FrontRowSportsReport.com: Sports Blog

With national signing day past us it is time to see who did the best job at getting top High School prospects to come to their school. Below are the top 10 schools with the best recruiting classes - the rankings are based on two factors: 1) How many top prospects they signed and 2) how well they did at filling gaps.

Top 10 2008 College Football Recruiting Classes

1. Clemson Tigers - The Tigers surprised a lot of people on signing day, they were able to get a bunch of players who verbally committed to other schools to switch. Top recruits: tight end Dwayne Allen, offensive tackle Antoine McClain and running back Jamie Harper.
2. Alabama Crimson Tide - New coach? So what! The Tide rolled with top wide receiver Julio Jones and offensive tackle Tyler Love.
3. Miami Hurricanes - The hurricanes joined Clemson is getting a ton of defensive talent, including linebackers Arthur Brown, Sean Spence and Ramon Buchanan.
4. Ohio State Buckeyes - The Buckeyes have the best class in the Big Ten, their class is heavy with top defensive talent including linebacker Etienne Sabino.
5. USC Trojans - The Trojans lost a couple prospects who verbally committed but, as usual, have their share of talent like top cornerback T.J. Bryant and defensive end Nick Perry.
6. Florida Gators - Like USC, the Gators lost a couple prospects but also like the Trojans they were able to get big time players like wide receiver T.J. Lawrence and safety Dee Finley.
7. Notre Dame Fighting Irish - The Irish and Charlie Weis are coming off a horrible season and needed a big recruiting class, they got it. The Irish are bringing in top receivers Michael Floyd and Deion Walker as well as top quarterback prospect Dayne Christ.
8. Texas Longhorns - Texas is great at recruiting people who will fit need, not just going after the top player at a position - this recruiting class is no different.
9. LSU Tigers - Rolling with their BCS title the Tigers got top wide receiver Chris Tolliver and tight end Tyler Edwards, plus defensive end Chancey Aghayere.
10. Oklahoma Sooners - The Sooners have a class that could get better once a couple key prospects  decide where they are going, so for Oklahoma signed top prospects Jameel Owens at wide receiver and defensive tackle Stacy McGee.

Today is the day that the top High School prospects can officially sign with their chosen college.  Most of the athletes will stay with the schools that they verbally committed to - however things can change. Here is our first run down of who signed where and who has yet to make a official decision.

• Top quarterback recruit, and the player with the most buzz this year, Terrell Pryor did not commit anywhere and said that he needs more time to think this through.
• Top wide receiver prospect Julio Jones (ESPN #2 overall) signed with Alabama.
• Running back Jamie Harper (ESPN #3 running back) signed with the Clemson Tigers.
• Defensive End Robert Quinn has chosen North Carolina.
• Running back Joe Adams has switched from USC and signed with Arkansas.
• Top Tight End prospect Dwayne Allen switched from Georgia (who he verbally committed to) and signed with Clemson.
• Running back Jermie Calhoun has signed with Oklahoma.
• Shockingly, Al-American wide receiver Martin Bayless is going to play at non-BCS powerhouse Northwestern.
• Notre Dame Fighting Irish have signed 10 ESPN 150 players - including defensive end Ethan Johnson and quarterback Dayne Crist.
• Defensive End Nick Perry has chosen USC over Michigan.

Ok that is it for now, we will post another update from College Football Signing Day later.

The 2008 College Football Senior Bowl ended in dramatic fashion as Florida Gators wide receiver Andre Caldwell scored on a 2-yard end around to give the South a 17-16 victory.

Caldwell was handed the ball by Tennessee Volunteers quarterback Erik Ainge, who took the place of Louisville’s Brian Brohm. Ainge drove the south 86-yards in 14 plays on the final drive, finished the game with 159 yard passing yard and earning the south offensive MVP honors.  “It’s fun to end your college career like that,” said Ainge. “I’ll remember handing the ball to a Gator to win for the rest of my life.”

Most of the game was dominated by the defense who made the majority of big plays, including USC defensive tackle Sedrick Ellis sacking Kentucky Wildcats quarterback Andre’ Woodson for a safety.

The North were led by Michigan Wolverines quarterback Chad Henne who threw for 2 touchdowns and earned the north offensive MVP award.

Tulane running back Matt Forte won the overall MVP award, Forte ran for a game high 59 yards and had 38 receiving yards.

