NCAA Football

On Monday afternoon, Syracuse University released its 2013 football schedule marking its maiden voyage into a brave new pigskin world, Atlantic Coast Conference style.

Thus continues Syracuse’s interesting, if not exciting, offseason that began with the departure of head coach Doug Marrone (and a majority of the staff), the whirlwind promotion of defensive coordinator Scott Shafer to replace Marrone and Shafer’s mad scramble to not only fill out his staff but hang onto previously committed recruits while kicking the tires for new ones.

If that wasn’t enough to wet whistles across upstate New York, the university also announced plans to build a long-sought-for, much-anticipated football indoor practice facility. That’s right, ACC brethren, it’s on!

So now that who will be coaching the Orange, who will be playing for the Orange, and where they’ll be practicing in the future has been settled, let’s take a look at who the Orange will actually be playing against. Home games are in CAPS.

PENN STATE – Saturday, August 31 (at MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford, NJ)

Yeah, right, a “home” game (teeth grinding). It’s not as if fans want to see programs like Penn State (or USC last season) actually play in the Carrier Dome (waiting for sarcasm to drip dry). But that’s a topic for another day.

The Orange and Nittany Lions will renew their rivalry to open the season. These two teams last played in the 2009 season at Happy Valley. Penn State comes off an 8-4 season and will provide a stiff test for whoever replaces departing QB Ryan Nassib under center for Syracuse.

At Northwestern – Saturday, September 7

These two teams played last season in the Dome and provided the fans with a real barn burner.

After trailing by a score of 35-13 in the third quarter, Nassib rallied the Orange with four straight touchdowns to take a 41-35 lead with under three minutes to play.

The Wildcats scored the game-winning touchdown though with 0:44 left in regulation for an exciting 42-41 triumph.

If Syracuse can win its first two games of the year, it will have to be considered a real threat to represent the Big Ten in the Rose Bowl. Wait, Big Ten???

WAGNER – Saturday, September 14

Syracuse welcomes an FCS squad to the Carrier Dome “home” opener. Yes, an FCS squad. Really brings out the “meh” in all of us. 

But, beware. SU struggled to put away Stony Brook, 28-17, last season in the Dome. And with the new SU QB playing his first home game and only his third game as a starter, stranger things have happened. Expect a healthy dose of Jerome Smith and Prince-Tyson Gulley in this one.

TULANE – Saturday, September 21

The Green Wave last squared off with Syracuse in 2011 at the Superdome in New Orleans. Ross Krautman kicked a 21-yard field goal as time expired to break a 34-34 tie and allow the Orange to escape with a win.

Tulane finished the season last year with a miserable 2-10 record, so this one should be a win. Again, expect a healthy dose of Mr. Smith and Mr. Gulley

 

CLEMSON – Saturday, October 5

And so it begins. 

Nothing like throwing down to start ACC play with one of the conference’s heavies.

The Tigers finished 11-2 on the year including a victory over LSU in the Chick-fil-A Bowl. Starting QB and Heisman contender Tajh Boyd returns for his senior season. Boyd will provide the Syracuse
defense with its stiffest test to date.

An interesting side note to the game is will true-freshman and Brooklyn-native Ebenezer Ogundeko make Clemson’s travel squad and will he play in the game? Syracuse fans certainly remember how Ogundeko spurned the Orange for the Tigers in a fierce, recruiting battle between the two schools.

If Syracuse can prevail in this one, they’ll officially be cooking with gas.

At NC State – Saturday, October 12

First ACC road game finds the Wolfpack, much like Syracuse, breaking in a new coach.

Dave Doeren take over for the fired Tom O’Brien. And, like Syracuse, Doeren will have to break in a new QB as senior Mike Glennon is off to the NFL.

Coach Shafer will hope to have the same success against NC State’s football team as Syracuse’s basketball team has had against the Wolfpack hoopsters (2-0 in a home-and-home) over the past few seasons.

