Jamie's Mailbag

Who is the best offensive prospect I have ever seen? Randy Moss and Kevin Faulk are two of my favorites but I would pick the player in the photo (left). Who is it? Also, what's going on with Miami recruiting and what will happen with Larry Coker? Who are some of the best coordinator hires in college football? I will answer these questions and more in this week's mailbag.

Wake Forest, one of the great stories in college football this season, was well on their way to upsetting Clemson and improving their record to 6-0. The Demon Deacons were up 17-3 and controlling the Tigers. On the first play of the fourth quarter they attempted a 42-yard field goal. Wake Forest holder Jon Temple couldn’t handle the snap so he tried to run the ball, only to get crushed by Clemson defensive lineman Gaines Adams. The ball popped loose in the air, Adams snagged it and ran 66 yards for a Tiger touchdown. Instead of Wake being up 20-3, Clemson made a huge play and was now down only 17-10. Just like that all the momentum swung to the Tigers and they scored the next 17 points and won the game 27-17. You have to credit Clemson for making plays in the fourth quarter. But what sparked the Tiger win and the rally? A botched field goal attempt by Wake Forest.

Gaines Adams making the big play against WF

Last week’s mailbag talked about the problems in college football with the kicking game, most notably extra points and field goals. Another botched field goal cost Wake Forest and a missed extra point was the difference for Minnesota against Penn State in overtime this past weekend. Speaking of overtime, three other teams have lost in extra time this year because of missed PATs; Alabama (to Arkansas), Clemson (to Boston College), and Navy (to Tulsa).

There were certainly other big plays, big games and big upsets in college football this past weekend. Arkansas beating Auburn on the road was the big shocker and that left a few teams jockeying for the No. 2 spot in the polls and it somewhat reshuffled part of the top 10. With that said, let’s take a look at how I see the top 20 teams in college football…

Top 20
1) Ohio State (6-0)
Bowling Green played the Buckeyes tough for three quarters. Troy Smith was awesome once again. Ohio State goes to Michigan State this weekend to take on the reeling Spartans.

2) Florida (6-0)
The Gators were very opportunistic against LSU and dominated the Tigers with super special teams play. Quarterback Tim Tebow made several huge plays to spark the Florida offense. The Gators goes face an angry Auburn team this weekend.

3) Michigan (6-0)
The Wolverines dispatched their in-state rival Michigan State 31-13. Quarterback Chad Henne, running back Mike Hart, wide receiver Mario Manningham and the Wolverine defense continue to play great football. Michigan travels to Penn State on Saturday.

4) West Virginia (5-0)
The Mountaineers take out Mississippi State 42-14 behind the running of Steve Slaton and Pat White. West Virginia gobbled up 314 rushing yards on only 44 attempts. They face an improved Syracuse team this weekend.

5) USC (5-0)
It was another close call for USC, as they nipped the much improved Huskies 26-20. Washington literally ran out of time in the fourth quarter. Let’s see if the Trojans get back on track this weekend against Arizona State.

6) Texas (5-1)
Behind the stellar play of quarterback Colt McCoy, Texas beat arch-rival Oklahoma 28-10. The Longhorn defense gave up 109 yards to Adrian Peterson put they pretty much kept him in check for most of the game. Texas faces Baylor on Saturday.

7) Louisville (5-0)
The Cardinals had to rally from a first quarter deficit against a spunky Middle Tennessee State squad. Quarterback Hunter Cantwell threw for a career high for Louisville but Brian Brohm may be back this weekend at they take on Cincinnati.

8) Tennessee (5-1)
Tennessee was down by 10 points at halftime and exploded for 37 second half points to beat the Dawgs 51-33 in Athens. The Vols get this weekend off before their annual contest against Alabama.

9) Cal (5-1)
The Bears are roaring right now as they pummeled the Ducks 45-24. The offense is on an absolute roll, averaging over 40 points per game over the past five games. They take on Washington State this weekend.

