10 Most Effective Pro Seminoles in 2018

Now that the Super Bowl has is over, we can officially put the 2018 season behind us. So with that said, it begs the question of which Seminoles were most effective during the calendar year. This post looks at the 10 Most Effective Noles in the Pros for the year 2019. The list is below and is not limited to football. These players have all earned some recognition.

10. Xavier Rhodes
Rhodes only had 1 interception, but he has done a great job. Teams simply don't test him anymore, but Rhodes is still as good as it gets.

9 . Telvin Smith

Lets take a few looks about Telvin and his case.
134 tackles
2 INT
1 defensive touchdown.
This guy is an absolute stud of a linebacker and he should be recognized for how outstanding he has been for the Jacksonville Jaguars.

8. Buster Posey
Buster Posey usually is higher on this list. The only reason Posey isnt higher this year is that he only played in 105 games. He was having another terrific year and made yet another all-star game. When healthy, Posey is still the best catcher in baseball. The last time Posey hit .284 in an injury shortened season, he won MVP the following season. Baseball, you have been placed on notice.

7. Jessica Warren
Jessie only hit .262 for the 2018 summer season for the USSSA Pride, but that doesn't tell the whole season. Warren won FSU a national title in 2018 and then had a successful season in her 1st year of pro ball. Be very proud of Ms. Warren for a fantastic 2018.

6. Malik Beasley
Malik Beasley is having a fantastic year for Denver. He is a vital part of a strong rotation in the Rockies. Beasley has just 12 starts on the year, but is averaging 11.6 points per game. This guy is a very big part of the Nuggets success as a team this year. Denver is 2nd in the West and was ahead of them until the current losing streak (streak counts as 2019.

5. Natasha Howard
Natasha Howard won her 2nd WNBA Championship in 2018. She was also named to the WNBA All-Defensive First Team last year. Howard averaged 13.2 points per game and started 33/34 games for the WNBA champion Seattle Storm.

4. Jalen Ramsey
Ramsey wasn't quite as dominant in 2018 and he was in 2017, but many still consider him the best cover corner in the NFL (including me). He also had 3 picks this season. Ramsey made the pro bowl again in 2018.

3. Derwin James
Derwin James was clearly the best player in the draft last year and the Bucs will be kicking themselves for decades for passing on James. He had more than 100 tackles, 3.5 sacks, and 3 INTs. The guy is a swiss army knife that can do everything. James was an all-pro and was the defensive rookie of the year.

2. Rodney Hudson
This might seem odd to have Rodney Hudson this high, but the man is amazing. He is the best center in football. In fact, since 2017 Hudson leads all centers in pass blocking snaps per pressure allowed. He allows just one QB pressure per every 151 snaps. To give you some perspective #2 on the list has 60 snaps per QB pressure.

And the number 1 Seminole for 2018 was.....

1. Brooks Koepka
This one is pretty obvious right. Koepka is the #1 golfer in the world and won 2 majors in 2018. There was not a person in all of sports that had a much better year than Koepka

Let's see what the Noles in the Pros have in store for 2019.

Until then have a great week

- Noland

Jalen Ramsey Suffers Knee Injury

A few weeks ago, I talked about how the Jacksonville Jaguars had the best draft after they acquired the most talented player at each stage of the draft. Well, once again, after a tremendous draft, the Jaguars are losing their top prize of the draft. This happens as Jalen Ramsey suffered a small meniscus tear in his right knee.

A few weeks ago it was all smiles, but now there is a lot of worry in Jacksonville.

The fact that the team labels it a small meniscus tear is somewhat good news it seems. Recovery time for this injury is either expected to be 4-6 weeks or 4-6 months depending on the treatment that the team decides on. That timetable is quite a large spread. 4-6 weeks is no big deal at all, but 4-6 months will cut all the way into the regular season. Ramsey will seek a second opinion and then the Jaguars will have a more firm grasp on what they are dealing with. It is just awful luck for the Jaguars.

This injury comes almost a year to the date that last year's 1st round pick suffered a knee injury. Fowler, tore his ACL on the 1st day of mini camps last year. Back to back years of losing your top pick to a knee injury is not going to sit well with the fan base. It won't sit well no matter how good the players are. The fans will start to ask questions. Especially when their 2nd pick, as good as he is, might still need micro-fracture surgery. Myles Jack came into the draft with a knee injury this year which caused him to slip to Jacksonville. I still say the gamble was well worth it, but many fans likely won't see it that way.

With reports now that Jalen Ramsey also had micro-fracture surgery, during his sophomore year of high school, this selection will be further scrutinized if he misses time this season. The Jaguars knew that and saw that he played in every game at FSU, but the average fan did not know about that injury. The Jaguars have less leighway than most because of the other two injured draft picks. Hopefully the timetable for recovery is short on this injury.

I have a feeling that the Jaguars will stay away from any pick with even the slightest hint of a knee injury from now on if this is anything close to major. No matter how good the player is, they just don't seem to catch a good break (no pun intended) on these types of injuries. Here is to hoping that all 3 Jags defensive standouts with knee issues are on the field for the Jaguars this season.