At Georgia Tech – Saturday, October 19

Back-to-back road games for the Orange finds them traveling to a state where they had decent recruiting success during Marrone’s tenure. Five Georgia players graced Syracuse’s roster last season. Shafer will be looking for big impacts from two of those recruits this upcoming year, redshirt freshmen George Morris III and Josh Parris.

WAKE FOREST – Saturday, November 2

These two teams played two out-of-conference games over the past seven seasons. The Demon Deacons emerged with a 20-10 home win in 2006, while the Orange returned the favor, 36-29 in overtime, to open their 2011 season.

Wake finished 5-7 last year (3-5, ACC) by dropping four of its last five. The average margin of defeat was 33 points. This game falls into the must-win category if SU wants to get back to a bowl game.

At Maryland – Saturday, November 9

The Terrapins struggled last year. Randy Edsall’s clubs closed the year on a 6-game losing streak after losing multiple quarterbacks to injury.

But Edsall has a stud WR in Stefon Diggs and a potential start in RB Wes Brown, who only played in seven games a year ago. Diggs averaged 15.7 YPC and scored six touchdowns with a long of 66 yards.

Both players will be true-sophomores next season and will be relied on to make plays for the Terps.

At Florida State – Saturday, November 16

The ACC has a two-headed monster in terms of college football’s elite. Clemson is the first. The Seminoles are the second.

FSU has the tall-task of replacing senior QB E.J. Manuel. But this is Florida State. They simply reload. 

Though they aren’t the powerhouse they used to be under former coach Bobby Bowden, they are not to be taken lightly. Jimbo Fisher’s team possesses an embarrassment of riches in the speed department. Even the popcorn vendors at Doak Campbell are some of the fastest in the nation.
Kidding. But seriously, would that shock you if it was true?

Syracuse will be a heavy underdog in this one but with 11 Florida natives on its roster last year, it will be important to make a good impression if Shafer hopes to continue to mine the talent-rich state for recruits.

PITTSBURGH – Saturday, November 23

Hey, don’t I know you?

Much like Syracuse, Pittsburgh will be making its ACC debut next season. This is a critical game for a couple of reasons.

Prior to its thrilling 14-13 win in the Dome this year, Syracuse had dropped seven-straight games against the Panthers. Shafer will look to re-establish Syracuse’s winning ways against this not-so-stranger in a strange land.

The other reason this grudge match should have an asterisk next to it on the calendar can be summed up in one word. Recruiting.

These two teams harvest a lot of the same areas for recruits, especially Pennsylvania and New Jersey. Both states have a plethora of talent. Winning games on the field will help win recruiting battles off the field.

BOSTON COLLEGE – Saturday, November 30

Hey, don’t I know you? – Part II

Former Big East foe BC is now current ACC foe BC. And the two schools will be ending their seasons against one another for the foreseeable future.

Like with Pitt, Syracuse and BC compete in a lot of the same recruiting grounds, so on-field results will matter.

The Eagles suffered through a dreadful season (2-10, 1-7 ACC), which resulted in Frank Spaziani’s dismissal. Former Syracuse assistant Steve Addazio was hired to right the ship and his son, Louie, promptly transferred from the Orange to play for his father.

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We may have to revise just one aspect of the remarkable life that is being lived by Johnny Football, because the Heisman winner may have just split with his model girlfriend, Sarah Savage. 

Busted Coverage sleuthed their way onto some interesting developments in the realm of things that are otherwise excellent. It seems Johnny Manziel may be flying solo after a remarkable freshman year. 

According to their report, all signs point to Manziel breaking up with the lovely lady who joined him at the Heisman award ceremony. 

It all starts with this Instagram photo from Allison Walton with a line that states, "My dad & Johnny Manziel's ex girlfriend Sarah @sarahsavage13."

Within the comments section of this particular post, Walton continues with, "I asked if she approved and my dad said they were having problems. Lol@mesmall he's a fool!"

So times may be rocky for the college football power couple. 

Busted Coverage is not content to stop there, because they found a rather interesting tweet they spotted from Nathan Fitch, a man they label Manziel's best friend. 

