SnoTap College Football Preview: SEC East

Talking college football again here on Sports News on Tap with previews of all the big dogs and some fun stuff thrown in there as well. Naturally, the picks and posts will be coming during and after Week 1.  

The SEC is the best conference in college football and it is not even close. It is weird to hear people up in Wisconsin kind of talk down about it. I do not know if it is a jealous boyfriend/girlfriend thing, but they seem to not like the SEC as much as they should or care about it. Yes, this weirdly bums me out.  

The SEC East also has the competive balance at the top with South Carolina, Florida and Georgia plus Vanderbilt is not that shabby either. The first three all have an opportunity to take a swing at Alabama in December.

FIVE PLAYERS TO WATCH
DE Jadeveon Clowney (South Carolina) - The Freak as people are calling him right now and the nickname is the most accurate name in the game. He will disrupt offenses and dominate out there. I am not really expecting him to be a disappointment this year. I have no idea how some of the average offensive linemen will handle him this year.

RB Todd Gurley/Keith Marshall (Georgia) - These two are not really the 'Thunder & Lightning' of college football because they are both similar sizes, but easily, the best running back duo in the nation. Both are sophomores. Gurley had over 1,300 yards last season while Marshall had 700. Georgia becomes a National Championship contender with these two players because they are able to wear out all sorts of defenses plus Aaron Murray who is not bad either.

WR Jordan Matthews (Vanderbilt) -  Matthews is probably one of the most slept on players in college football. I realize we say that a lot, but Matthews gets forgotten at Vanderbilt. He will be a first round pick for certain and Matthews can either be a possession or deep threat receiver. The Commodores receiver had over 1,300 yards with a 14 yards per catch and eight touchdowns. Even though he has a new quarterback, Matthews should be a great player in the SEC.

QB Jeff Driskel (Florida) - The question is what we are getting from Driskel this season?  He struggled last week to say the least. Driskel is a duel threat quarterback, but he did not really show much last season. He had promising games against Tennessee and South Carolina last season, but he was never really that consistent plus Tennessee's defense is about as easy as 2 + 1. Driskel is an interesting player to watch moving forward. He has a chance to be really good honestly, I truly believe he could be better than people give him credit for right now.

LB A.J. Jefferson (Tennessee) - He had a massive season last year with some major tackle games against Mississippi State and Georgia where had more than 15 total tackles. Judging by his numbers, Jefferson seems like the garbage man cleaning up everyone's dirty work plus doing a little more of his own. Jefferson will be a successful player again this year for the Vols.

FIVE GAMES TO WATCH
Saturday September 7th - South Carolina at Georgia - A lot like Alabama-Texas A&M, the top SEC East game is in the first couple weeks of the season.  These are probably the two best teams in the SEC East and they will play to practically begin the year. South Carolina has won the last three times these two have met including a classic in Athens in 2011.   

Saturday October 12th- Florida at LSU - Even though these two teams are in different conferences, it is an annual game. I feel like both have made comments they would like to see some variety in their crossover games and playing one of the best each year is tough.  You can see why the SEC pairs these two teams together as they always seem to play pretty good ones. Only a couple times have we see either Florida or LSU blow out the opposition.    

Saturday October 19th - Georgia at Vanderbilt - .Not the most glamorous game, but there is a definite chance for an upset. Georgia is a good team, but they can slip up here in Nashville. They welcomed Florida to Nashville last year and lost by 14, but they did well there for the most part last year. We will ignore Georgia beat them by 45 last week.

Saturday November 2nd - Georgia vs. Florida (Played in Jacksonville, FL) -  It is pretty awful they cannot call it 'The World's Largest Cocktail Party' for political correctness sake, but if we are going to go that route, just call it the Florida-Georgia Line Bowl' include a band performance too..IMAGINE THE PROMOTIONS. As always, this should be a great game between two of the better teams in the country. Georgia has won the last two games although Florida won 10 of the last 12 prior to the Bulldogs consecutive wins. Georgia and Florida's defense should both be in check by this time.

Saturday November 16th - Florida at South Carolina - This has become a rivalry with Steve Spurrier even though he has not coached in Florida in the last decade. South Carolina seems to play really well at home in the last couple of years. There is an outside this could decide the SEC East if both of these teams end up getting by Georgia.

