Way Too Early College Football Top 10's: Top 10 Teams

Now that the NFL Draft has concluded, and assuming that the NFL Labor talks eventually allow undrafted rookies and veteran free agents to sign, there’s really not too much in the way of actual college football now that most spring games have concluded. Having watched bits of several spring games, I thought it might be time to take a look at some teams on the college gridiron and how they’ll fare this fall.

I saw a segment on ESPNU a few weeks ago with Mark Schlabach’s “Way Too Early Top 25”. In it, there were times that had a ton of talent coming back like Oklahoma, who had 14 offensive players and 15 defensive players with starting experience. Oregon falls into that category as well with Darron Thomas and LaMichael James expected back, but they lost three starting offensive linemen and their top two leading receivers. You have your perennial SEC powers in Alabama and LSU up there, and upstarts Arkansas and South Carolina, though both will have new starting quarterbacks this fall. Stanford got a gift as Andrew Luck, otherwise known as “Football Jesus” returned to Palo Alto. Terrelle Pryor returned under different circumstances for the Ohio State Buckeyes who might’ve gone through the toughest offseason despite losing just three players to the NFL Draft. Then you’ve got some programs that generally aren’t considered powerhouses knocking on the door in Oklahoma State and Michigan State, and perennial BCS party-crashers Boise State and TCU all hovering out there.

All these teams with the potential to be so good almost make me feel like it’s college basketball again where you can have a VCU and Butler make it to the Final Four and Championship Game respectively. I just hope it’s more entertaining to watch. With that in mind, I thought I would take a look at some College Football Top 10s, despite it being way too early. I’ll give you my Top 10 Teams, players, and games as we head into the 2011 College Football Season.

My predicted Top 10, is as follows:

1. Alabama
2. Oklahoma
3. LSU
4. Oregon
5. Stanford
6. Boise State
7. South Carolina
8. Oklahoma State
9. Florida State
10. Ohio State

Let’s take a closer look at each team, and why I think they’ll be slotted in that ranking.

1) Alabama Crimson Tide
Say what you want about Nick Saban, but the man is a top 5 football coach regardless of level. Yes, this coming from a Dolphins fan. Yeah, he left under bad circumstances, but he didn't want to be in the NFL - and I can't blame him. He's outstanding at the college level, having never compiled a season worse than 6-6. He had success at Toledo, Michigan State, won a national title at LSU, turned around a decrepit Miami Dolphins team in a year, and won a national title at Alabama.

Alabama is losing some talent - Marcel Dareus, Julio Jones, James Carpenter, Mark Ingram, and Greg McElroy - but they have a ton coming back. RB Trent Richardson might be the best player in college football. He's already got NFL size and speed, and having watched 'Bama's spring game, he looks better than the 2009 version of Mark Ingram - yes the Mark Ingram that won the Heisman. Quarterback A.J. McCarron is a tall pocket passer who has some nice touch on the deep ball. Obviously he'll have some growing pains, but with a heavy does of Richardson, they shouldn't be felt too much. Marquis Maze and Darius Hanks will return at receiver and Brad Smelley and Michael Williams give them some good options at H-Back and tight end respectively. The O-line is solid, anchored by C William Vlachos and enormous RT D.J. Fluker.

Defensively with Dont'a Hightower, Courtney Upshaw, Nico Johnson, Mark Barron, and Dre Kilpatrick, the back seven should be outstanding. Hightower, in my opinion, might be even better than Rolando McClain was a few years ago. Also, keep an eye on freshman Trey Depriest, as he could be a player for now, and will be one for the future. Saban's scheme is very much like an NFL defense that puts an emphasis on trick blitzes, stunts, and overloads that not many teams see. Dont'a Hightower is the key here. The 6'4" 260lbs middle linebacker can play inside, outside, and put his hand on the ground and rush. He's like a coach on the field and is a solid player who rarely misses tackles.

While 'Bama has talent, they have a tough schedule. A tricky week two matchup at Penn State is the first obstacle before SEC play. The Tide does get Arkansas and LSU at home, but they will visit the Swamp, Mississippi State, and Auburn to close the season. However, they won't have to face every team that's coming off a bye week this year, which should help them. If they can get through the early road games against Penn State and Florida, I like them to come out of the SEC and return to the National Championship Game. A lot rests on A.J. McCarron's development, but 'Bama has a multitude of weapons, and perhaps another Heisman winner in the backfield in Trent Richardson, to help the young QB.

2) Oklahoma Sooners
Is this the year "Big Game Bob" Stoops finally gets the Sooners to go undefeated? Well, they've got a darn good shot. Quarterback Landry Jones and WR Ryan Broyles will both be back to lead a talented offense that will be missing DeMarco Murray at RB. Roy Finch will get first crack at replacing Murray, having totaled 398 yards on 85 carries and 2 scores in 2010. Broyles (131 rec. 1622yds. 14 TDs), Kenny Stills (61 - 786 - 5) and TE James Hanna (18 - 292 - 7) give Landry Jones some excellent targets to look for.