As noted in the report, the term thirsty might refer to someone looking for attention. So we understand that Savage, for her part, was not going to stand by and not answer back to the tweet. 

She posted this tweet, expressing disapproval. 

Consider that she posted the following Instagram photo with the line, "Date night with the boo @jmanziel2" on February 22, and you can see how recently the rumored split may have taken place. 

As a reminder, Savage recently posted a bikini picture of herself that spawned something of a silly debate on star power between the model and Katherine Webb. 

A Yahoo! Sports story covered that particular picture on February 22. There is no way of telling if the hype caused a rift between Manziel and his girlfriend, or if this much ado about reading too much into social media exchanges. 

The only thing I can say with certainty and confidence is it is still wonderful to be Johnny Football, with or without Sarah Savage. 

 

Hit me up on Twitter for more sexy swag. 

Follow @gabezal

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The USC Trojans fell far short of expectations last season when the program ended with a 7-5 record and two consecutive losses to finish the year that came to rivals UCLA and Notre Dame.

The Trojans are in a must win scenario heading into 2013. As they look for wins, the calendar is circled for a road trip to Notre Dame. The Fighting Irish will be the toughest game of the year for the Trojans this fall.

Lane Kiffin is on a short leash in Los Angeles despite recent affirming comments from athletic director Pat Haden. Losing big a second year in a row is simply unacceptable. All eyes will be in the Trojans direction as they travel to South Bend this fall.

Notre Dame made an unbelievable run for the national title last year, falling just short of winning the crystal ball when they fell to Alabama in Miami. The Fighting Irish will be looking for another run at the title again and the Trojans will be looking for a marquee win in 2013.

USC will head into the new season with questions at quarterback. The Trojans lost star signal-caller Matt Barkley, and game-changer Robert Woods at receiver.

There are also gaps that have to be filled along the defense.

On the opposite side of the field the Fighting Irish return a number of playmakers from last year's undefeated run.

Starting quarterback Everett Golson is back in the fold and explosive runner George Atkinson III is returning to the backfield.

The Irish also return star cover corners Bennett Jackson and Keivarae Russell. As the Trojans struggle to find consistency at quarterback, playing a team with the skill that the Irish have in the secondary will be one of the toughest tasks of the year.

Notre Dame also returns Prince Shembo, Dan Fox and Danny Spond at linebacker. All three will help anchor a dangerous unit that could outperform the 2012 defensive squad.

Silas Redd returns for the Trojans at running back and should be able to have a strong year, but he will face a wall against Notre Dame in October.

USC will square off with a lot of tough competition inside the Pac-12, but the Trojans draw its toughest games at home. The most difficult road contest inside the conference will come to Arizona State on September 28.

Sandwiched between two home conference games comes Notre Dame, and with the press that will lead up to this game a loss could be the end of the Kiffin era in Los Angeles.

This game will be tough to win and it could also carry the weight of a coach’s future with its outcome. 

 

Follow @ShugJordanPkwy

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The USC Trojans fell far short of expectations last season when the program ended with a 7-5 record and two consecutive losses to finish the year that came to rivals UCLA and Notre Dame...

Read the full article on Bleacher Report...

One of the biggest disappointments for the Notre Dame season was Davonte' Neal. He had one of the brightest names of the Irish 2012 recruiting class, and his skill set that he brought to the table had many in South Bend excited for the expectations.

But instead of him giving Irish fans something to hold onto, Neal finished the year with one reception and 21 punt returns. With a combined 46 yards on all of those returns, the freshman spent much of his first year on campus calling fair catches.

Probably the biggest thing he is known for at the moment is when he failed to show up to his recruiting announcement, leaving many wondering if they were being Punk'd.

Things didn't go the way Neal had planned and Irish supporters likely have lowered their expectations for the former four star recruit.

If you are one that doesn't know quite what to expect at this point, you should still be high on this kid. Heading into spring practice, he should finally provide that spark that this offense desperately needed a season ago.