No matter what, the Jaguars made the right decisions. With all 3 of these players that got hurt, they were terrific football players with unfortunate injuries. However, all that being said, they will be more cautious in the future I assume. Either way, I expect all 3 to have a very productive NFL careers. That group will be led by Jalen Ramsey who will still make a major positive impact for this franchise. Ramsey will deliver for Jacksonville. Stay excited about Jalen, Jags fans.

-Noland

Looking Back @ Football Predictions 2015

It is important for anybody who makes predictions to go back and truly assess how they did. In this post, I look to do just that for the past football season 2015-2016, before making new predictions for this year. Some of these predictions were pretty accurate, but some were horrifically bad. This seeks to give us some perspective on what I have gotten right and wrong before any predictions are made for the 2016-2017 season. I had four prediction pages for last football season. Last year I had an ACC preview, a preview for the rest of the country, an NFL preview, and a preview of Noles in training camps. Each of those will be looked at in great detail on this post.

Let's start with the Noles in training camps post. This post was the least predicting out of these posts, but was still informative and had some predictions in there. I said that it was put up or shut up time for EJ Manuel in Buffalo and that it was about time for him to win the job. I may have picked him to win Super Bowl MVP in another post (embarassed face) which was by far my worst prediction. Manuel of course was beaten out by Tyrod Taylor and even I think the lofty expectations I (and the Bills) had for him will never be fulfilled at this point. I was too much of a homer in the case of EJ. I will continue to root for the guy though. Sticking with the Bills, injuries forced Karlos Williams into the starting lineup and he exceeded my expectations. This guy did much better than anticipated and had a great rookie season. Another error in this post was not being bullish enough about Devonta Freeman, who ended up in the MVP conversation. He blew everyone away. Finally, Kelvin Benjamin did not start because of the ACL injury, but looks to be strong heading into this season. Everything else in this post is 100% accurate on where they were heading into the 2015-2016 season. You could write pretty much the same stuff for each player heading into 2016-2017, but you will need to include some new teams.

Now onto the NFL season predictions. As bad as the Bills Super Bowl pick was and subsequent EJ Manuel pick as described above, I actually hit on a lot here. You have to forgive me some as well, because the Bills pick was an opportunity pick based partially on the expected suspension of Tom Brady. That suspension was overturned after these selections. I had the Cardinals and Texans winning their respective divisions when few others did. I also had the Cardinals going all the way to the Super Bowl, which possibly could have happened without the Tyrann Mathieu injury. They still made the NFC Championship as I predicted. Three of my bold predictions were right in that Marcus Marriota did not start every game due to injury, the Titans would finish with the #1 pick, and Jameis Winston would be rookie of the year. I was a little too bullish record wise on the Bucs though who I gave 5 extra wins. The Ravens was another big miss for me as they too missed the playoffs. My biggest miss, was probably my continued hope for Sam Bradford. I had him leading the Eagles to a division title and an NFC Championship Game appearance and he again came up short on my expectations. Take out those bullish predictions for Bradford and Manuel and these predictions look solid. Will not make that mistake again for those two. This time I will hope to be wrong in their favor for once. Just keep rooting for the good injury prone guys to catch a break.

The NCAA preview went considerably better for me than the NFL did. I got 2 of the 4 playoff teams correct, including going against the grain and picking Michigan State to win the Big 10 over Ohio State. Nearly everyone had the Buckeyes at least making the playoff while I said the pressure to repeat would eventually catch up to the talented Buckeyes. Another favorite though, TCU, is another team I had in the playoff and they fell short. My worst prediction in here was Arizona winning it all. Yikes! So maybe not so great with the picks. The darkhorses I had were all pretty weak too, especially Georgia Tech, but more on that later.
On the Heisman trophy front, I had weak darkhorses, but my main guys were threats for at least a while other than the injured Wright. The eventual winner, Derrick Henry, was my #3 contender coming into the season. Henry was one of four offensive All-Americans I hit on (using the AP list), the other three were Spencer Drango, Jack Allen and Landon Turner. I hit on three defensive players in A'Shawn Robinson, Jaylen Smith, and Vernon Hargreaves. These numbers were pretty low as I look to hit on half of the picks this upcoming season.

Finally, is the ACC preview I did. I thought it would be interesting to do a preview of the conference FSU is in, and that proved to be true. It comes as no surprise that the Seminoles were my pick to win the conference. That was wrong, but I did say the biggest threats in conference to that happening were Georgia Tech and Clemson. The only regular season losses for FSU were to Georgia Tech and Clemson. Those Jackets really only showed up for the FSU game though unfortunately for them and the conference. Clemson had a very impressive season winning the conference and helping Dabo Swinney to win coach of the year over the ever-deserving Jimbo Fisher. I stated that Jalen Ramsey was the most talented player in the conference and that proved true as he was the #1 player on many teams draft boards a few weeks ago. Ramsey was the #5 overall pick to the Jacksonville Jaguars.
Now, for how accurate I was picking the all-conference team....
Between not knowing if Dalvin Cook would be eligible and James Connor's injury, I missed on the RBs, but hit on many other positions. I hit on 4 of 11 on the offensive side. Correctly selecting Matt Skura, Landon Turner, Roderick Johnson, and Artavis Scott. On defense I hit on 3 of 11, correctly selecting Jalen Ramsey, Nile Lawrence-Stample, and Stephen Daniels. Some injuries hurt me in other spots including the FSU LB core and Kendall Fuller. The 1st team specialist was also correct as I selected the automatic, Roberto Aguayo. Every one of my selections that was not injured made one of the 3 all conference teams with the exception of Jacoby Brisett, Derwin James and George Campbell, so there is that. My worst selection was certainly Campbell as he barely saw the field in 2015. 8 people correctly selected on the 1st team All-ACC is a number that will improve for 2016.

