The Roving Ram – College Edition Issue #1
By Rams Nation's Brandon “Blankman” Cavanaugh
Hail to the Victors! Cheer cheer for ol’ Notre Dame! Give him six and
Go Big Red! The College Edition of the infamous Roving Ram is here and ready
to kick off the 2002-2003 college football season in style. That’s right
folsk, your friends here at RamsNation are aiming to bring you not just the
best in professional footballing, oh no, we get our groove on at college campuses
all over the country. For those not all that familiar with the concept of the
RR:CE, let me explain:
Basically what we’re going to be doing here is taking a look at my first
love, college football. I will be chiming in once the season gets underway with
daily news and tidbits to keep you all abreast of the latest occurrences from
who got busted for possession to which SEC school is put under probation this
week. On the Most Holiest of Days for thine collegiate, should I attend a contest,
I will be giving my impressions and takes on the game, should I stay at home
and dissect the sport from the comfort of my chair, I will be wrapping up the
highs and lows from the day’s action. Alright, we clear on that? Good.
Today, we’re going to take a look at some of the questions going into
this year’s glut of games.
- Will Texas Finally Live Up To Its Talent?
For those of you not keeping score here, let me bring you up to speed. Texas
has a rather savvy coach when it comes to recruiting talent, named Mack Brown.
The only problem is, despite all of this talent and potential, Mack seems to
continuously flub away big games. Okay, so it’s not so much Mack as it
is his uber-recruit turned perennial choker Chris Simms (Yes, son of Phil).
Chris managed to wrestle the starting job out of the hands of more-than-capable
backup (and this is the biggest travesty of the word you will hear me use) Major
Applewhite, just in time to drop contests to arch-rival Oklahoma and a rematch
against eventual Big 12 Champion Colorado (a team they had previously beaten
41-7). It’s hard to say if Texas will finally live up to the hype in 2002,
though they have plenty of it, starting the season at No. 2 in the Coaches’
Poll behind defending national champ Miami, but to answer the question of “Is
this the year?”, I’ll have to answer with a resounding…naw.
- Who Will Win The Pac-10?
It’s tough to say, really. Though, with the age of parity that we live
in, it’s hard to predict with any certainty just who will win a conference
anymore, but if I had to pick a team from the high-scoring and one of the most
entertaining night game-producing conferences, I’d say Washington State.
WSU’s got all of the tools to make it to Pasadena or beyond, starting
under center with vet QB Jason Gesser, who led the Pac-10 in passing and total
offense last season. He’s got a solid target to throw to as well in 6’
6” WR Mike Bush who snagged 46 catches for a whopping 20.8 yards per catch
in his first season. Florida State transfer Devard Darling helps to stir the
pot so that the opposition will not be able to key in on Bush as much as they’d
like. On defense, the Cougars set a school-record last year for picks with 26
and aim to do better this year, making big hits and following up with big plays.
Cornerback Marcus Trufant is one of the best in the league and is tied for 10th
all-time at WSU in career INTs.
- Will Notre Dame Return to Its Former Glory?
I think a decent bowl game isn’t out of the question. Notre Dame takes
on some staunch opposition this season such as: Maryland, Michigan, Michigan
State (all three will be down but competitive), Florida State and USC. Overall,
the Irish’s schedule is doable, though with their recent Luck O’
The Irish, it may not be survivable. Former Stanford head man Tryone Willingham
will make some waves during his inaugural season and set up the Irish for bigger
things down the road.
- Is Nebraska Headed For Mediocrity?
People have asked this question for years and years, about 25 to be exact and
the Huskers return to prove all doubters wrong. Yes, they had 99 points hung
on them in the last two games. Yes, they ended the season with two losses. I’ve
heard it plenty of times in the off-season, now let me tell you why they’ll
be just fine. Nebraska may not have Eric Crouch under center anymore, but Jammal
Lord is a capable starter who can make something out of nothing while the offensive
line gels. Nebraska will be rotating many capable players on the defensive line
position, making it difficult for teams to repeat the success had by Colorado
and Miami. Some predict 7-6 for Nebraska this year. I’d say…13-2.
Thus ends the first preseason morsel of The Roving Ram – College Edition,
but fear not college ball lovers, I will return soon enough with the kinds of
stats and graphs that would make an Enron executive shiver in his boots. I’m
always looking for article ideas and ways to improve what you get here at RamsNation
so feel free to send me a shout out and we’ll see what we can do.
Just my take on the situation…
(Questions, Comments and Complaints about Rose-Colored Glasses can be sent
to ===Brandon a.k.a. Blankman #71===
)