10) Auburn (5-1)
Arkansas shocked the Tigers at Auburn 27-10. The Hogs went hog wild on the ground and beat Auburn at its own game. Arkansas rushed for an amazing 279 yards against one of the best defenses in college football. It doesn’t get any easier this weekend as Auburn hosts Florida.

11) Notre Dame (5-1)
The Fighting Irish took care of business against the Cardinal. Notre Dame got balance between quarterback Brady Quinn and running back Darius Walker. The Irish get the week off before hosting UCLA.

12) Clemson (5-1)
The Tigers roared from behind to beat surprisingly good Wake Forest 27-17. The have a short week but they also play Temple on Thursday.

13) LSU (4-2)
The Tigers missed opportunities and beat themselves with mistakes and turnovers against the Gators. LSU has dug itself in a huge hole in the SEC West. They take on Kentucky this weekend.

14) Georgia Tech (5-1)
Tech rallied in the fourth quarter for 13 points to beat Maryland 27-23. The Yellow Jackets had offensive balance and timely defense. They get this weekend off before taking on Clemson in a huge ACC game on the 21st.

15) Georgia (5-1)
The Dawgs got smoked in the second half against the Vols. Georgia gave up more second half points (37) to Tennessee then they had all season combined (34). UGA gets Vandy on Saturday.

16) Nebraska (5-1)
The Cornhuskers had two 100 yard rushers against a tough Iowa State team. The Cornhuskers travel to Kansas State on Saturday.

17) Oregon (4-1)
The Ducks ran into a buzz saw with Cal and got blown away early. Oregon takes on one of the most improved units in all of college football this weekend in the UCLA defense.

18) Iowa (5-1)
The Hawkeyes responded nicely from their loss to Ohio State by whipping Purdue by 30. They travel to Bloomington this weekend.

19) Arkansas (4-1)
The Razorbacks upset Auburn on the road behind a powerful running attack led by Darren McFadden. Arkansas has the inside track to win the SEC West. They face SE Missouri State this Saturday.

20) Oklahoma (3-2)
The Sooners didn’t have an answer for Texas quarterback Colt McCoy. The Longhorns also did a nice job of containing superstar running back Adrian Peterson. They face Iowa State this Saturday.

Brady Quinn

Noting your Heisman comments, do you think Brady Quinn is still in the race for it?
Pat (Houston, Texas)
Brady Quinn is certainly still in the Heisman race but I do believe that he needs to have a monster second half of the season and Notre Dame needs to win out. If he can create some Heisman momentum going into the Southern Cal game at the end of the year and somehow guide the Fighting Irish to a win over the Trojans, then he could catapult himself back in the thick of things. Even if Quinn does he will need help, meaning not so Heisman like performances from his competition. To be honest, I wouldn’t count Quinn out of the race just yet but I think he has too much ground to make up with guys like Troy Smith and Adrian Peterson playing so well. To me the two wild cards are Chris Leak and Garrett Wolfe. The Gators have the schedule to keep Leak in the thick of things as long as they win while Wolfe’s numbers and productivity might be too much to ignore. The race is still wide open.

I thought Adrian Peterson was the front runner going into the weekend and he did have a solid game against Texas. But after Troy Smith completed 85% of his passes against Bowling Green, I think he has the edge at the season’s mid-way point.

1)Troy Smith (QB) Ohio State
Smith was brilliant against Bowling Green, going 17-20 for 191 yards and three touchdowns. Smith also rushed for 54 yards. For the season he has completed 68% of his passes for 1,261 yards, 15 touchdown passes and only two interceptions.

2) Adrian Peterson (RB) Oklahoma
Peterson rushed for 109 yards on 25 attempts and had one very nice touchdown run of 29 yards against Texas. For the season he has 795 rushing yards and eight touchdowns while averaging 5.6 yards per carry.

