

Defensive Coordinator Charlie Strong was the architect of a dominant Florida defense the past 5 seasons. coordinator. Now he will channel that energy towards Louisville as their next Head Coach.

Strong was hired by Louisville Wednesday to help revitalize a program that lost its shine under former coach Steve Kragthorpe.

Strong has been one of the hottest coaches in the country the last few seasons. His defenses were energetic and terrifying for opposing foes in the SEC.

Strong will have his work cut out for him. He has to restore the luster of a nomadic fan base that mailed it in during the Kragthorpe era. The Cardinal’s struggles the last three seasons led to Kragthorpe’s dismissal on Nov. 28.

According to Louisville athletic director Tom Jurich the defining factor in Strong’s hire stemmed from the devotion and enthusiastic nature he exhibited with his players

“I’ve done a lot of homework with this hire, and I was amazed how well-respected and revered Charlie Strong is throughout the country,” Jurich said. “He commands a lot of respect from people within the game, including ex-players and coaches around college football.”

Strong’s contract is not yet completed and his plans to coach in the Sugar Bowl are up in the air as well.

It funny to think that just three years ago Louisville was a team that won the Orange Bowl and finished 6^th in the nation. Jurich hopes Strong can restore the program to those heights and especially bring back support that grew disenchanted. If you need anymore proof check the attendance at the season finale.

A crowd of 23,000 turned out for the Rutgers game and with Papa John’s stadium expanding to 55,000 seats they must show signs of filling up before next year’s opener against rival Kentucky.

Florida’s defenses ranked top-20 national in 10 statistical categories under Strong. This same defense helped Florida capture two national titles.

The Gators have not missed a beat this fall finishing third in the nation in scoring defense and fourth in total defense.

He’ll have to get work immediately as Louisville’s defense is far from dominant. It was one of the reasons the Cardinals fell from the Big East penthouse to their cellar.

Louisville ranked 67th nationally in both total defense and scoring defense this year despite significant improvements.

Jurich took his time looking for a replacement unlike back in 2007 after Petrino bolted for the NFL.

Strong was considered Jurich’s top candidate all along and waited until Florida was done with their regular season before they contacted him. While Strong was on the top of list other candidates received contact as well.

Jurich also talked with former Tennessee coach Phil Fulmer about the job a week ago.

Despite bringing a strong defensive mind to Louisville, Strong also carries deep recruiting ties in the South that would welcome future blue chippers to Louisville. Kragthorpe looked west for prospects instead of raiding the bluegrass and sunshine states.

Strong becomes the 11th black head coach in the Football Bowl Subdivision and the fourth one hired in the last month.

Early Season College Football Report By

John Kelly

Senior Writer Football Reporters Online

Midwest/Northeast Correspondent

The Big Ten flops, Big East and Big 12 cruise, and two traditional powers stir a buzz.

Talk about a drama filled first week of College Football. Sam Bradford goes down in an upset loss to BYU. Ohio State and Iowa need last second heroics to hold off Navy and Northern Iowa. Rutgers, a potential Big East contender gets smothered on their opening turf. A former Duke point guard gives Syracuse football its most excitement since the McNabb days. All you who think Navy’s a pushover, shame on you. My apologies for thinking Illinois could be a potential Big Ten Juggernaut. They were down by multiple scores before half time by a Freshmen Quarterback and an inexperienced Missouri squad nonetheless. I knew Cincinnati would drub Rutgers. However, the rest of the Big East took care of their patty cake schedule. South Florida waxed Wofford, West Virginia beat up Liberty, Pittsburgh spanked Youngstown State, and Louisville and Connecticut eked out wins versus FCS squads. Here is what we learned: Cincinnati looks more than a safe pick to win the Big East. The way their offense played in Piscataway shows that defenses will struggle with them this year. Tony Pike is the most polished quarterback in this conference and knows Brian offense in and out. The defense did not look too shabby either replacing a surplus of starters. The Jury is still out on West Virginia and Pittsburgh. West Virginia struggled mightily in Jarrett Brown’s debut. Pittsburgh’s offense continues to beat up FCS teams but flop against division 1A squads. South Florida always looks the part and should win the conference this year but it is all about putting it together for a whole season. By the way, Greg Paulus performance was impressive in Syracuse’s opener. If he threw the ball away in OT maybe his performance might have been the story of the day. After a snap went over his head he recovered on the next drive and stuck it into the end zone. Some quarterbacks in college football can’t even do that after playing 3 years. The Big 12 continues to be one of the top conferences in college football. Usual suspects Texas, Nebraska, and Kansas pounded powder-puff teams. Oklahoma State and Missouri made a statement to the college football world. Missouri thumped Illinois 39-7 and Oklahoma State took care of Georgia 24-10. Missouri showed that they could beat anyone in the country no matter whom their quarterback is. Oklahoma State has a trio of stars in Kendall Hunter, Dez Bryant, and Zac Robinson. This weekend Bill Young’s defense proved that they were a legit unit in the country. The Big Ten on the other hand had to nitpick their way through the first weekend while inheriting a couple of abrasions along the way. First off I think its time for people to jump off the Ohio State and Penn State bandwagon in the Big Ten and look for a different contender this year. The Buckeyes struggled with Navy, which was an utter embarrassment. Navy is a sound football team that has been to 5 straight bowl games. OSU might have been looking ahead but there are no excuses for this.  Navy’s triple option offense grinds out the clock, but the Buckeyes easily could have won this game by two touchdowns. If OSU cannot stop the run versus an undersized Navy squad, just image what will happen when they face the nation’s best offensive line in USC and Joe McKnight. I also beg the question is Tyrell Pryor really that far ahead as a passer? Pryor’s legs won games last year not his arm. Maybe he should stick to his strength when the men of Troy visit the shoe. Iowa’s offense might have missed recently injured Jewel Hampton. Even without him Ricky Stanzi and the offense looks despicable. Stanzi definitely is the leader of this unit and threw a late touchdown pass. Still, the defense let Northern Iowa drive down the field at the end of the game. Iowa does not look like a big ten sleeper. You cannot expect Penn State to miss two field goals in a row or be off on offense. Minnesota probably will be mailing out thank you cards to Greg Paulus. His costly interception in overtime allowed them to evade an upset in the carrier dome. The only Big Ten foes looking halfway decent were Purdue and Michigan. Off a 3-9 season Tate Forcier might be Rich Rodriguez’s answer to silence the critics in Ann Arbor with a 31-7 win. Forcier looked great in the spring game and check it out on you tube. He has a great arm and is even better throwing on the run. He threw three touchdowns and does not look like a freshman. Purdue’s ran for 287 yards in a 58-34 win over Toledo. Overall the Big Ten looks wide open this season and Michigan’s performance sure will provide drama for next week’s matchup against Notre Dame. The Irish blanked Nevada 35-0. Overall, week one in College football provided a prelude into next weeks pivotal matchups. All I have to say is have the remote in hand Saturday because it is shaping up to be a dandy.