Regardless of what last season showed, Neal still is one of the more talented skill position players on this Notre Dame roster. Not big at all at 5'9", he has the combination of pure speed and acceleration that this offense needs. The Irish need that guy who can help stretch the field and make things difficult for the opposing defense. Better yet, they need that guy who can make plays after the catch and make things easier on the young quarterbacks.

Neal can do both of those things.

This is a playmaker with the ball in his hands. He gets off the line quickly, does a good job of weaving in between traffic and he is able to hit another gear once he passes all of the defenders.

He is quick in and out of his cuts, can change direction in no time and it is goodnight once he gets you on an island in the open field. Notre Dame made the mistake of not drawing plays up for this kid last season; they won't do it again heading into this year.

Every offense needs playmakers and the Irish don't have many to choose from at the moment. Sure, TJ Jones and DaVaris Daniels made a fair amount of chunk yardage plays, but none of those guys are keeping defensive coordinators up at night.

The players that force coaching staffs to scratch their head are the ones who can burn you the second you aren't paying attention. The minute the safety creeps up, he blows by the defense and hits you with a 70-yard bomb. Neal has the ability to be that guy this season.

Even last year, Tyler Eifert, who is going to be a high draft pick in this year’s NFL draft, wasn't as effective as he could have been a year ago. His production dipped in 2012 being the No. 1 target within the offense and having defenses focus in on him. When Michael Floyd was on the team back in 2011, Eifert had 13 more receptions, 145 more yards, and one more touchdown than last year.

This isn't to say that Neal is the same caliber as Floyd, but his speed and ability to stretch the field will make everybody around him better. Defenses will no longer be able to crowd the box and dare the Irish to throw the ball deep. With Neal playing the slot receiver position, coach’s better respect the deep pass or they could be in trouble.

Neal will likely never be a true No. 1 wide receiver. He doesn't have the frame to play the outside and he isn't going to be winning many jump balls with corners that are much bigger than he is. However, he is in the perfect position to thrive in this offense and do his part. He brings a lot of things to the table and his teammates around him should benefit because of it.

It may have taken a little longer than expected, but Neal will prove to be a big pickup for the Irish. And it will start with a breakout performance this spring.

Follow @Randy_Chambers

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Four Alabama football players facing serious charges have been dismissed from the program by Nick Saban, according to Alex Scarborough of ESPN.com's TideNation.

Scarborough tweeted on Wednesday:

All four charged Bama football players (E. Williams, DJ Pettway, Tyler Hayes, Brent Calloway) have been dismissed from the team, per Saban.

— Alex Scarborough (@AlexS_ESPN) February 27, 2013

Freshman safety Eddie Williams, redshirt freshman D.J. Pettway, freshman linebacker Tyler Hayes and redshirt freshman Brent Calloway are no longer with the Crimson Tide.

According to Al.com, Williams, Pettway and Hayes are charged with second-degree robbery after allegedly attacking and robbing two University of Alabama students on Feb. 11. Calloway faces one count of fraudulent use of a credit card. Williams was also arrested Sunday for gun possession without a license.

After their third championship in four years, this is the last thing the Crimson Tide need. You have to give credit to Saban for doing the right thing when there is so much pressure to win in Tuscaloosa every year.

Hayes played sparingly in 13 games and registered 14 tackles in 2012. Pettway recorded four tackles for loss and 2.5 sacks. Calloway recorded eight tackles on special teams and rushed 10 times for 63 yards. Williams didn't play in 2012.

This was Calloway's second scrape with the law after being charged with second-degree marijuana possession in October 2011 (per Al.com).

It appears Saban has chosen to move on without these players, sacrificing some talent on the field but upholding the reputation of the university. While the four young men didn't play much in 2012, they certainly had potential. Williams is a former 5-star recruit.

College football has taken its fair share of abuse for doing the wrong thing behind the scenes throughout the years. It's good to know programs like Alabama don't try to sweep things under the rug.

 

 

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Alabama heads into the 2013 season as the favorite to win a third consecutive national title. The program is at the height of the Nick Saban dynasty, and they have relied on strong defense and a relentless ground attack on offense to get there.

