#23 – New England Patriots – Alphonso Smith, CB, Wake Forest

Once again, New England is confronted with another offseason with concern about aging defensive players. Defensive rookie of the year Jerod Mayo was a step in the right direction, but the secondary remains a weak area. Rodney Harrison may opt for retirement after a gruesome leg injury landed him on the injured reserve this season. Additionally, veteran free agent signings Deltha O’Neal and Fernando Bryant were disappoints at cornerback (Bryant failed to make the regular season roster). The Patriots used 2nd and 4th round picks to select cornerbacks last year, but Alphonso Smith is a better prospect than the oft-injured Terrence Wheatley and Jonathon Wilhite. Smith would immediately offer depth to the position, and could eventually earn a starting spot opposite Ellis Hobbs next season.

Lost amongst the dramatic last-minute comeback from Colt McCoy and Texas and the unfair comparisons of Colt McCoy’s girlfriend to a female horse on this very page, was one thing that stood out in my mind.
Ohio State and the Big 10 are much better than everyone thinks.
As I’m sure you’ve noticed, the media - and [...]

The day after Jamie Moyer signed a 2 year contract with the Philadelphia Phillies, another Pennsylvania institution agreed to bring in there elder statesman. Joe Paterno has agreed to stay with Penn State for 3 years. At the age of 82, this would allow JoePa to remain with the Nittany Lions until he turns 85, [...]

BCS Bowls Schedule and BCS NCAA Football Teams
Rose Bowl
When: Jan. 1, 4:30 p.m., ABC
Where: Pasadena, Calif.
Who: USC vs. Penn State
Orange Bowl
When: Jan. 1, 8 p.m., Fox
Where: Miami
Who: Virginia Tech vs. Cincinnati
Sugar Bowl
When: Jan. 2, 8:30 p.m., Fox
Where: New Orleans
Who: Utah vs. Alabama
Fiesta Bowl
When: Jan. 5, 8 p.m., Fox
Where: Glendale, Ariz.
Who: Ohio State vs. Texas
BCS Title [...]

A lot changed after this week in the BCS.  As always, we will assume the conference leaders at the time will be the conference champions.  Also, even though, Texas Tech and Alabama would have to play a conference championship game, we will assume that they are their respective conference champions due to their standings in [...]

It is clear that neither Bobby Bowden or Joe Paterno will retire while the other is still coaching. Bowden has the most career wins in college football, a record he’s willing to take to the grave, literally. With JoePa just 1 game behind Bowden, foolish pride simply won’t let these 2 dinosaurs walk away.
JoePa is [...]