Defensively, losing Jeremy Beal and Quinton Carter will hurt, but the Sooners have a lot of experience on defense to team with Freshman All-American LB Tom Wort, a British phenom, check out his story here. Travis Lewis and Austin Box should help anchor the linebacking corp. Ronnell Lewis and Frank Alexander will supply plenty of pressure from the DE spots. Alexander had 7 sacks in 2010. The Sooners have been known to produce solid defensive backs and CBs Jammell Fleming and Demontre Hurst might be one of, if not the bests duos in all of college football. Replacing Quinton Carter will be the toughest job of the secondary this season.

Schedule-wise, Oklahoma has two big road trips - against Florida State in week 2, and against Oklahoma State to close out the season. A trick opener against Tulsa should be a good measuring stick as the Golden Hurricane can score points in bunches. If Oklahoma survives Tallahassee and Stillwater, I expect to see them in the BCS Championship Game.

3) LSU Tigers
Les Miles had good reason to stay in Baton Rouge instead of going back to Ann Arbor. The Bayou Bengals should be loaded this year despite losing several talented defenders in Patrick Peterson, Drake Nevis, Kelvin Sheppard, Lazarius Levingston, and Terrance Tolliver. Jordan Jefferson or Jarrett Lee will handle the QB duties, though Jefferson looked very good in their spring game. The offense should get a shot in the arm with Spencer Ware, a 190lbs high school quarterback turned 225lbs running back (and pride of Cincinnati's Princeton high school!). Rueben Randle and Russell Shepard should do well enough to make Tiger fans forget about Tolliver. Two tight ends in Deangelo Peterson and Chase Blackwell should also help along with an experienced offensive line anchored by senior center P.J. Lonergan.

Defensively, the Tigers always seem to put together a good unit even when they lose talent. And man, did they lose talent in the Draft. A trio of good DEs should help pressure the passer - Ken Adams, Sam Montgomery, and Keke Mingo - as well helping out Michael Brockers and Josh Downs in the interior. Sophomore Kevin Minter should get the first shot at stepping in for Kelvin Shepard at middle linebacker, but Karnell Hatcher and Ryan Baker should expedite his development. There's not much experience in the secondary, but LSU has produced some good players there in the last few years.

The Tigers schedule is brutal. They open against the Oregon Ducks in Dallas, Texas in week one. They have a short week to prepare for a Thursday-nighter at Mississippi State in week 3 and have to travel to West Virginia the week after. October to November presents an absolutely terrifying four-game stretch of Florida, at Tennessee, Auburn, and at Alabama. They close the season on another short week with a Friday home game against Arkansas. If the Tigers can navigate the Ducks in Dallas and the trips to Starkville and Morgantown, they should be alright by the time the thick of the SEC schedule swings into high gear.

4) Oregon Ducks
Despite rolling out an uglier set of uniforms ever year (I mean, what in the world were the Ducks wearing in the BCS Title Game?). Despite the wardrobe questions, Oregon's offense looks really good. LaMichael James might be the most electric player in the country, and QB Darron Thomas will have an extra year of experience under his belt. Top target Jeff Maehl won't be back, but Kenjon Barner will receive more balls this year. Justin Hoffman, Keanon Lowe, Lavasier Tuinei should team to give Thomas a nice set of WRs. Oregon's offense is a quick-tempo one that doesn't allow much opportunity for oppenents to put much pressure on the QB, so the average O-line shouldn't be too much of a problem for the Ducks.

Defensively, they won't be producing players on the level of Jarius Byrd and Walter Thurmond III any time soon. Gone is the overrated Clay Matthews along with DT Brandon Bair, but the Ducks have some solid players in Dion Jordan, Michael Clay, and Cliff Harris on that side of the ball. The Ducks better hope their defense tightens up over the summer as they travel to Dallas to take on the LSU Tigers in their first game of the season.

After that, it's somewhat smooth sailing with only trips to Arizona and Colorado looming before their final 3 games, which form the toughest stretch of the season. Stanford will be out for blood when the Ducks come to town in early November. Oregon gets to finish the season with two home games against USC and Oregon State. I'm guessing they'll be making an appearance in the Pac 10 Championship Game (yeah, it was weird typing that). I don't think they'll get past the Tigers the first week of the season, and I expect they'll lose another in Pac 10 play, so I don't think we'll get to see a new awful uniform in the BCS Championship Game this year.

5) Stanford Cardinal
Andrew Luck returns for his redshirt junior season...Cardinal fans were rejoicing that, but coach Jim Harbaugh left to coach the San Francisco 49ers. David Shaw takes of the reins after coordinating the Stanford offense since 2007. There really shouldn't be a whole ot of difference, and Andrew Luck's experience should help set the tone. One of Luck's targets, Ryan Whalen, was drafted, Chris Owusu, TE Coby Fleener, and Griff Whalen return to give luck targets. Stanford will lean on their deep running game as well with Stepfan Taylor and Anthony Wilkerson. Ricky Seale was impressive in their spring game and figures to get some touches as well.

Defensively, Stanford lost some players to graduation, but they play very disciplined football and shouldn't drop off too much. One of the few teams that runs a true 3-4, Shayne Skov, who had a nice Orange Bowl, will take over for Owen Marecic to anchor the defense at ILB. Bringing pressure off the edges will be Chase Thomas and Trent Murphy who will have to replace Thomas Keiser. In the secondary, the Cardinal have three seniors and a sophomore. Johnson Bedamosi leads the way at CB, but opposite him will be that sophomore, Barry Browning. Delano Howell and Michael Thomas will roam the back end at the safety spots.