Stay tuned for more takes on the latest news in sports and of course, more predictions....

-Noland

Complete NFL Draft Reaction

This was one of the most surprising drafts in recent memory. A lot of memorable selections here. I loved every minute. Here are some of my big reactions.

5 Best Picks of the Draft

5. Christian Westerman   OG   Cincinnati Bengals  5(161)
I thought this guy was really underrated and has a great chance to start for the Bengals. Westerman provides terrific value in the 5th round.

4. Sheldon Day    DT   Jacksonville Jaguars  4(103)
Going into day 3 of the draft, Sheldon Day was the best available player. The Jaguars snatched him up without hesitation and got their 4th starter in this draft. Day will start and contribute this year for Jacksonville.

3. Devontae Booker  RB   Denver Broncos  4(136)
The second rated runningback in round 4. Sign me up for that. Booker will be starting for the Broncos at some point this season. He will be starting and getting a ton of yardage.

2. Kendall Fuller   CB    Washington Redskins  3(84)
Speaking of 2nd rated player at his position, Kendall Fuller was my #2 corner this season. He was an absolute stud and without injury concerns is a bona fide 1st rounder. The Redskins have the starters in place to bring him along slowly and he will make an impact when he is ready. NFL bloodlines don't hurt either and the Fullers have quite a few successful defensive backs in their family. It is quite possible that Kendall ends up the best of that entire bunch.

1. Myles Jack     LB    Jacksonville Jaguars    2(36)
Nobody could have predicted that the Jaguars would receive the best two players in the draft. That is, because even with the injury, it seemed Myles Jack would not be there in Round 2. When Jack was there, the Jaguars scooped him up. This guy has superstar written all over him and the Jaguars got a major steal in this selection.

5 Worst Picks of the Draft

5. Juston Burris     CB    New York Jets    4(118)
Bottom line is that Burris is not even a guarantee to make the roster. He has very little shot at contributing other than special teams. He showed little to no ability to contribute at the next level at NC State. Why the Jets burnt a 4th rounder on a guy that will be solely a special teams player is surprising. Especially, since he likely won't even be good at that.

4. Antonio Morrison   ILB    Indianapolis Colts  4(125)
Many people judge others for how they treat animals. So what do we think of Antonio Morrison? This guy has barked at police dogs and been arrested on multiple occasions. He is a character concern for a team that used to take these types of individuals off the draft board. Oh, and he doesn't really translate into an NFL player skills wise either.
3. Kevin Byard   S    Tennessee Titans     3(64)
I guess this was a hometown pick? I am really struggling to find the rationale on this one. A safety with no cover skills in the 3rd round for a team that needs a lot of holes filled. Really perplexing.

2. Derrick Henry       RB      Tennessee Titans     2(45)
The Titans just traded for DeMarco Murray in the offseason. They acquired the versatile back and it is surprising for them to go runningback here again. Especially one with a lot of wear and tear that got the majority of his yardage behind a tremendous offensive line. This team has so many needs that this pick was surprising. They went RB here when the second best RB stayed on the board until late in Round 4. They reached for Henry just because of the Heisman.

1. Christian Hackenburg   QB   New York Jets   2(51)
Out of the last 4 drafts, the Jets have twice taken a QB in Round 2 and took one in Round 4 last year. These guys stay drafting terrible quarterbacks with little to no chance of success in the pros. This selection was no different. I do not see any chance of Christian Hackenburg being a successful starting QB in the NFL. This selection of Hackenburg here is mind boggling. If you are going to take a QB early, at least take a good QB. The thing here is the Jets have solid players in place and blowing this pick could be the difference in this team missing the playoffs. Just a poor selection.

5 Best Team Drafts

5. Minnesota Vikings

I believe that Laquon Treadwell was the best receiver in this draft and the Vikings got him at 26. They then picked up a corner capable of starting right away in round 2. Every selection this team made had purpose and meaning. I really loved the Kentrell Brothers pick.

4. Cincinnatti Bengals
All 5 of their top picks in this draft will compete for starting jobs. When you think about that, it is pretty incredible. A playoff team that drafted well enough to have 5 players openly competing for starting jobs. I really like the William Jackson pick he was the 2nd best healthy corner in this draft. Tyler Boyd will help in the return game in addition to his receiving skills. I quite admired his receiving skills while he was at Pittsburgh.

3. Washington Redskins
The Redskins had the 2nd best pick of the draft when they drafted Kendall Fuller in the 3rd round. Getting the 2nd best corner in the draft at that point is a major coup for the Skins. I am not very concerned about Fuller's injury. Sua Cravens and Josh Doctson were also very strong selections for DC. Not as fond of the rest of their draft, but the top 3 selections they made are far better than any outside of Jacksonville. Those 3 will be major contributors for the Burgandy and Gold and give the Skins a ton of flexibility. Each player will be loved in Washington!
Washington also had a strong selection late in QB Nate Sudfeld out of Indiana. While they didn't need a QB at that point, I thought he posed tremendous value in Round 6. He was my 4th rated QB in this draft.