The Tide is looking to solidify the backfield this fall, and Dee Hart is a player to watch as he has the chance to become a rising star for the Alabama offense. This spring is when it begins.

Hart came to Alabama as a 5-star recruit with a lot of fanfare and storylines surrounding his signing.

He was an early enrollee, but before landing in Tuscaloosa he was heavily recruited by Auburn and Michigan.

Before committing to Michigan during the recruiting process, Hart was very high on Auburn. On signing day he inked with the Tide. 

Dee Hart is one of the many recruits won by Saban in the recent showdowns on the recruiting trail with Auburn.

Ever since arriving at Alabama he has been plagued with injuries. Hart was expected to be an immediate impact player in the return game in 2011 as a freshman, but a preseason injury sidelined him before his year began.

In 2012 Hart returned as a return specialist and running back option, but fell to a knee injury again that required surgery against the Ole Miss.

This season is the year for Hart to burst onto the scene and become the Tide’s No. 1 option as an all-purpose back. Alabama’s offense continues to progress with each passing year, and at this point they have become a multiple scheme that can utilize up to three different backs.

Last year’s injuries limited the ability to add a third option from the backfield, but when Hart hits the field this spring his skills will be tough to keep sidelined. He has to stay healthy, but he also has to show resilience and the explosion that made him special as a recruit in 2011.

Kenyon Drake and early enrollee Derrick Henry will challenge for time from the backfield during the spring, but neither brings the dynamic threat that comes with Hart’s speed and receiving ability.

As a returner, Hart will be one of the best in the country this fall. As a running back, he will be a potent threat for the Tide and allow for new plays and schemes to be introduced to the offense.

Look for Alabama to continue to grow its potency on offense this year and for Dee Hart to be a major part of that growth. This team is ready to charge for another crystal ball in 2013 and Hart will be one of the names affiliated with the march to a title. 

 

Follow @ShugJordanPkwy

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Kyle Allen is a big-time 2014 quarterback recruit and he has offers from all over the Pac-12 and Big 12, but the talented signal caller just recently picked up an extremely interesting offer from one of the hottest SEC schools in the country: Texas A&M.

The Aggies had a brilliant 2013 recruiting cycle that was coupled up with a great year on the field, and the end result is that Texas A&M is arguably one of the most hyped up programs in the country right now.

Throw in a great young coach in Kevin Sumlin and a Heisman trophy-winning freshman quarterback in Johnny Manziel, and it looks like the Aggies hype is here to stay. 

Jeff Tarpley of AggieYell.com is reporting that the Aggies have become the next on a growing list of teams to have offered the 4-star quarterback. Interestingly enough, Allen has already visited A&M once, per Tarpley's report:

Ironically enough, Allen is one out of state prospect who actually knows a little bit about A&M and its traditions. He and his father visited College Station for the Aggies' game with Kansas (a 61-7 win) in November 2011 without an invitation from the A&M staff.

"I know all about the tradition and awesome fans," he said. "We just went to a game because my dad had been to one and he said that it was awesome to see a game there. It was a blowout but it was still fun."

What was the best part?

"The fans," he replied. "They were awesome people."

It seems as if Allen has already developed a slight affinity for Texas A&M, and that's big on the recruiting trail. Combine that with the Aggies natural draw for a quarterback (Sumlin's version of the spread offense, playing in the SEC and the plethora of talented wide receivers that the Aggies will have to offer a quarterback) and Texas A&M should feel good about where they stand with Allen.

There's also the fact that Jameill Showers is no longer with the Aggies (he just transferred to UTEP). That opens up a bit more room on the depth chart to the point where Allen can realistically think about coming in, redshirting, and putting himself in a great position to be "the guy" to lead the program once Manziel moves on.

All of that said, Allen did say that UCLA and Arizona State are recruiting him the hardest (per Tarpley), and he is from Scottsdale, Arizona so the Sun Devils do have a notable "home state advantage" with him. 