Of the top 10 teams, Stanford's got one of the "easier" schedules. There's really no outstangind out of conference games, but they do have back to back road games at USC and Oregon State before a home game against Oregon in early November. Notre Dame comes to Palo Alto to close out the year in a fun rivalry game. In one interesting game, Stanford will travel to Duke in week two for what I'm going to dub the "Academic Bowl". Stanford should win big.

6) Boise State Broncos
Cinderella stays in the top ten as the smurf turf gang refuses to die. Head coach Chris Petersen just keeps on churning out wins for the Broncos. Offensively, they should be outstanding yet again as QB Kellen Moore and RB Doug Martin return. However, replacing Titus Young and Austin Pettis will be tough for the Broncos. Tyler Shoemaker and Geraldo Hiwat will get the first crack at it with slot man Chris Potter. TE Kyle Efaw will help to open holes for Martin with a decent offensive line. Boise State's offensive creativity and the powerful running of Martin should help take away some of the sting of the losses of Young and Pettis, but they'll have to get some production out of the new receivers.

Defensively, Jaron Johnson graduated and went undrafted - he was their best player. Ryan Winterswyk, the best pass-rusher, is also gone this year. Byron Hout, better known as LaGarrette Blount's punching bag, will call the defense from the MLB position. Jamar Taylor and Jerrell Gavins will hold down the corner positions while George Iloka and Cedric Febis will try to replace Jaron Johnson deep in the secondary.

The Broncos should make another strong run at going undefeated this year. They'll start off with their toughest test with an opening game trip to Atlanta, Georgia to take on the Georgia Bulldogs - a pseudo-rivalry going back a few years - to open the season. The only other real strong test this year in the Mountain West comes in late November as the Broncos travel to San Diego to take on the Aztecs of San Diego State and super quarterback Ryan Lindley. If you're not a fan of the BCS part crashers, you better root for the Bulldogs or Aztecs, because I don't see the Broncos losing anywhere else on their schedule.

7) South Carolina Gamecocks
Stephen Garcia, subject of our first "Daily Rant", and his future are still up in the air for the Gamecocks, despite being listed as a "co-starter" after Connor Shaw's ipressive showing in the spring game. But not all is bad news in Columbia as the Gamecocks could have their best team in quite some time. The Gamecocks have two absolute studs on offense in huge running back Marcus Lattimore and receiver Alshon Jeffery. Lattimore, a sophomore, rushed for 1,197 yards and 12 TDs as a freshman, in the SEC. He's big at 6'0" and 231lbs, and should get even better this year. Jeffery set single-season South Carolina for catches (88) and yards (1,517) to go with his 9 touchdowns. Shaw, or Garcia, should make this offense go as Jason Barnes and D.L. Moore provide good targets to throw to as well. South Carolina's O-line is very talented, but not very deep. At all. If injuries occur here, they could be in trouble.

Defensively, while there's no Eric Norwood on the roster, Jadeveon Clowney, the number 1 recruit in college football, figures to get thrown into the fire at DE right away. Devin Taylor and Melvin Ingram should help him find his groove. The Gamecocks are loaded up front at the DT position as well with a nice rotation of Travian Robertson, Alderick Fordham, and Kelcy Quarles. Shaq Wilson leads the defense, but needs to stay healthy at MLB. Stephon Gilmore, an All-American candidate at CB will anchor a relatively weak secondary that gave up too many big plays last year.

The Gamecocks received a gift from the football gods as they avoid having to play both Alabama and LSU this year and get Auburn, Florida, and Clemson at home. However, as punishment, the Gamecocks do have three straight road games against Mississippi State, Tennessee, and Arkansas in late October/early November. A week two trip to Georgia should be a good early test for the Gamecocks.

8) Oklahoma State Cowboys
If there's one receiver that can stake a claim to be better than Alshon Jeffery, it's the Cowboys' Justin Blackmon. Better than Dez Bryant, Justin Blackmon and QB Brandon Weeden surprisingly came back for another year in Stillwater. Weeden, a former baseball prospect (1st overall pick in the 2002 draft by the Yankees) will be 29 midway through the season. Blackmon hauled in 111 catches for 1,782 yards and 20TDs last year. He'll have to keep up that production as the Cowboys look to replace running back Kendall Hunter. Sophomores Joseph Randle and Jeremy Smith should form a nice tandem to replace Hunter. The line boasts four seniors and a junior, and should be solid again.

The defense will be the key to the Cowboys season. There's not much experience there, but they have some talent. Christian Littlehead is a massive DT and only a redshirt freshman. Richetti Jones and Blatnick give the Cowboys some size at the DE position which will protect their very undersized linebackers. Shaun Lewis may be the best of the bunch there, but he stands a paltry 5'11" and 214lbs. The secondary is a little more experienced with Devin Hedgepeth and Markelle Martin leading the way.

The Cowboys have an easy schedule this year. Arizona and QB Nick Foles come to town early on and that might be their toughest game before closing out the year against Oklahoma. Even back-to-back roadies against Texas and Missouri don't seem all that daunting. However, Oklahoma State is always known as a choker team and they seemingly give away a game once a year. If they can avoid getting upset (hello trip to Tulsa in week 3), they have a legitmate shot to unseat the Sooners atop the Big 12.