3) Garrett Wolfe (RB) Northern Illinois
Wolfe rushed for 162 yards and two scores against Miami (Ohio). He has now rushed for 1,343 yards and 13 touchdowns. Wolfe is averaging 8.6 yards per carry.

4) Steve Slaton (RB) West Virginia
Slaton torched Mississippi State for 185 yards and one score. He had nine runs of 10 yards or more against the Bulldogs. Slaton has rushed for 815 yards and seven touchdowns while averaging 7.3 yards per carry.

5) Chris Leak (QB) Florida
Leak played well against a great LSU defense but only mustered 155 yards passing on 17 of 26 passing with one interception. In defense of Leak he did get pulled for Tim Tebow in spot substitution situations for Florida that worked brilliantly for the Gators. For the season Leak 64.7% of his passes for 1,395 passing yards, 14 touchdown and five interceptions.

James Davis

When is James Davis of Clemson going to start getting some serious Heisman consideration? He leads the ACC in rushing despite sharing the load with a jam packed backfield. He is in the top five in scoring and had one of the biggest runs of the season (against FSU).
Tony (Lakeside Park, Kentucky)
Tony, please try and relax. Davis will have his day. He’s only a sophomore and people are really starting to notice James Davis. He had a good freshman season but only rushed for 879 yards and nine touchdowns. Remember a guy named Adrian Peterson? He rushed for over 1,900 yards as a true freshman at Oklahoma two years ago and was second in the Heisman voting. Now Davis had a good freshman season but nothing like Peterson’s. This season through six games Davis has been very good, rushing for 620 yards and 11 scores while averaging 5.7 yards per carry.

There is no doubt that Davis is establishing himself as one of the elite players in the ACC and one of the better backs in the game. Right now he’s playing as well as anyone in that conference. Now I will agree with you that the backfield is a bit crowded at Clemson but that competition will only make Davis and the others work harder and hopefully become better. Maybe over the next season or two Davis will establish himself as a Heisman contender. He is just not quite there yet.

What do you think of the job UCLA Defensive Coordinator Dewayne Walker has done? UCLA was horrible on defense last year and so far this season they are ranked No. 3 in the country! Was Walker the best hire in the off-season?
Matthew (Los Angeles, California)

Each and every year teams make changes at the coordinator(s) position. This season several names jump out at you with some major turnarounds. Two moves on both sides of the ball that really stand out through six weeks of this college football season are Tennessee Offensive Coordinator David Cutcliffe and Michigan Defensive Coordinator Ron English.

Cutcliffe left Tennessee several years ago to become the Ole Miss Head Coach. He was fired after the ’04 season and sat out last year for health related issues. The Vols got him back in the same capacity after their 5-6 2005 season and he has transformed the struggling Tennessee offense. Last season UT went back and forth with two quarterbacks, Rick Clausen (now a Graduate Assistant at Tennessee) and Erik Ainge. Ainge was supposed to star in his sophomore year but he did the exact opposite and he really struggled. And so did the Vol offense. In 2005, Tennessee was 101st in scoring (18.6 points per game), 90th in total offense (326.2 yards per game) and 85th in passing offense (198.0) under then Offensive Coordinator Randy Sanders. Cutcliffe retooled the offense from the bottom up and quickly resurrected Ainge and his confidence. Last year he was 66/145 for 737 yards and he threw only five touchdown passes and seven interceptions.

This season through six games Tennessee is 5-1 and the biggest reasons why are Ainge and the Vol offense. He is currently fifth in the NCAA in passing efficiency (179.9). He has completed 69.9% of his passes for 1,389 yards, 12 touchdowns and only five interceptions. The Vols are 11th in scoring (35.2 points per game), 16th in total offense (421.5 yards per game) and 9th in passing offense (291.5). On top of that Tennessee senior Robert Meachem has put up incredible numbers thus far. He is first in the NCAA in yards per game (112.5) and he has already caught 34 passes for 675 yards and scored six touchdowns. He is way ahead of where he finished last season (29 receptions for 253 yards and two touchdowns). So you can certainly see the impact Cutcliffe has made on the Vols.