Frankly and realistically, Texas A&M has somewhat of an uphill road to climb. There's still plenty of time for things to shake up, but for now it looks like UCLA and Arizona State are making an early impression with Allen. It's also worth noting that Arizona, Oklahoma State, West Virginia, California and Ohio State are all also listed as "warm interests" his 247Sports interest list, along with the Sun Devils and Bruins.

For all intents and purposes, Allen seems like a recruit who will end up in either the Pac-12 or the Big 12, but every recruiting process starts somewhere. For the Aggies and Allen, it started with this recent offer. Where it will go from here is anybody's guess, but at least the process has started.

Will Texas A&M be able to out-recruit the field for 2014's No. 6 pro-style quarterback (247Sports Composite)?

At this point, it's impossible to know, but at least the Aggies are giving themselves a chance.

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College football spring practice is all about experimenting. It gives you the opportunity to do things that you usually wouldn't try during a typical off week between games. With the regular season still several months away from taking place, this is where the coaches can get crazy with the depth chart and play with the team a little bit.

What about putting that sure-handed receiver in the secondary and turning the defense into a strength? You know, that athletic outside linebacker would sure look good lining up as a tight end, and would create mismatches for opposing teams.

Anything you could possibly think of has been tried in spring practice, as it is one of the few times it allows coaching staffs to completely turn things upside down.

We saw last year how effective quarterback Denard Robinson was as a running back. The problem is that it took head coach Brady Hoke forever to realize that this move made sense. If he had played around with the idea in the spring and the team was able to adjust quicker to the change, the Wolverines wouldn't have missed a beat when the games counted.

There should be nothing off limits in spring ball, and every idea should be given some thought.

So with that said, here are 10 college football names that should consider changing positions, at least for a couple of months.

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The Ole Miss Rebel football team will return most starters on both sides of the ball in 2013. One noticeable exception will be the absence of RB/WR Randall Mackey. As a senior last season, the 5'11'', 190-pound Louisiana native did a little bit of everything for the Rebel offense.

While Mackey ran the ball 79 times for 325 yards and four touchdowns, he also caught 25 passes for 346 yards and another score. Did I mention he also threw for a touchdown?

Sure Hugh Freeze will have RB Jeff Scott returning, not to mention WRs Donte Moncrief, Vince Sanders, and Ja-Mes Logan, but Mackey was a player that could line up at running back, wide receiver or even quarterback on any given down. He was a dynamic playmaker for the Rebels, and he leaves a void in Freeze's high-paced offensive scheme.

Who are some players that could be the Randall Mackey of 2013?

Follow @SephTalksSEC

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With spring practice for college football teams right around the corner, it is the perfect time to look ahead to the biggest position battle for each top 25 college football team.

Some teams lost much more talent than others but, for every top 25 program, there are some key battles that will not only be taking place this spring, but also through the summer and even into fall camp.

Every coach will have a huge decision to make concerning his team and it could go a long way toward determining just how successful his squad is this coming season.

Just last year at this time, Heisman trophy winner Johnny Manziel was in a spring battle that went well into the summer for the starting quarterback job at Texas A&M.

Good thing head coach Kevin Sumlin made the right call on that one.

Here is the biggest position battle for every team in the final AP top 25 poll heading into spring practice.

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There weren't many conferences that cared less about the pass in 2012 than the Big Ten, and for good reason. The talent level was light at both quarterback (at least when it came to throwing the football) and at wide receiver. And while the QB situation still looks dicey across most of the conference, the wideout talent level should be a little more robust in 2013.

Some teams are more stable at wide receiver than others, of course. Penn State can trot returning All-Big Ten Allen Robinson out as the sole WR and load up on tight ends and backs and still have a dynamic passing attack. Nebraska welcomes back everybody at WR except Tim Marlowe, who registered four catches for 54 yards on the year.

Indiana had the most prolific passing offense in the Big Ten (low hurdle to clear, yes), and it brings everybody back at wideout. Same goes for Ohio State, unless we're still calling Jake Stoneburner a WR in that offense.

But that's it.