9) Florida State Seminoles
Renegade, Chief Osceola, and the War Chant are going to be happy this year (watch the whole video, but turn down your volume a bit). Christian Ponder went in the first round of the draft, but thrived in Jimbo Fisher's pro-style attack in Tallahassee. E.J. Manuel will take over at QB, and while he's got experience, he'll lean heavily on FSU's trio of backs in Chris Thompson, Jermaine Thompson, and Ty Jones. Taiwan Easterling should lead the receiving corp and the O-line remains solid despite losing Rodney Hudson with Andrew Datko, Zebrie "C'mon Man" Sanders, and David Spurlock all returning.

Defensively, Bjoern Werner at DE, Jeff Luc and Nigel Bradham at LB, and Xavier Rhodes at CB will lead the defense. The 'Noles expect to get significant contributions from Everett Dawkins, Brandon Jenkins, and Greg Reid as well. The Noles defense was solid last year and should be even better this year.

Florida State's got a pretty smooth schedule after the Oklahoma Sooners come to town. Louisiana-Monroe and Charleston Southern probably won't provide them great warm-ups either. Traveling to Clemson a week after the Sooners will be tough, but that's the only "big" game until the Noles travel to the Swamp to close out the season against the Gators.

10) Ohio State Buckeyes
No team has had a more tumultuous offseason than the Buckeyes. Jim Tressel's already in hot water, and now there's a probe being launched about car deals. Quite honestly, I'm surprised it's taken them this long to investigate this matter as I know one player personally who told me he received a "free" car back in 2002. Either way, with 5 players suspended along with Jim Tressel, the Buckeyes still have a ton of talent.

Braxton Miller or Joe Bauserman figures to get the first shot to replace Terrelle Pryor for the first five games. My money is on the freshman Miller to be quite honest as Bauserman has never looked impressive, although all the QBs were quite unimpressive during OSU's spring game. Any army of runningbacks will keep up steady proudction while Dan "Boom" Herron sits out, and they'll be led by Jamal Berry, Jordan Hall, and Rod Smith. Losing Dane Sanzenbacher hurts as DeVier Posey will be suspsended, but I was impressed with Verlon Reed and T.Y. Washington in the spring game. TE Jake Stoneburner will need to up his production as well. The offensive line should be strong with J.B. Shugarts and Michael Brewster holding down the RT and C spots until LT Mike Adams returns from suspension.

Defensively, the Buckeyes bring a lot more back to the table despite losing Cameron Heyward to the NFL Draft. Nathan Williams, and Andrew Sweat will look to lead the front seven along with John Simon, Jonathan Hankins, Storm Klein, and Etienne Sabino. I'd like to give a shoutout to one of my brother's former teammates in high school, reserve linebacker Chris Maxwell, who may get a look on some special teams this year. The secondary has a lot of new faces on the field this year to go with Travis Howard. Dominic Clark, Ohrian Johnson, and C.J. Barnett should fill out the other three spots in the secondary.

The Buckeyes have four of their first five games at home, so that will help soften the suspsensions of Tressel and the players. However, the one road game is a trip to Miami Gardens to take on the Hurricanes, which could be tricky, but Miami isn't even as good as last year, and has a first year coach in Al Golden. Michigan State should be a very tough test, and traveling to Nebraska the following week should serve as a rough welcome back gift to the sweater vest, should his suspension only be 5 games. The Buckeyes get Wisconsin and Penn State both at home, so they've certainly got a chance to make it to the Big 10 Championship Game. Terrelle Pryor's return should give them a nice boost for Big 10 play.

Hopefully that's gotten you ready for some football that won't be played in the courtroom, except potentially in Ohio State's case. In my next installment of the "Way Too Early College football Top 10's" I'll look at the 10 best players, and close it out with the 10 best games of the year.

If your team wasn't on the list now, perhaps they will be come October, as this year's college crop doesn't seem to have that one, clear-cut top team as there's been in the past with Alabama, Florida, and USC.

Daily Rant: These Guys ARE Good

Former Atlanta Braves star pitcher - and a shoo-in for Cooperstown - John Smoltz is a great golfer. In a 2007 ESPN article, he was cited as having a 0.2 handicap.

For those who don't know, that's pretty darn good. It means he averages around par for an 18 hole round.

Last week, he played in the Nationwide Tour's South Georgia Classic on a sponsor's exemption. I was interested to see how he would do. Not all athletes are great golfers (i.e. Charles Barkley), but some are.

Well, the results are in, and they aren't good. Smoltz didn't win, or even come close. In fact, he didn't even make it to the weekend. He shot an 84-87, and missed the cut by 27 shots - nine shots worse than anyone else in the field. That's not very good.

Last year, Jerry Rice, a 1 handicap, played in the Fresh Express Classic on the Nationwide Tour. He shot 81-82, which doesn't seem that bad. Until you realize that he finished eight shots worse than any other player.

I'm not saying that Jerry Rice or John Smoltz aren't great golfers. Because they probably are. I'm just saying that people tend to think they can work hard and compete on the professional level in golf because - and this especially rings true with people who have never played - the game "just doesn't look that hard."

But it is. Trust me.