The same can be said for Coach English at Michigan. There, he was promoted after last season from the Wolverine secondary coach to Defensive Coordinator. The results have been extraordinary for the maize and blue. Michigan leads the NCAA in rushing defense (40.3 yards per game) and they are 10th in total defense (250.5 yards per game) and 17th in scoring defense (14.2 points per game). Last year they finished 41st in rushing defense (137.3), 36th in total defense (345.2 yards per game) and 24th in scoring defense (20.33 points per game). In 2005, Michigan was very inconsistent defensively and they had trouble holding a fourth quarter lead. They finished 7-5 and gave up 97 fourth quarter points. This season they are vastly improved on both sides of the ball but more so on defense. The way the Wolverine defense is playing this season is a big reason why Michigan is playing as well as anyone in the country and sitting in great position at 6-0.

So you can see that both of these hires have been outstanding for both Tennessee and Michigan. Now let’s take a close look at what has happened in Los Angeles with the UCLA Bruins, where their new Defensive Coordinator, Dewayne Walker, has done a masterful job in turning around one of the worst units in all of college football.

Last year UCLA finished 10-2 but the defense was awful. They gave up 24 points or more nine times last season. The Bruins finished 113th in total defense (468.1 yards per game), 116th in rushing defense (232.8 rushing yards per game), 77th in passing defense (235.3 passing yards per game) and 108th in scoring defense (34.2 points per game).

Through five games this year the defensive improvement has been staggering. UCLA is No. 2 in total defense (221.6 yards per game), No. 2 in rushing defense (50.0 rushing yards per game), 27th in passing defense (171.6 passing yards per game) and 11th in scoring defense (12.4 points per game). That’s an amazing turnaround. Through five games UCLA is 4-1. The Bruin defense gave up 29 points to Washington. In the other four games they have given up a combined 33 points including one shut out.

Bruin Defensive Coordinator Dewayne Walker was with Joe Gibbs and the Redskins last season as he coached the Washington secondary. Before his time in D.C. he coached with the N.Y. Giants. Ironically he also coached with Pete Carroll in New England and was also Carroll’s first coaching hire when he took over at USC in 2001. Walker is known as a great teacher and tutor and he brings both professional and college experience. He also does a terrific job of game planning. With his background and attributes and the tapping in of the talent at UCLA, so much improvement has been made by this Bruin unit. The real test will come in the second half of their season when UCLA faces Notre Dame, Cal., Oregon, Arizona State and USC. Regardless, it looks like the Bruins have found a very good defensive coordinator in Coach Walker.

What’s up with the ‘Canes recruiting class and who will replace Larry Coker?
Gus (Los Angeles, California)
Miami was putting together the base of a nice class going into the football season. It’s too early to say how they will ultimately fair at the end of the day on National Signing Day because of the uncertainty with Head Coach Larry Coker.

First things first, what they have committed thus far is a good, solid group, especially in the secondary. DeMarcus Van Dyke (Miami, Fla.), Damien Berry (Belle Glade, Fla.), Phelon Jones (Mobile, Ala.), and Graig Cooper (Milford, N.Y.) are great looking prospects. Cooper signed with Miami out of Memphis (Tenn.) last season and is now at prep school. One of out scouts (Bob Lichtenfels) was recently in New York scouting Milford and raved about Cooper. On the offensive line you have to love Harland Gunn (Omaha, Ne.). He is a powerful interior lineman that excels at run blocking. Quarterback Nick Fanuzzi (San Antonio, Texas), wide receiver Kayne Farquharson (Torrence, Calif.), and defensive tackle Chris Perry (Keller, Texas) are also committed to the ‘Canes.