FIVE QUESTIONS TO PONDER
Will Georgia's defense hold? - The Bulldogs only bring back three defensive starters from last year's team. They were probably the second best team in the nation and their defense was very good. Their first two games are against Clemson and South Carolina, the Tigers are very damn good offense and the Gamecocks are not that shabby either.  There is a realistic chance they could start off 0-2 due to their new defense.

Down year for the Gators? - Another team worth worrying about this year. They started off only bringing back eight starters and then they have had multiple players go down with season-ending injuries during training camp. If Driskel continues his inconsistent struggles, the Gators might be much worse than people believed them to be this year. No doubt, they are still a bowl team, but I would be stunned if they are in a BCS bowl this year. Too many holes to fill right now.

South Carolina back to Atlanta? - It seems like the Gamecocks have all the pieces to return to the SEC Championship for the first time since 2010. South Carolina has the best defensive player in the nation and they have enough on offense to get it done. They do have to travel to Georgia early, but that's the biggest roadblock in their schedule. No LSU, no Alabama, no Texas A&M as their crossovers, South Carolina might be a lurker for an unbeaten year in the SEC and maybe overall even with Clemson looming.

James Franklin's last year in Nashville? - I think Franklin might be gone if Texas and USC end up opening up. He has done a terrific job building Vanderbilt into a place where kids can go and be successful in football. No one has been able to do that, and it appears like he could be in for a huge payday.

Gary Pinkel, the hottest seat in football? - It appears like the end for Pinkel. Missouri will not be very good this season and after two down years in the SEC, Pinkel really cannot keep his job. They need to make some Manziel-like waves in the SEC sooner rather than later.  

PROJECTED FINISH
1.) South Carolina
2.) Georgia
3.) Florida
4.) Vanderbilt
5.) Tennessee
6.)Missouri
7.) Kentucky

Gamecocks are dangerous. Remember I told you that. I love Georgia, but I do not see them taking over the Cocks this year.

Charlie.  

Read More

SnoTap 12-Pack: College Football Players to Watch

At least for the next two days, the SnoTap 12-Pack will be a thing. I have no idea if it will continue weekly, monthly or whenever I feel like it. I also understand there are so, so many good players left off this list, I would love to hear your list on Twitter or in the comments section. 

12.) Marqise Lee, Wide Receiver, USC, Junior - One of the most electrifying receivers in college football. Lee will definitely put up some big numbers when it comes to grabbing all ball thrown to him looking like no Pac-12 opposing secondary can stop him. Lee had seven games where he had 10 or more catches and only had five games where he did not have 100 yards of receiving. He always has breakaway speed making him a threat for the deep ball. Now, he does need a quarterback to throw him the ball.

11.) Duke Johnson, Running Back, Miami, Sophomore - This man is an absolute beast in the making. He might not be familiar with casual college football fans, but he definitely could be the next in the long linage of Miami running backs. Johnson is an absolute threat to score every single time he touches the football and cuts like the sharpest knife in the drawer. Johnson is one of the reasons why there will be articles from ESPN, Sports Illustrated and others on why 'The U is back.'

10.) Taylor Lewan, Offensive Lineman, Michigan, Senior - Many people would not put a lineman in their 12 players to watch, but most people do not watch the position. I did more so when I still played to learn more about the position, but now and again, I will watch the lineman versus the play happening. Lewan will be the player to watch this year as he might be a top five pick in the NFL Draft next year.  He also has a finger mustache tattoo which is a just a fantastic side note.  

SnoTap 12-Pack Wisconsin Special 
Melvin Gordon, Running Back, Wisconsin, Sophomore - While he will not even start this year for the Badgers, he has to be the most exciting player coming back to the roster right?  Gordon has SEC speed and can catch the ball out of the backfield making him a versatile player. James White is not a bruising back by any means, but Gordon and him could be a thunder/lightening duo on the year wearing down opposing teams. Not outrageous to think Gordon might have Heisman consideration in years to come.

9.) Anthony Barr, Linebacker, UCLA 


Other than the bad man in Columbia, South Carolina, there is not a player in college football who will inflict more pain than Barr.  He is a machine in Jim Mora's 3-4 defense and projected to be a top pick in next year's draft.  Barr is more famously known for his punishing hit on former USC quarterback Matt Barkley, but he is so much more than just one single hit. Barr has fantastic closing speed and can truly get off the ball. He is one of two linebackers (Kyle Van Noy says hello) to really keep a close eye on all Fall.  