2. Cleveland Browns
The Browns accumulated a ton of picks and did not waste them. They got 4 starters with their first four picks. More importantly though, they didn't reach for anyone and let the draft come to them for the 1st time ever. With each pick, it seems the Browns finally took the top player on their board each time.The best news of this draft though is that they got more extra picks in the future. The Browns finally seem to be on the right path.

1. Jacksonville Jaguars
Hands down the best draft and it is not even close. The Jaguars managed to get the top player at each stage of the draft. With their first pick, they got the best player in the draft in Jaylen Ramsey. Day 2 comes along and they nab the 2nd best player in the entire draft in Myles Jack. Heading into Day 3, the best available player is Sheldon Day and the Jaguars get him. They got 4 bona-fide major contributors. At least two of them are all-pro level guys. This draft could not have gone any better for the Jaguars.

5 Worst Team Drafts

The Miami Dolphins could easily top this list if any drama continues with Laremy Tunsil, but the drama seems to have worked in their favor. They got easily the best tackle in the draft at 13 because of it. Now, they just need to hope he keeps his nose clean.

5. Houston Texans
The Texans reached on Fuller and didn't do much else. Not a player I love in their entire draft. Just very unspectacular.
4. Tennessee Titans
They get some points for acquiring so many picks, but have very little to show for that. Add in that they had my second and third worst picks of the entire draft and it is easy to see why I think these guys had a hard time. Tennessee got at least one starter though in the tackle, Conklin. The selection irratated a better tackle though in Taylor Lewan. This organization is just a dumpster fire.

3. Philadelphia Eagles
Like the Rams, the Eagles gave up too much to move up to #2 to get Wentz. The plus side for Philadelphia is that I think Wentz will be a better pro than Goff. The issue with Wentz is that he will take some time. Not the fanbase to be patient on their players. These characters booed Wentz when he arrived at the airport. Hahahaha, you stay classy Philly fans.

2. New York Jets
The Jets could easily be a playoff contender this year. They had some solid pieces. You would think the Jets would pick players that could help them win right now! The only player they got that will immediately contribute was linebacker Darron Lee and there were better players than him on the board still when he was selected in Round 1. Their biggest need was at offensive tackle and that was not upgraded through this draft. Hackenburg was about as stupid a pick as I can imagine given the circumstances of the selection.

1. Los Angeles Rams
Simply gave up too much to go to 1 and move up for Goff who I personally am not a big believer in. If Goff pans out than this draft will look much better. Right now it looks awful as this team got nothing else of value.

Grading the Buccaneers Draft

Round 1(11) Vernon Hargreaves   CB            C-

Round 2 (39) Noah Spence             DE            A      

Round 2 (59) Roberto Aguayo       PK            C
Round 4 (108) Ryan Smith             DB            B
Round 5 (148) Caleb Benenoch      OT           A-
Round 6 (183) Devante Bond         OLB         C-
Round 6 (197) Dan Vitale                FB           A

Overall Grade B+
This was never meant to be as great as last year's draft. Last year the Buccaneers got 4 quality starters with their first 4 picks. Two of those 4 had Pro Bowl level seasons. This year though, the Buccaneers can once again claim 4 quality players that will likely start in some fashion. Given, one of those players is a kicker. Their 5th selection could also be a starter though, potentially bumping that number up to 5 and greatly increasing the rating of this draft. I think this is especially true if they kick him inside. Add in a starting fullback and the numbers go from 4 potential starters to 6. A great draft in anyones book.
People will slam the Aguayo trade up, but I don't mind it and it is not just the homer in me. When you get a chance to select the best kicker in college football history, it is hard to place a value on that. Especially for a team that struggled mightily in the kicking game last year. Connor Barth was fine when he took over for Brindza, but management clearly doesn't think he has "it" because they have cut him multiple times already. Now, they had a chance to eliminate the kicking issue forever and they did it. Was it too early? Probably, but this team wanted the issue solved and they did it. The problem is that there was a lot of quality still on the board in spots of need.
I dislike the Hargreaves pick the more I see it, especially seeing that Kendall Fuller went in Round 3. That being said, he should be fine when not matched up with bigger, more physical receivers. He has all the tools, so hopefully he can justify the high selection.

Most Surprising Undrafted Player

Nile Lawrence-Stample    DT    Florida State

Stample had he come out early last year would have been selected. It was still incredibly surprising to see him go undrafted because of the time of player he was. The thing working against Stample is that he is a 2 down player and teams seem to be moving away from that. Several other players in that boat slipped very far in this draft. Still, even with those factors and with him being in a very deep draft at his position, I thought for sure he would be selected. He ended up signing as an undrafted free agent with the Browns.

Analyzing Where the Seminoles Ended Up

There were only two Seminoles selected. This was the lowest total since 2009 and quite different from the mass selections the past few years. The three years prior to this current season, FSU had 29 players selected to the NFL draft.