Now, what lies ahead for Miami away from the field and in the recruiting battles? Things will be difficult because the powers at UM need to settle what is going on with their coach. Uncertainty at the top will not help matters when it comes to recruiting and they may have a tougher time with Coker than without him. The current situation in Coral Gables will only muddy the waters.

Something needs to be settled, either an extension for Coker or a quick change once the regular season ends. I think it’s safe to say there could be a new man at the helm in Miami. But what happens if Miami runs the table? Tough decisions will have to be made. If that happens and they retain Coker what happens if Miami stumbles out of the blocks next season? That’s why Miami finds itself in such a tough bind because there is a different mantra at Miami. At a school like Miami they expect to play for championships each and every year. Anything less will not be tolerated. Coker now is 56-11 has Miami’s Head Coach but 15-8 over the last 23 games and 4-4 over the last eight games.

Let’s assume the Hurricanes do make a change. Who will the new coach be? There will be a ton of names that would jump at a chance to coach at a school like Miami. The ‘Canes need someone that knows Miami both on and off the field and how this program operates. They also need to become the dominant recruiting force once again in their own backyard. That should play a huge factor.

The name I will be watching very closely is Greg Schiano. He was the former Defensive Coordinator at UM before taking over the head coaching position at Rutgers. There, he has done a masterful job of turning the Scarlet Knights into a good football team and program. Much of his success is because of his recruiting efforts and getting prospects from South Florida. Currently, there are 21 players on the Rutgers roster from the Sunshine State.

Schiano could be the answer. He knows how the program works and he knows where to recruit. His impressive resume just got a whole lot better. Just remember this about Schiano, he turned around Rutgers, consistently one of the worst programs in all of college football! And the guy can coach.

In terms of recruiting the bottom line is that this is still Miami. It’s still “The U”. Miami has 50 or so alum in the NFL. They sell tradition, player development, championships, South Beach, a private school education and many other things. It’s still and will always be a very attractive place for potential recruits. The ‘Canes were once one of the most dominant forces in terms of recruiting. Yes, they have slipped a notch or two recently, but they haven’t slid off the map. Something will be done one way or another and the Hurricanes will pick up the pieces as they try to return to their former self.

Ronald Curry is now playing receiver for the Raiders.

In your years of covering recruiting, who is the top prospect you have seen at quarterback, running back, and wide receiver?
Brian (Los Angeles, California)
Wow. Great question Brian. Let me first say that I have been covering recruiting since 1992 and I have had the privilege to see thousands of prospects and lots of truly great players at the high school level. The best quarterback I have seen was Ronald Curry (Hampton, Va.). In fact, I would say in my opinion he was the best prospect I have ever covered. Curry could flat out do it all at the quarterback position and he was an outstanding kick returner. Curry didn’t quite live up to the hype at North Carolina but he wasn’t exactly surrounded by a wealth of talent. He also went through a few offensive coordinators in Chapel Hill and he was rushed into action before he was ready. Now Curry made the decision to pick UNC over FSU, Virginia and others but to this day I still believe Ronald Curry made a basketball decision. Remember, he played hoops for the Tar Heels too and as a high school senior was the USA Today Player of the Year in Football and basketball. That in itself speaks volumes for what kind of talent he was coming out of high school. Curry is currently playing wide receiver for the Oakland Raiders.

I would have to give the nod to Kevin Faulk (Carencro, La.) as the best running back I have seen. Faulk actually played quarterback and he was simply amazing with the ball in his hands. He could make you miss and run with power. To this day he might be the most exciting high school player I have ever seen. He had a great career at LSU and has played very well for the New England Patriots.

The best high school receiver I saw was Randy Moss (Randy, W.V.). To be honest, Moss was a man playing with boys. He did things on the high school football field that would make your jaw drop. Quite frankly, it just wasn’t fair. Moss obviously had his troubles both in college football and the NFL. But when he wants to be a dominating player he shows why he is one of the most dangerous receivers to ever play the game.

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