Plenty of other schools have fights brewing for starting roles at wide receiver, though, and how those shake out could directly affect each of the division title races come November. Here's a look at some of those races and how we think they'll shake out by the time the spring games come and go.

Onward!

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College football is using science! This time they are going with electronic tracking devices in the Big 12, Pac-12 and SEC, as Jon Solomon of the Birmingham News reported Tuesday. From Solomon's report, SEC football officiating coordinator Steve Shaw:

"I think it really is more for tracking how fast a player is moving and the direction of his movements so you have an electronic signature of all of that," Shaw said. "Then what you do with that, we have to figure that out. You could track speed before a collision and that sort of thing. To be honest, I'm not sure what all of the applications are. But it has potential benefit in player safety, so I think it's worth taking an initial step to see what the technology does."

These leagues are following in the footsteps of the daddy, the NFL. The league was working with sensors as a way to deliver more information to fans, media and the like.

Yup, despite Shaw's tepid (at best) reference to safety, the real goal here has less to do with players and their safety and more to do with finding a new means of commodification within the sport. Whether that is viewer experience or delivering statistics, the point is that this is only tangentially related to the players.

Certainly, they could use the sensors for strength and conditioning work. A way to tweak workouts and monitor player production in an effort to squeeze the maximum amount of speed out of the guys on the field.

Safety is not at the heart of this matter, and officials casually mentioning it shouldn't fool anyone concerned with player safety into believing that it is. Monitoring speed at the time of a collision is nice, but it isn't something that helps where concussions or types of injuries are concerned, beyond "he was going really fast." 

If safety was at the core, this conversation would be about how they were going to use impact monitors—which already exist—across the board in their leagues. If safety was at the core, the conferences (and the NCAA itself) would be looking at mandatory sit-out periods, third-party doctors evaluating players and standardized hit counts to limit exposure in practice and games.

This is a money play wrapped up in some rhetoric that's only mildly even related to safety improvements. Safety should matter, yet the folks in charge keep proving that it does not. Sure, the window dressing of the ejections and helmet pop-off rule calm the casual fan, but the truth is they do little to improve the safety of the game.

Player tracking might well be cool for fans, but in the grand scheme of things, it is another failure to address the true safety issue. Although, at this point, these measures are not so much failures as blatant sidestepping of the true issue at hand.

Read more College Football news on BleacherReport.com

Texas A&M quarterback/Heisman winner/celebrity magnet Johnny Manziel will face unthinkable expectations heading into the 2013 season. After putting up ridiculous numbers in his first year at quarterback—and also A&M’s first year in the SEC—Manziel now has the task of following this up.

His numbers were record-setting, and Manziel has parlayed that success into having one of the best offseasons in recent memory. He’s not just an exceptional football player capable of doing things we dream of doing in video games, he’s also embracing the celebrity status that he has achieved in record time.

How good will those numbers be in 2013? We examine that, along with why it’s good to be Johnny Football.

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The opinions about the 2013 crop of quarterback prospects are all over the board. Russ Lande, a former NFL scout and draft analyst at National Football Post, has Nassib as his No. 1 overall prospect. Other draft analysts have Nassib as a third-round prospect and doubt his ability to stick as a starter in the NFL.

Obviously, Nassib is somewhere in the middle of those projections, but is he closer to the top or the bottom?

 

Strengths

Nassib is a quick thinker and actor who is immediately aware of checkdowns and will jab a defense to death with accurate, short, quick-hitting throws that keep the chains moving. He is a competitor who plays with a sense of urgency and sets the tempo for his offense. He can make accurate throws when his mechanics and platform aren't ideal, and he can handle pressure or a play going off script. Nassib's execution and understanding of his offense is advanced, including pump fakes and play fakes. 

 

Weaknesses

Athleticism is not a strength for Nassib. His deep accuracy is mediocre to poor, and it goes on the fritz when he tries to put zip on the ball more than 15-20 yards downfield. He moves well and makes good decisions in the pocket, but he sometimes bails instead of staring down the barrel and taking a hit to make a throw.