With the BCS Title game done what better time to put together a Pre-preseason College Football Top 10 ranking. 2008 promises to be another year for the record books in College Football as a good amount of top schools are bringing back their star players and lesser known programs look to follow in the footsteps of Kansas and Missouri. Expect a great deal of chaos and change in the rankings / polls up until this time next year.

So, here is my first Pre-preseaseon College Football Top 10 Rankings*:

1. USC Trojans - Yup, a great deal of people will questions why I put USC up top but I don’t care. Joe McKnight is the real deal at running back and the Trojans should be bringing back the core components of their defense.
2. Georgia Bulldogs - The Bulldogs deserved to be in the title game, much more then Ohio State - sorry Buckeyes. Watch out for the Bulldogs in 2008, I am predicting a BCS Title game for them.
3. Oklahoma Sooners - Perfect example of a young team who will only get better. If the Sooner do not stumble early expect them to make a run at the top spot in October.
4. Missouri Tigers - With most of the same team returning I don’t think anyone can overlook the Tigers anymore - next year we will see if they are the real deal or not, but until proven otherwise I am ranking them high.
5. Florida Gators - Any team that returns a deal threat like Tim Tebow should be in the top 10. The Gators do have a series of question marks that will determine how good they really are…i.e. how good will Emmanuel Moody be?
6. LSU Tigers - How good will the new class be and how big will be the impact of all the players leaving this year?
7. Ohio State Buckeyes - Another young team who will not be getting any credit based on their BCS Title game issues and perceived weak conference / schedule. Their defense will have question marks around it until we know exactly who is leaving for the NFL (e.g. Laurinaitis will, but what about Gholston?)
8. Wisconsin Badgers - Seems like this time last year I was talking about how good the Badgers will be in 2007. I guess I didn’t learn from my mistakes and go with the Badgers being a top-tier team based on so many starters coming back.
9. West Virginia Mountaineers - The Mountaineers season and ranking all depend on whether or not Pat White and Stever Slaton head to the NFL or head back to the hills.
10. Kansas Jayhawks - The only big loss for the Jayhawks will be All-American CB Aqib Talib. So, now that Kansas cant take teams by surprise how good will they be? Oh and BTW - you know have a huge target on your backs. Welcome to big time College Football.

There we have it, my Pre-preseason College Football top 10 Ranking…let the arguments begin
* Subject to change whenever I feel like!

The biggest day in College Football has finally arrived, tonight the LSU Tigers will face the Ohio State Buckeyes to see who will hold up the crystal BCS championship trophy. However, from most people I talk to it seems as though playing the game is just a formality as many feel LSU will roll over Ohio State - just like the Florida Gators did last year. I would be careful of getting caught up in that type of thinking if I were LSU. Why? Ohio State has two very dangerous things on their side…first is motivation and the second is that they really have nothing to lose. Funny thing is that this is almost the complete opposite of last years Ohio State team that came into the title game being almost to cocky, will LSU fall victim to the same fate? Being a 2 loss team I can’t see LSU getting to full of themselves - but they have always been a cocky team.

Ohio State is probably the most disrespected 11-1 team ever to be ranked #1. All you have to do is look at their schedule this year and you will be underwhelmed by who they played and beat, granted they beat a Michigan Wolverines team that finally got some respect after beating the #9 Florida Gators in the Capital One Bowl. But the Buckeyes schedule is filled with cream-puffs…Youngstown State, Akron, Northwestern, Minnesota, Kent State - those are not teams I would be proud of beating. LSU on the other hand seemed to play a big game every other weekend - instead of cream-puffs the Tigers played football powerhouses.

So what do i see happing in this game? It is going to be a lot closer then what most people predicted - I see Ohio State keeping it close for most of the game, maybe even taking the lead at some point, but in the end LSU will make some big plays and pull ahead for good.

Final Score: LSU tigers 31 - Ohio State Buckeyes 24

Another topic, imagine if LSU - and their 2 loses - win the game? Get ready for another few months of everyone in the world ripping the BCS system and fans of the other 2 loss teams who won big bowl games ready to riot. Both Georgia and USC won and played like they belonged in the BCS title game. This is the perfect reason for some sort of playoff…but no of course that wont happen for like 15 years.

What a game let me tell you and I sure that I am not the only one that was surprised by the outcome. Outgoing Michigan Wolverines coach Lloyd Carr got a big win today against defending National Champions, the University of Florida Gators, 41-35.