I played competitive golf for a long time. When I was four years old, my father got me my first set of clubs. I played in my first tournament at age 10, shooting a 48 over nine holes. Over the next seven years, I worked my butt off over the summers at The Willows Golf Club, playing and practicing almost every day.

By the time I was a senior in high school, I competing in junior golf tournaments all throughout Ohio. During my senior year, I got my handicap down to a 1.2. I didn't shoot above 80 for an entire year, and I did pretty well in the state championship. I've shot under par in a competitive round. I received a college scholarship to play at the University of Dayton, where I played for two years. I was a pretty good player.

Even with playing for all those years, practicing all those hours, and shooting some low scores, I never thought of myself as being able to compete as a professional.

Why?

Because like their advertising campaign says, those guys are good. Real good.

The best round of my life was played at the Legislator in Prattville, Alabama.

I've played Harbour Town, home of the Heritage Classic, which was played two weeks ago. I shot a 79 from the same tees the pros play. Brandt Snedeker shot a 64 on Sunday this year.

I've shot an 83 at Muirfield Village from the same tees the pros play - the worst round shot in the 2010 edition of the Memorial was the same number.

I played NCR South, host of the 2005 U.S. Senior Open, about 100 times in college since it was our home course. I never broke 75. Champion Allen Doyle shot a 63 on Sunday to win on some of the slickest greens in existence.

When I played those courses they weren't in tournament conditions either. When a professional event comes to town, the greens get faster, the rough gets higher, and the fairways get smaller. Which the caliber of play on the professional tours even more fascinating.

There's a reason why NBC has a competition to see if a single digit handicap player can even break 100 at the U.S. Open. So people can truly realize that the gap in skill levels between even the best amateur golfers and professionals is larger than anyone can imagine.

The great thing about the game of golf is that anyone can be the best in the world for a shot. I've played with guys who can barely get the ball off the tee, but they've had a hole-in-one. Talk to anyone who has played for long enough, and they'll tell you, "this one time I hit this shot..." It goes on from there.

But to be a professional golfer, you have to have a shot that the average golfer dreams of every single time. In 2004, I sat on the range at the Memorial and watched Stuart Appleby hit 20 consecutive 7-irons.

Appleby has been a steady player for over a decade, but no one would consider him to be one of the best players on Tour. Of those 20 7-irons, one ended up outside 20 feet of the flagstick.

Now think about what Tiger could do.

Next time a professional event is in your town, go and hit the range there for awhile to watch. The talent every single one of those players has is something most of us can't even dream of. Even John Smoltz.

Bulls - Hawks Preview: DRose & Co. v. the Nobodys

I know Game 1 happened last night, and I now look like an idiot for writing this preview. However, if you want proof that I did write this prior to Game 1, click here. AND... since I don't really have time this week to get another preview up, I'm going to say Lakers in 7 (I know the Mavs won Game 1, but I just don't think they have enough of a supporting cast to get by the Lakers).

Well these two teams' respective first round series could not have gone much differently.

Bulls fans—as expected—watched Derrick Rose lead a very balanced attack (five scorers averaged double figures) in a ho-hum five game series against the Pacers. They probably would have swept had Rose not tweaked his ankle in Game 3, leading to a Game 4 loss in one of the worst games of his career (6-22 FG, 1-9 3FG).

Meanwhile, the Hawks shocked the world by destroying the Orlando Magic in six games. No one gave the Hawks a prayer in that series, including myself. But similar to the Bulls, they utilized a balanced attack with five players in double figures.

My problem with the Hawks is that they don't have THAT guy. The one that they can count on to cut the throat out of the other team (and I'm not accepting that Jamal Crawford's ugly as hell bank counts as a cutthroat player).

These are two very balanced teams, so this should be a fun series...right? Not really. Not when one balanced team is a WHOLE lot better than the other.

SERIES STUD: Derrick Rose. DRose had a spectacular Game 1 and 2, earning his (probable) MVP status, and he averaged 37.5 points, 7 rebounds and 6.5 assists. Rose's penetration skills were hindered in Games 3-5 against the Pacers after tweaking his ankle early in Game 3. In those games, Rose averaged 21 points, 3 rebounds and 6 assists. Pedestrian numbers by his standards.

In Games 4 and 5 he had 11 FT attempts combined, less than any other game in the series by itself. He obviously was not taking the rock to the hole like his usual self, which is a bad thing considering he shot 21 percent from behind the arc in the first round. With six days off between the last game and Game 1 against the Hawks, I fully expect Rose to be healthy.

Combine that with the fact that there is no one—seriously, no one—to guard him on the Hawks, Rose will be running up and down the court like he's the lead bull at Pamplona this series.

DA BULLS: In a way, Rose's injury may have been the best thing to happen to a Bulls team that is inexperienced with winning in the playoffs. The Pacers didn't roll over in any game except for the finale; the first four games were decided by six points or less. The Bulls had to be focused, and were challenged by a tough Indianapolis ballclub.

Other players were forced to step up when it mattered, and this team showed what it really is—a team. That team is going to give the Hawks fits.

The mid 90's Bulls, while they had MJ, had a multitude of guys who could show up on any given night. Guys like John Paxson, Steve Kerr, Toni Kukoc, and Bill Wennington (kidding!) come to mind.