Jalen Ramsey to Jacksonville Round 1 (5)
The Jaguars will be a trendy pick to make the playoffs this season and Jalen Ramsey is a big part of that. Ramsey is a freak athlete and was the best player in the draft. He enters a great situation and will be an immediate starter for Jacksonville.

Roberto Aguayo to Tampa Round 2 (59)
The scrutiny will be high for this one, but it was expected that Aguayo would be the highest selection for a kicker in quite some time. The most accurate kicker in college football history does not come along very often. In this case he goes to Tampa who is desperate for help in the kicking game. He is also reunited with Jameis Winston.

Several Noles signed as undrafted free agents which we will get into closer to training camp.

Stay tuned for my breakdown of my own stories from last football season

-Noland

Reaction to Round 1 of the 2016 NFL Draft

Round One of the 2016 NFL Draft is in the books and as always there are some winners and some losers. Well what we think are winners and losers anyway, it is hard to truly evaluate a draft until we are three years out. Regardless, I will break down what I saw last night and what to look forward to tonight....

Winners

Jacksonville Jaguars

The Jaguars were able to sit there at 5 and still end up with the best player in the draft. Jalen Ramsey is a rare talent that few teams get to employ. He is an All-American sprinter and long jumper in addition to his incredible football skills and IQ. If you want to see perhaps the greatest defensive tape of one athlete one game in 20 years, put on the tape of the 2014 Miami game. Ramsey willed the Seminoles to victory that night. He also completely leaped an offensive line to get to a field goal kick on multiple occasions. The dude is just an incredible athlete.

Cleveland Browns

The Browns showed tremendous patience for once and that perhaps they finally are on the right track. They did not take a QB they did not like. Instead this team got numerous draft picks with which they can rebuild their team the right way. They can now, at least in theory, have the proper infrastructure in place for a new QB when that pick does happen. The Browns traded down to 15 and still got the guy that they wanted at WR.

San Francisco 49ers

This team lucked out even more than the Jaguars. They sat at 7 and were able to get a guy who I believe is the 2nd best healthy prospect in this draft. DeForest Buckner is just massive and will create havoc at the next level. The 49ers instantly upgraded their pass rush with this selection.

Losers

Ole Miss Rebels

How can a team with 3 first round draft picks have been the losers of the draft?

Well, two of those players fell several spots because of questionable behavior off the field. Nkemdiche's issues are well documented and old news, but Laremy Tunsil was the story of draft night and not in a good way. Tunsil slipped several spots due to a video surfacing of him taking a bong hit leaking minutes before the draft. The video came from Tunsil's own Twitter account, which he claimed was hacked. However, he did not dispute the video that was clearly him, instead saying that it is an old video and that it was not him. Now we know that at least in the past, he clearly enjoyed the wacky weed like his former teammate

Later in the night, on Tunsil's instagram was evidence of Tunsil receiving improper benefits from the school. This could and should add a lot of fuel to the fire of those saying that Ole Miss is paying players. The program that suddenly came from nowhere to get top 5 recruiting classes consistently. Something stunk and Tunsil's social media hacks seem to be shining a big spotlight on the stench.

Oh, and uh, Laremy you might want to delete all social media from "hacks."

Myles Jack

This one breaks my heart because Myles Jack is an absolutely terrific football player that busted his butt for this opportunity. He did not get drafted in Round 1 though over concerns over his medical and potential issues with his knee that might require reconstructive surgery. This is truly a sad tale for Jack whom if healthy is my #2 player behind only Ramsey. Hopefully, the medical reports are a false alarm and he ends up in the best possible situation for him. This guy really seems like a class act.

Green Bay Packers

This was a draft that was rich in interior line depth. It makes very little sense to me why the Packers reached on a guy with short arms that has a high amount of broken tackles when the position of need was inside linebacker. They needed a inside linebacker to move Matthews outside and there is more value in this spot taking that position in this draft. Clark has the potential to be an inside force and BJ Raji did just retire, but there were better players and even better tackles available.

How did the Bucs do?

The Buccaneers did indeed trade down from 9 to accumulate a pick and make a selection. I had prepared myself for the Bucs taking Hargreaves, because the writing did appear to be on the wall for this pick. At least they got another pick in the process by moving down two slots. I don't feel great about the pick because Hargreaves seemed to struggle against bigger, more physical receivers (Kelvin Benjamin torched him in 2013). However, I'm okay with it and think he will be a decent professional. I am terrified for him when Tampa faces Julio Jones and Kelvin Benjamin though. Hopefully, they will be matched up against Grimes and not Hargreaves.

What is left for the Seminoles?

Multiple possible picks in the later rounds and a sure thing at kicker that will go sometime between rounds 2-4. I like the two linebackers as special team players and depth moves. Terrance Smith and Reggie Northrup show capability to be good special teams guys. I also really like Nile Lawrence-Stample in the later rounds. Unfortunately, for Stample he plays the most loaded position in the draft. Should be interesting to see what happens...I will let you know how I feel about each players landing spots next week!

What is to follow should be quite interesting....

Stay tuned for my complete reaction to the entire draft and for my recap of predictions from last football season....

-Noland

2015-16 NCAA Football Predictions

Another glorious football season is upon us. Fall is practically here and our favorite sport will be played before you know it. Since it is so close, that can only mean that it is prediction time. So my predictions for the 2015-2016 football season are what this entry is all about.