Quarterback Chad Henne threw for 373 yards and 3 touchdowns, running back Mike Hart ran for 129 yards and 2 touchdowns as the Wolverines won their first bowl game since 2003. Henne was able to pick apart Florida’s secondary all-day long with wide receivers Adrian Arrington and Mario Manningham getting most of the work.

The Gators were able to make it a game due to the Wolverines turning over the ball 4 times and Gator quarterback and Heisman Trophy winner Tim Tebow throwing 3 touchdowns, but couldn’t get it done at the end of the game. Tebow threw 4 straight incompletion’s with the clock winding down ending the Gators chances of winning.

The Wolverines have come a long way since that loss against Appalachian State don’t you think?

With most of the secondary college football bowl games complete it is now time to pick the winners of the big bowl games (and a couple not so big ones) that are starting tomorrow January 1st.

College Football Bowls

Tuesday, January 1st

Sugar Bowl
#10 Hawaii vs #5 Georgia
My Pick: Georgia
I am really excited to watch this game because I have always enjoyed watching Colt Brennan throw the ball. I would love to pick an upset here and hope that Hawaii can become this years Boise State, but I just don’t see it. Georgia is looking to make a statement and prove they are a better team, I expect both teams to come out swinging for the fences but in the Georgia’s depth will outlast and outgun the Rainbow Warriors.

Cotton Bowl
#6 Missouri vs Arkansas
My Pick: Arkansas
Is Missouri for real? Yes, I think that they are – but that doesn’t mean they can beat a good Arkansas team. Darren McFadden is going to have a career day and set the pace for a big Arkansas win.

Rose Bowl
#13 Illinois vs #7 USC
My Pick: USC
I see this game being the most lopsided of all the BCS bowl games. Illinois is a good team but USC has so much more talent. USC, playing almost a home game, will throw, run and do anything they want against Illinois.

Capital One Bowl
Michigan vs #12 Florida
My Pick: Florida
Remember that loss to Appalachian State? Remember their coach issues? Remember Tim Tebow and his Heisman Trophy? Florida wins this game, but it will be close.

Outback Bowl
#16 Tennessee vs #18 Wisconsin
My Pick: Tennessee
Both teams are good, but not great. This is going to be the closest one of the day.

Gator Bowl
Texas Tech vs #20 Virginia
My Pick: Virginia
Virginia’s defense is really good and Texas Tech wont be able to do much.

Wednesday, January 2^nd

Fiesta Bowl
#9 West Virginia vs #4 Oklahoma
My Pick: West Virginia
Another great game, the deciding factor for me is that West Virginia will be coming out with major motivation and will try and prove they are the best team in the nation – despite losing to Pittsburgh. The only thing the Mountaineers need to be careful of his keeping focused with the whole Rich Rodriguez moving to Michigan.

Thursday, January 3^rd

Orange Bowl
#8 Kansas vs #3 Virginia Tech
My Pick: Virginia Tech
Just like Missouri, Kansas will be looking to show that they belong. They will make it a came but I do believe that Virginia Tech’s talent is too deep and athletic for Kansas to stay with them all game.

Saturday, January 5^th

International Bowl
Ball State vs Rutgers
My Pick: Rutgers
Rutgers in a toss-up. Remember when we all thought the Scarlet Knights were a BCS contender going into the season?

Sunday, January 6^th

GMAC Bowl
Tulsa vs Bowling Green
My Pick: Tulsa

Monday, January 7^th

BCS Championship Game
#2 LSU vs #1 Ohio State
My Pick: LSU
Oh the big game everyone will be waiting for, the good thing of this match-up is that once LSU roles over Ohio State there wont be any argument as to whom is the real national champion. I have said all season that Ohio State is over-rated and LSU will prove me right. Go Tigers!

Florida quarterback Tim Tebow took home the Heisman Trophy last night - just like everyone, including myself predicted. Tebow was the first sophomore to ever win the Heisman Trophy, a stat that seemed hard to believe considered the Heisman Trophy’s long history. Tebow finished with 1,957 votes, runner-up (for the second year in a row) Arkansas running back Darren McFadden received 1,702 votes. Following Tebow and McFadden in the Heisman voting was Hawaii quarterback and Missouri quarterback Chase Daniel.

Tebow has impressed me with his athleticism, but I don’t think he would make a good NFL quarterback at this point. Next year Tebow will have to establish himself as a passer and try to stay in the pocket a bit longer to become a top NFL prospect.