Against the Pacers, Kyle Korver knocked down threes, Taj Gibson provided a spark off the bench when Carlos Boozer proved ineffective (seriously Boozer, grow a pair), and Joakim Noah/Kurt Thomas provided an elbow throwing, trash talking presence down low that frustrated the Pacers. In particular, I was really impressed by the king of the mid-range jumper, Luol Deng. In the Bulls' Game 3 and 5 wins, he stepped up to contribute 21 points in both.

With the particular skill sets of each individual player meshing together, it's going to create matchup problems for the Hawks all over the place. Throw in Coach Tom Thibodeau's trademark lockdown defense, and this team is going to be hard to stop moving forward.
Expect more of this balanced attack in this series, but make no mistake—Derrick Rose is the star of the show. And with no one there to guard him, it should be a quick series for Da Bulls.

THE HAWKS: At 100 percent health, the Hawks' chances in this series were on thin ice to begin with. But the news of Kirk Hinrich being out for the entire series due to a hamstring injury suffered in Game 6 of the first round means the Hawks are now struggling to keep their heads above water.

Hinrich brought a stabilizing force and a feisty intensity to this team that desperately needed a leader (yes, I'm looking at you, "superstar" Joe Johnson) to spark it as it churned along toward the postseason.

Everything's going against the Hawks in this Series. In Round 1, they had to play a certain style of game—mainly a large lineup—in order to contain Dwight Howard. After Howard's 46 point, 19 rebound effort in Game 1, Al Horford and Jason Collins did what they could.

But now they're having to defend a completely different team, led by a point guard, which entails a completely different game plan and a completely different style of play. Transitioning like that is not an easy feat to accomplish, as players that you didn't rely on in Round 1 (Marvin Williams, Jeff Teague) are going to be asked to step right in.

Basically, the Bulls present a ton of matchup problems for the Hawks, and I see this team sinking fast in Round 2.

PREDICTION: I'm a little weary of saying that the Hawks don't have a prayer here, as I made the same prediction about their series against the Magic. But my friends, these Chicago Bulls are not the Orlando Magic. Comparing those two teams is like comparing a Toyota Corolla to a Mercedes Benz.

And if the Bulls are a Benz, in this series the Hawks are the pavement. Bulls roll in 5.

Osama Bin Laden: Dead

I still remember exactly where I was and what I was doing on September 11, 2011. I walked into Ms. Allen's sophomore algebra class with my friend Kristen when she stopped dead in her tracks. Two of my football teammates, Fadil, a practicing Muslim, and Tim, were standing in the middle of the room, eyes glued to the TV. The first plane had struck the World Trade Center. Ms. Allen cancelled class that day as we watched the TV for the next 45 minutes.

I distinctly remember another of my friends and all-around good guy, Stu, asking Fadil (reminder, a practicing Muslim) very genuinly what the Qu'ran said to do next. Fadil, who I'd known since 1st grade, replied that based on the teachings of the Qu'ran that the White House, Capitol Building, or the Pentagon would likely be hit. Minutes later the Pentagon was. No one said a word, they just stood there in shock.

Later that day, football practice was cancelled for obvious reasons. Major League Baseball shut down, the NFL cancelled games for that weekend - the entire world seemignly shut down in a 2-3 hour timespan. Unfortunately, our football game wasn't cancelled that Friday and despite bringing home a 19-3 win, it still felt like a loss. One of my friend's dad was in New York City on September 11th, and was supposed to have a 10am meeting in the South Tower of the World Trade Center - he fortunately fell ill the night before and never made it to the meeting.

I remember a military recruiter coming to our school several weeks later, and just about every guy in the senior class who was old enough, registered for the Army. It home later that night as my dad was at the kitchen table holding a picture - a picture of me and him atop the World Trade Center when I was 3 years old. That's when it really hit me that the Twin Towers were gone.

Observances were held. Flyovers at sporting events took on new meaning. Belting out the Star Spangled Banner before sporting events became an even greater point of pride for all Americans. I myself even met with a Marine recruiter during my senior year of high school.

10 years later to last night. Watching E:60 on ESPN after "The Killing" on AMC (which is a terrific show if you haven't seen it), I was dozing off and saw the Red Alert "Breaking News". Figuring it was something about the NFL Lockout, I was stunned to see: "US officials report that Osama Bin Laden is dead." I woke up my roommate and we watched CNN for at least an hour. From the celebration outside the White House to President Obama's speech, we saw it all. It's a great day for those across the globe who love peace, and a great day for the United States of America.

In an interesting twist of history, on May 1st, 1945, Germany announced that Hitler was dead. Hitler and Bin Laden; gone on the same day. While Hitler's life ended at his own hand, Bin Laden's ended with a Navy Seal bullet to the head. As we await what comes next, I'm sure each of you have your own story or knew someone who was greatly affected by 9/11. At this time, I'd like to thank my friends from school who served in our Armed Forces:

Brad - Army
Brandon - Army - heading to Afghanistan soon.
Christian - FBI
Darin - Army
Drew - Air Force
Jason - Army
Jimmy - Army - veteran of two Afghanistan tours.
Josh J. - Navy
Josh K. - Navy - who just learned he'll be flying F-18's soon. Congrats!
Justin - Army
Mike - Army
Nate - Army
Nick - Army
Rob - Army/Special Forces - Iraq veteran and purple heart recipient.
Terry - Army - Iraq veteran.
Ty - Coast Guard

Please, remember to give thanks to our troops if you see them! Also, and this by special request, my friend T-Byrd will be playing this in his 3rd grade class today.