Nassib also sometimes fails to recognize the blitz, and his lack of athleticism gives him no chance to escape. Most of his success was on short throws, rarely going deep into his progressions or displaying patience. He does get a little frenetic in the pocket and appears to play rushed at times.

 

Tools

Nassib measured in at 6'2", 227 at the combine. which is a very solid build, even though his height is not a plus. His 10 1/8" hands are good for ball security. Nassib's athleticism is below average, as his 28.5" vertical and 5.06 40 at the combine illustrate well. 

 

Intangibles/Character

Nassib is a good leader on and off of the field, and he is very tough, bouncing back quickly from big hits. He appeared to mesh very well with his coaches and their game plan, taking plays from the chalkboard to the field without a hitch. Nassib is competitive, and he has come through at the end of games to lead (or almost lead) his team to big wins.

 

Arm Strength

Nassib throws with good zip in the short passing game, and he can also put some mustard on short/intermediate passes on the move. Within a range about about 20 yards past the line of scrimmage, Nassib can make stick throws into small windows. His trajectory is a little flat, and his arm strength on short passes can get the ball on his receivers before they are ready.

He can reach the deep parts of the field, even on the move, but his accuracy really suffers when tries to throw deep with velocity. His best deep throws are "push" throws that take a while to get there like Philip Rivers or 2012 Peyton Manning.

 

Accuracy

Nassib's accuracy on short and intermediate throws is uncanny at times. He puts throws on the correct shoulder and does a terrific job of leading and anticipating his receiver's route, setting up maximum opportunity to run after the catch.

Nassib almost never misses low or otherwise has errant passes in the short and intermediate game. He doesn't make too many throws into small windows, but that is probably because of his decisiveness early in his progressions. He appears to have the mindset and accuracy to make those kinds of throws when the game asks him to.

His downfield passing, however, is a mixed bag. Sometimes his long-touch passes are right on the money, sometimes they are missed badly. When he tries to throw deep passes with velocity, the results are usually terrible. He has much better results when he throws a long ball with a higher trajectory. 

 

Mechanics

Nassib's setup and throwing motion are very smooth and consistent out of the shotgun. His throwing motion on the move is also compact and smooth. He hits the top of his drops with great spring in his legs and potential energy to use in his release or if he needs to move in the pocket. Nassib does change to a "shotput" or "push" delivery on some deep balls a la Philip Rivers, but his accuracy improves greatly when he does.

 

Pocket Presence

Nassib generally senses pressure with a good clock in his head, but blitzes can elude his attention and shut down a play immediately. He generally gets rid of the ball very quickly when the pocket collapses, although he can be a little too deliberate in a good pocket. There are moments when he appears to be afraid of getting hit and his throws suffer, but in general Nassib is tough in the pocket. 

Climbing the ladder and stepping up in the pocket is something you'll see Nassib do effectively, and even though he's not a great athlete, he can move in the pocket to create throwing lanes and produce when the play breaks down. 

The biggest question about his pocket presence is the happy feet and a little bit panicky body language he exhibits when he doesn't release the ball to one of his initial reads. He does keep the ball up and ready to throw like a loaded crossbow, and Nassib's trigger finger on that crossbow can be itchy. 

Mobility

Nassib is willing, but not able as a mobile quarterback. He's good enough on rollouts or plays where the escape chute from the pocket is apparent, but he can't elude pressure in the pocket against decent pass rushers. Nassib ran a lot of read option running plays at Syracuse, and while his decisions were good, his ability to turn those plays into gains as a runner was lacking. Nassib's mobility and overall athleticism is going to limit how he is used in the pros.

 

Future Role/Scheme Versatility

Nassib operated mostly from the shotgun. His quick-acting style along with his so-so accuracy deep probably means that he'll only fit in a west coast system in the pros. He won't be able to legitimately stretch defenses, so teams that want to have a big vertical element to their passing game will pass on Nassib.

 

Round/Team Matches

Jacksonville (2.33)

Kansas City (2.34)

Buffalo (2.42)

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