After their surprising run last season, most people are on Ohio State to win, but not this guy. Despite their incredibly manageable schedule and incredible amount of talent returning, it is just an entirely different animal to repeat. Something can and will go wrong for the Buckeyes. Who does that leave us to compete? Let's start with some teams that nobody is talking about that could have an impact on the College Football Playoff that I have outside of my playoff and most people have outside their top 10 teams.

The Darkhorse Teams

5. Notre Dame Fighting Irish
The Irish lately have seemed to be the team that provides just enough to make you believe they are a contender before eventually fading away. Last year, they had that incredible almost win in Tallahassee where they came closest to ending Florida State's winning streak. They had a lot of injuries late in the year that contributed to their late slide. You better expect this team to compete though and if they lose a game or less, they will be in the hunt.

4. Penn State Nittany Lions
I can't believe I am writing this team as a darkhorse playoff contender a few years after crippling sanctions, but they are just that. Bill O'Brien did a fantastic job keeping this program afloat and was succeeded by another incredible coach in James Franklin. The Nittany Lions have a guy that is arguably the best QB in the country and a lot of returning talent. They also play in a conference that behind the top two teams of Ohio State and Michigan State is fairly weak. The opportunity is there for Penn State with a giant bullseye on Ohio State should Michigan State falter. Do not be shocked if this team surprises the majority of the country.

3. Oklahoma State Cowboys
Oklahoma State demonstrated last year that they have an incredible amount of young talent. They also saw injuries derail part of their season, but were still able to beat rival Oklahoma. The Cowboys return talented QB Mason Rudolph who was able to lead that upset over the Sooners. Perhaps more importantly, the Cowboys get to play Big 12 powers Baylor, Oklahoma, and TCU in Stillwater. Mike Gundy could follow-up his worst season since 2007 with a playoff appearance.

2. Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets

The Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets are being talked about by practically nobody to be a player on the national scene, but it is quite possible that they can achieve just that. There is only one legitimate threat in the Coastal division and should they dispose of Virginia Tech and somehow finish 13-0, they have a real legitimate shot at competing for a National Title. Almost the entire Yellow Jacket defense is back and they have 6 starters returning on offense including quarterback Justin Thomas. Do not be surprised if these guys shake up some things nationally and not just in the ACC.

1. Arizona State Sun Devils

USC was picked by practically everyone to be the PAC representative in the College Football Playoff this year. I though had a hard time deciding between two other PAC South teams for the spot. USC to me has a lot of talent, but most of it is overrated as is QB Cody Kessler. Add in that they lost to Boston College last year have a lot to replace up front and I am not a believer. That is especially true when several in conference coaches are superior. One of those superior coaches is Todd Graham who has led Arizona State to 20 wins the last two seasons. This team has a lot of returning talent this season. They do not have their QB returning though which is why I chose another team to represent the conference. However, I am not that concerned because QB Mike Bercovici had three great starts at QB last season.

The Playoff Teams

4. Alabama Crimson Tide

Assuming Coker is the starter, I think that Alabama makes it here despite losing a great deal of talent. He could have the best arm out of any QB Saban has coached. Notice I didn't say be the best QB (although perhaps he will develop into that), but best arm. I am unsure how they will do should Coker not get the nod. If he does not get it, my pick is Auburn to get this last spot.

3. Michigan State Spartans

The Spartans were not far off the playoffs last year and a lot of people seem to forget that they beat trendy pick Baylor in one of the best games in years. They also have a serious amount of talent returning led by QB Connor Cook who I will have more about later. I think the pressure to repeat will be too much for Ohio State and that Michigan State will be the team to take advantage of that.

2. TCU Horned Frogs

This is the one team that everyone else is picking that I agree with. It is hard not to. The coaching and talent for the Horned Frogs are incredibly elite. However, how do they deal with being the favorites all year long, it is a new role for them. Do not be surprised at all if Oklahoma State plays spoiler in the big 12 and knocks either TCU or Baylor out of the championship race. Perhaps, they can knock both teams out and head to the playoff themselves.

1. Arizona Wildcats

The Arizona Wildcats led by Rich Rodriguez are my pick to be National Champions this season. They have 7 returning starters on offense including QB Anu Soloman. They also have all their skill position players returning for Rodriguez's explosive offense. On defense, they have 6 starters returning including All-American Scooby Wright. Do not forget either that these guys beat Oregon by 21 last season @ Oregon. This is a very capable team with a lot of returning talent. 

5 Best Regular Season Matchups

5. 11/7 TCU @ Oklahoma State

4. 11/28 Penn State @ Michigan State

3. 11/27 Baylor @ TCU

2. 11/21 Michigan State @ Ohio State

1. 11/21 Arizona @ Arizona State 

5 Best Week 1 Matchups

5. 11/5 3:30 PM BYU @ Nebraska

4. 11/5 7PM Arizona State v. Texas A&M (NRG Stadium in Houston)

3.11/5 8PM Wisconsin v. Alabama (AT&T Stadium)

2. 11/7 8 PM Ohio State @ Virginia Tech 

1. 11/5 3:30 PM Louisville v. Auburn (Georgia Dome)

Heisman Darkhorses NOBODY is Talking About

5. Mario Pender RB Florida State

Nobody is talking about Mario Pender even at Florida State University, but perhaps they should be. Pender was on a roll before suffering an injury early and would be in line for the majority of the carries should Dalvin Cook be unable to play. Florida State has had a 1,000 yard rusher each of the last three seasons and it isn't something that is likely the change. The question is who gets the most carries. If it is Pender, than he very well could be invited to New York.