God Bless our Troops and the United States of America - Bin Laden is dead!

Chizzy's Second Round NBA Preview - Part 1

Whew. Did you all catch these first round series? This has been one of the most exciting playoffs since I can ever remember. And we're just getting started.

My Western Conference Finals pick, the Thunder, destroy the Nuggets. The Celtics sweep a depleted Knicks squad after injuries ruin the Knicks' chances. DRose leads the Bulls on a hobbled ankle while Dirk pushes the Mavs past the upstart Blazers. The Sixers gave the Heat all they could handle in five games, and the Lakers were pushed singlehandedly by next-year Knick Chris Paul. Then the Magic are shocked by the Hawks, and the GRIZZ!?!?!?! Taking down the four-time champion Spurs? You've gotta be kidding me. And that was just round one.

We're just getting started here, so let's get a move on. Let's start with the two games starting today. Back with Part 2 tomorrow.

Record: 4-4 (Right: Heat, Bulls, Lakers, Thunder; Wrong: Grizz, Mavs, Celtics - injuries, Hawks). But I still have both Finals teams right.

(3) Boston Celtics v. (2) Miami Heat - The Big Three v. The Big Four

In the words of the Joker: "And Here... We... Go..." I'm jacked up for this series. It's going to get ugly. These teams hate each other. The Celtics - Pierce, Garnett, Allen, and Rondo. The Heat - James, Wade, Bosh. Seven all-stars on one court. This is going to be awesome.

I mentioned this in the first round, but when I think of the Celtics, I think of Viagra. Ray Allen, Paul Pierce, and Kevin Garnett need a little blue pill. When men are young and get lucky with a lady on a fateful night in the bar scene, they go home and can pull out all the stops. They have the moves that the ladies like, and it’s not a one track album, if you catch my drift.

But as we age, something happens. When we men get older, something happens. We still have all the right moves. But our back creaks, our stamina decreases, and it takes a hell of a lot longer to start the engine on the automobile. And once it does start, it’s probably not catching again until morning. That’s where the little blue pill comes in. But ladies and gentlemen, I don’t think the doctor wrote the Celtics a prescription this year.

The Celtics got lucky in the first round as the Knicks suffered some debilitating injuries to Chauncey Billups and Amar'e Stoudemire that crippled their chances. The Celtics smelled blood and swept.

Meanwhile, the Heat drew a 76ers team that played its little butts off throughout the entire series. The 76ers gave El Heat all they could handle, and I think that challenge was a nice "breakfast" that helped focus the team coming into this series. As LeBron said, now the Heat are "ready for some lunch."

SERIES STUD: Dwayne Wade. Not LBJ, I know. LeBron and DWade are going to get their points; LeBron may even average a triple-double. But I'm not talking about the best player overall, I'm talking about the player that is going to be the stud for this particular series.

And in this matchup of two top-five defensive units, the key is about shutting down the other team's catalyst. For the Celtics, that's Rajon Rondo. DWade better stick on him like white on rice or else the Celtics are going to be able to challenge the heat to the brink in this series.

My guess? Wade does everything he can to keep his man in front of him. He had 2 SPG and 1.4 BPG in the first round series while averaging 22.2 PPG and 8.4 RPG. If he can put up similar numbers while shutting down Boston's biggest creator, Wade's going to win his team this series.

THE HEAT: The Heat are going to wear down the Celtics on defense, and the Celtics hope to wear down the Heat on their D. So basically, this series could be a pick 'em.

But I just don't know how you stop the Heat on offense. When you have three of the game's best offensive players, the possibilities are endless. Chris Bosh is a maestro in the mid-range game, and Dwayne Wade and LeBron James are ... Dwayne Wade and LeBron James.

LBJ and DWade play similar slash and create games, so if the Celtics stop one, they can't stop the other. If they start running a pick-and-roll all series, it's going to create some matchup problems for the Celtics.

Additionally, I've been very impressed with the PG duo of Mike Bibby and Mario Chalmers. While Bibby is a defensive liability, it seems that Chalmers has become a more effective game manager since Bibby joined the team. Maybe the vet is showing the youngster a few tricks of the trade.

Throw in the three-point shooting of James Jones and C Joel Anthony's defensive presence, and it becomes evident that this team really only has one weakness. Inside offense. If Zydrunas Ilgauskas can throw in 8-10 points in 15 minutes, it would be a huge boost to the team's chances. If not, the Heat are playing 4 on 5 on offense.

THE CELTICS: As I alluded to earlier, Rondo is the key to this series. Allen, Garnett, and Pierce are getting up there in age. Sure, the team is on nine days rest, but it's not like the Heat played a seven-game slugfest either.

Pierce is going to be primarily guarded by LeBron James, which will neutralize him to some extent. Mario Chalmers and James Jones are quick enough to keep up with Ray Allen as he rolls off screens, which is essential. Joel Anthony can matchup with Kevin Garnett and isolate the aging superstar in the post.