8.) Braxton Miller, Quarterback, Ohio State, Junior - When the rumors started about Urban Meyer going to Ohio State, I told my old roommate Seth that 'Braxton Miller might be a Heisman by his junior year.' Miller will definitely have that chance this year. This is his second year in Urban Meyer's system which tends to be the golden ticket...  Alex Smith threw for nearly 3,000 yards and 32 touchdowns along with 600 yards of rushing in year 2 in Meyer's system leading them to an undefeated record. Tim Tebow had over 2,800 yards passing and almost 900 yards rushing to go along with 55 total touchdowns; Tebow won the Heisman and a National Championship. It should be expected that Miller will be excellent.

7.) Marcus Mariota, Quarterback, Oregon, Sophomore - In my opinion, he is the most underrated player in all of college football. People love to talk about Manziel, Miller, Boyd but somehow Mariotta gets forgotten. Why is that?  In part, he is on the west coast and players not in Los Angeles tend to get a little less love than your SEC/B1G players even though Oregon is an extremely public team, some of their games are on when people are sleeping or attempting to get black out drunk. The other might be the system. I am telling you Mariotta is far from a system quarterback and he will be a contender to be one of the best quarterbacks all year.

6.) T.J. Yeldon, Running Back, Alabama, Sophomore - Want the next Adrian Peterson? This might be your answer. We have talked about Johnson and Gordon plus countless other great ones but Yeldon might be the best running back of the year when it is all said and done. Yeldon has the rare combination of size and speed that is unmatched by most in college football. After being in the shadows of Eddie Lacy, he will be ready to shine this season. We all saw a glimpse of Yeldon's potential late last season when he broke out for over 150 yards against Georgia and followed it up with another 100 yard performance against a tough Notre Dame run defense.

 5.) Louis Nix, Defensive Tackle, Notre Dame, Senior - There are some players I am happy to see stay in school because I get to watch them dominate for another year. Louis Nix is one of those players. He is the definition of a space eater but he also has feet like a ballerina. The size and speed Nix brings to the table is a sight to see on a weekly basis. Nix can make plays to disrupt both the pass and the rush as well as clear pathways for linebackers.  Much of Manti Te'o's success in stopping the run and getting through on blitzes is due to Nix and Stephon Tuitt.

4.) Tajh Boyd, Quarterback, Clemson, Senior - Maybe I am alone on an island, but I feel like he could be a hell of an NFL quarterback. I hope we have gotten past 'Well he's too short for the position' because Russell Wilson would love to have a word with you. Clemson is known for their car crash finishes to their season, and Boyd is the type of player that could change things. In the last two years, Boyd's yardage is near 4,000 yards with 35+ touchdowns and last year he increased his running yardage from 200 to 500 yards. What he will do for his final encore could be truly special.  

3.) Teddy Bridgewater, Quarterback, Louisville, Junior - I can still remember watching Louisville-Cincinnati with the Bellevue boys on a Friday night. I kept telling them about the potential Bridgewater possessed; many had not heard of him yet as he was a virtual unknown to casual fans in late October.  I told them I believe he will be a top pick in the 2014 NFL Draft and could make Louisville a National Championship contender. I have no idea why I started so high on Bridgewater, but I love everything about his game. Every single positive adjective used to describe a quarterback can be used for Bridgewater.

2.) Jadeveon Clowney, Defensive End, South Carolina, Junior - Hate to keep going down memory road, but I still recall seeing Clowney commit to college. I worked out early that morning and wondered 'Is this kid really worth the hype?' My self-asked question would be answered quickly and swiftly in the first year Clowney played at South Carolina. He is a beast, freak, and any other word to describe someone whom seems like a superhero in football pads. For his short career, he has 21 sacks, eight forced fumbles, 35.5 tackles for losses and probably many more assists for South Carolina linebackers. He is must-see TV every week.

1.) Johnny Manziel, Quarterback Texas A&M, Sophomore


 He is the number one and maybe not for the reason stated above. Right now, Manziel is the most-talked about college athlete and probably top three most talked about athlete in all sports. If Dirk Notwitzki read ESPN's Wright Thompson's piece on Manziel, he would be shutting it down and going home, it's that good.  Manziel will drive the ratings of the Alabama-Texas A&M to astronomical numbers for the second game of the season.  None of this currently has to do with football, but truthfully, he is one of the most fun players to watch in college football. Let's hope there is no sophomore slump.

Charlie.  

Read More