4. Mason Rudolph QB Oklahoma State
Should the Cowboys have the season I am expecting and should they knock off multiple Big 12 powerhouses, it will be hard to deny Rudolph the big stage. He is a very capable quarterback with a great quarterback coach. With several favorable matchups in marquee games, he will have plenty of opportunity to shine as well.

3. Jacoby Brissett QB North Carolina State
Last week, I posted in my ACC preview, that Brissett is my selection for ACC Offensive Player of the Year. Should he pull that off, he will likely be a Heisman candidate, especially if he does it in leading the Wolfpack to the ACC Championship.

2. Malik Zaire QB Notre Dame
The talented sophomore quarterback will surely be invited to New York and will likely be the favorite to win the award should he lead the Irish to an undefeated regular season. He has a better arm and more talent than the departed Evert Golson, the question is whether he is able to put all of that raw talent into production on the field.

1. Mike Bercovici QB Arizona State
He has only had 3 career starts, but in those starts Bercovici has played quite well. The Arizona State QB leads one of the most consistent teams in the Pac 12 and a team that I expect to compete for the national championship.

My Heisman Top 5

5. Taysom Hill QB BYU

He was one of the favorites last season before going down with a devastating injury and there was even some talk that BYU could make the playoff. That injury ended that talk and his Heisman campaign, but there is no reason to think it can't be queued back up for this season.

4. Trevoyne Boykin QB TCU

This will be most people's pick to win the Heisman and it isn't for nothing. He is the quarterback of the team that is favored to win the title. However, I think that the weaknesses of defenses in the Big 12 will hurt Boykin as will his comparisons to Taysom Hill for that reason. 

3. Derrick Henry RB Alabama

While I'd like to think that this will be Coker if there is an Alabama Heisman candidate, chances are that they will still rely more on the ground game. History shows us that a dominant Alabama runningback has a very good chance at coming away with the Heisman trophy.

2. Scooby Wright LB Arizona

Scooby has a legit chance to make history should Arizona do what I am predicting them to do and he dominate on the field as expected. There will be a defensive player invited this year, the question is whether it will be him, Joey Bosa, or Shawn Oakman. I expect it to be Wright.

1. Connor Cook QB Michigan State

Cook is the best quarterback in the country and he will play for one of the best teams in the country. Especially if he takes down the Ohio State Buckeyes, this is his award to lose. He already has some Heisman hype and it won't be going anywhere.

Offensive All-Americans

QB Connor Cook Michigan State

RB Derrick Henry Alabama

RB Nick Chubb Georgia

WR DJ Foster Arizona State

WR Laquon Treadwell Ole Miss

TE Bucky Hodges Virginia Tech

OT Spencer Drango Baylor

OT Ronnie Stanley Notre Dame

OG Landon Turner North Carolina

OG Pat Elfein Ohio State

C Jack Allen Michigan State

Defensive All-Americans

DE Emmanuel Ogbah Oklahoma State

DE Joey Bosa Ohio State

DT A'Shawn Robinson Alabama

DT Anthony Zettel Penn State

LB Scooby Wright Arizona

LB Terrance Smith Florida State

LB Jaylon Smith Notre Dame

LB Myles Jack UCLA

CB Vernon Hargreaves Florida

CB Jalen Ramsey Florida State

FS Quin Blanding Virginia

SS Eddie Jackson Alabama

Specialist All-Americans

K Roberto Aguayo Florida State

P Austin Rehkow Idaho

KR/PR Deandre Reaves Marshall

Coach of The Year

Mike Gundy Oklahoma State
Gundy will once again show off his coaching chops by having a team that is not expected to go anywhere, competing for a national title. This time, he will be rewarded for his effort.

It should be a wonderfully exciting football season indeed.

-Noland

2015-16 ACC Football Predictions

It is football season! That time of year is upon us and I for one am excited to watch this season with my family. This year I decided to do things a little differently and expand on my previous football predictions. Typically, I have done one college football preview and one NFL preview. This year I am going to do 2 college previews and my pro football preview. In addition to this ACC preview, I will do an overall college football preview. For the professional ranks, I will just do my overall

The ACC has long been dominated by the Florida State Seminoles. Since entering the ACC in 1992, the Seminoles have won the conference 15 times. Out of 22 seasons, 15 times is an incredible accomplishment. That means FSU has won the ACC 68% of the time since it has been in the conference. It has to be some kind of record. Florida State has won the conference the last 3 years and has not lost a conference games since 2012. So the obvious question is, can any team that can challenge FSU for the ACC crown in 2015?

The Seminoles have their own issues in replacing a record 29 drafted NFL prospects in a 3 year period. They also have to replace one of the most productive quarterbacks in NFL history in Jameis Winston. That guy never lost a regular season game and was 26-1 as a starter. However, when considering this fact, remember that FSU is recruiting at a national championship level. Also consider that the last time FSU had to replace 10+ draft picks and a 1st round QB, they had one of the greatest teams ever and set the NCAA scoring record. That can't be expected this time, but can't be discounted either. Jimbo will have the boys ready to go, but they will have plenty of competition from the other schools in conference play.