But Rondo is the Celtics catalyst. His ability to penetrate opens up perimeter threes for Allen and Pierce, and helps draw attention for back side passes to Garnett in the post. The Heat - primarily Dwayne Wade - HAVE to shut down Rondo's ability to create or else it may be a long series.

This team has not looked the same or played with the same intensity since the Perkins trade to OKC. If the O'Neals (Jermaine and Shaq - who may not play in Game 1) can make an impact and destroy Big Z and Chris Bosh on the inside, they may actually be the key to the series.

In my mind, the Celtics' offensive deficiencies toward the end of the season, their luck in the first round against the Knicks, and the Heat's defensive tenacity are telling signs that this may be the end of the road for Boston.

PREDICTION: This series is going to be a slobberknocker. There may be a melee or two throughout. But I just feel like the Celtics are a tad too old. They caught a break against the beat-up Knicks in the first round, and I think they get exposed here. The Heat's Big Three takes over, and the Celtics last great shot at another title is over. Heat in 6.

(8) Memphis Grizzlies v. (4) Oklahoma City Thunder - The Young Guns v. WHO?!?!?!

I'm pretty sure that I read this matchup correctly, but could someone PLEASE make sure for me? That is the Memphis Grizzlies that are actually in the second round of the playoffs right?

All kidding aside, the Grizzlies absolutely manhandled the #1 seed Spurs. I'm happy to see the city of Memphis have something to cheer about other than their world class rib and music scene, as the team has been the joke of the league for some time.

Memphis took care of business by providing stout perimeter defense and letting big men Zach Randolph and Marc Gasol wear down an overmatched Spurs front line. The Spurs looked old and tired, the Grizzlies brought the thunder (no pun intended), and impressively held off the four-time champions without blinking an eye.

Meanwhile, the OKC Thunder took the Denver Nuggets to school in the first round with a very balanced attack. With many scoring options and a defensive presence on the block and perimeter, the Thunder shut down an overmatched Denver team playing with heart for coach George Karl.

With both teams boasting some bangers down low, this series is going to be physical. They key will come down to perimeter play. We all know who wins that battle.

SERIES STUD: Russell Westbrook. For those who aren't familiar, I pick a Series Stud for this particular series, not who's the best player overall.

And for this series, I think Russell Westbrook gets the job done. He averaged 23.8 PPG, 6.0 RPG, and 6.2 APG being guarded primarily by the Ty Lawson/Ray Felton combo in the first round. I look for him to expose Mike Conley's defensive weaknesses by penetrating hard to the basket. From there, he'll either score or dish to his big men down low.

Kevin Durant will get his points, but I think that guard Tony Allen and forward Shane Battier will neutralize him as much as humanly possible. When Durant is somewhat contained, it's Westbrook's time to shine.

THE THUNDER: With the way OKC electrified throughout their dominant five-game performance over the inspired Denver Nuggets, this team could be called the Lightning. In my first round preview (check it out on my blog), I picked the Thunder to be my Western Conference Finals representative. I'm feeling even better about that pick now.

Why you ask? Because since the addition of Kendrick Perkins the Thunder has been one of the best defensive teams in the game.

Serge Ibaka and Kendrick Perkins destroyed Denver's big men (or lack thereof), and the Thunder was the best rebounding team in the first round. That's pretty good considering Denver was one of the league's top offensive teams in the regular season.

Ibaka averaged a RIDICULOUS 4.8 BPG in the series. What's going to be interesting is watching how he and Perkins handle an inside tandem in Gasol and Randolph that is about 10 steps up from what the Spurs had to offer.

I just don't see anyone stopping on the Grizz stopping a team that can hit you from a thousand different angles on offense. Westbook and backup Eric Maynor drive and create. Durant and James Harden shoot lights out. Ibaka and Perkins take you on the low blocks. This team scores at will, and I don't think that's going to change in this series.

THE GRIZZ: Memphis is into the second round for the first time in team history. The question for me is whether they can keep up the intensity after the biggest milestone in franchise history.

It's improbable me that the team takes another series, but it's not impossible. Memphis' strength comes on the inside, which is a problem as OKC has the ability to neutralize it.

Zach Randolph has taken the next step, becoming a player that can carry this team on his back. After the way he acted in his early career, particularly in Portland, I can't believe I just wrote that. Marc Gasol - not Pau - averaged a double-double against the Spurs.

Ibaka and Perkins will be all over Randolph and Gasol, and Rudy Gay is out for the post-season. But who is going to step up and score for Memphis here? Is it going to be Conley? Battier? O.J. Mayo off the bench?

Mike Conley is playing like he should have before his contract extension, and Tony Allen and Shane Battier bring a defensive intensity to this team that it never had before. But I don't think it's going to be enough.

It's not like OKC doesn't have perimeter defenders either. Durant, James Harden, and Thabo Sefolosha all can swipe the ball away from Memphis' guards and start the transition offense. Someone needs to step up the perimeter scoring for Memphis or this series is already over.

PREDICTION: This is going to be a great series. Ibaka/Perkins will be throwing 'bows with Gasol/Randolph for the length of the ride, and I think that's an even matchup. Ultimately though, Memphis doesn't have an offensive answer to the Westbrook/Durant one-two punch. It's been real Memphis, but better luck next year. The young guns roll on. Thunder in 6.