ACC Darkhorse

The team that can and will surprise everyone by being a conference threat is Boston College. There actually is a way that this could break and make the Eagles a national contender. This team is incredibly well coached and has been overachieving for years. It could all be put together now that they have some athletes. All this talk seems crazy as BC lost the most players and is picked in the lower half by most analysts. However, Addazio has been terrific for BC and this team had some terrific wins against Southern Cal (a national contender) and others. They also have given Florida State fits since joining the conference and get to play them on a Friday Night this year early. Just getting FSU early in the season and being able to have the opportunity to possibly knock them off is enough to list them as a darkhorse team.

Biggest Threats To FSU

The top threat to FSU is Georgia Tech based on scheme alone. They also host the Seminoles in 2015. Based on a weak Coastal Division, they likely will ease into the conference championship game again against the Seminoles. If GT can beat FSU or Clemson 2x, this team could be headed to the college football playoff. They are quite capable of pulling this thing off.

Another top threat to FSU is obviously Clemson, who will be the trendy pick to win the conference. Clemson has incredible talent and it starts with super QB Deshaun Watson. The most dynamic playmaker in the league is Watson and he will look to lead the Tigers behind an all new offensive line. The Tigers have the talent to pull a conference championship off, but they are replacing nearly all their starters on both lines. Clemson also lost a starting tackle recently as they are entering the supplemental draft.

Louisville lost more NFL talent than every team in conference other than Florida State, but with one of the best coaching staffs in the country, will likely be a force as well.

Finally, Virginia Tech with a young improving offense and an always impressive defense will also be a bit of a threat to win the conference.

Who Wins The Conference

Despite losing all the talent they have lost, you have to believe that the Florida State Seminoles will repeat as ACC Champions. They have owned this conference and the rest of the conference has questions just like the Seminoles do. I do not expect Florida State to have another undefeated season or roll through the competition like they have been doing, but these guys are my pick to win it. They will be my pick to win it until somebody shows me otherwise.

5 Questions and Answers

1) What will happen to the Seminoles running game with Dalvin Cook's legal issues?

If Dalvin Cook is guilty then he will be kicked off of Florida State's team and they will have to turn to Mario Pender and Jacques Patrick to carry the load. Both are very capable backs and will have fine seasons, but there is no doubt the loss of Cook will hurt. Assuming Cook is innocent, he will be on the field next season and he will be more dominant than ever. If Cook is able to play, then Florida State has arguably the best running game in the country.

2) How many regular season games will Florida State lose?

Florida State has not lost a regular season game since losing to the Florida Gators at home in 2012. That is one incredible stretch of excellence that likely comes to an end this year. My guess is that they will lose one or two games this season and if I had to pick which opponent will beat them, I'd probably go with Boston College.

3) Is Everett Golson now the best quarterback in the conference?

No, at best Golson is third best in the conference behind Watson and Brissett. There is also no guarantee that Golson will even start at FSU at this point. He is a Heisman candidate and will likely be a force with Jimbo Fisher, but not the best QB in conference.

4) Who is the most talented player in the conference?

Jalen Ramsey is the most talented player in the conference and maybe in the entire country. He is an All-American track athlete and will be All-American in football this year. Ramsey will be a Top 5 pick in next April's draft. He is a rare talent.

5) How will the new coaches fare in 2015?

Pat Narduzzi was a fantastic hire for Pitt and will improve the team each year. He doesn't have too much talent though and it is hard to see him winning much more than 8 games this season. Narduzzi is the only new head coach in the ACC this season.

Offense All Conference Picks

QB Jacoby Brissett   NC State

RB James Connor     Pittsburgh

RB Jon Hillman        Boston College

WR Artavis Scott      Clemson

WR George Campbell Florida State

TE Bucky Hodges      Virginia Tech

C Matt Skura              Duke

G Landon Turner       North Carolina

G Dorian Johnson      Pittsburgh

T Roderick Johnson   Florida State

T Bryan Chamberlain Georgia Tech

Defense All Conference Picks

DE Demarcus Walker  Florida State

DE Sheldon Rankins    Louisville

DT Adam Gotsis           Georgia Tech

DT Nile Lawrence-Stample  Florida State

LB Steven Daniels         Boston College

LB Terrance Smith       Florida State

LB Reggie Northrup     Florida State

CB Kendall Fuller         Virginia Tech

CB Jalen Ramsey           Florida State

S Quin Blanding             Virginia

S Derwin James              Florida State

All Conference Specialists

K Roberto Aguayo          Florida State

P Justin Vogel                 Miami

KR/PR Tyler Boyd         Pittsburgh

Players of the Year

Offense Jacoby Brissett    NC State

Defense Jalen Ramsey      Florida State

Coach of the Year

JIMBO FISHER!!!!!!!!

Fisher actually probably won't win because he never does, but he should. He has Florida State playing at an absolutely incredible level and doesn't show any sign of slowing down anytime soon. I think it will actually be Steve Addazio who deserves the award as well.

Stay tuned next week for my College Football Preview.

-Noland