Fantasy College Football Performers of the Week

I'm going to post the top team offenses and defenses for this past week in fantasy college football according to the Sporting News game. I'm posting the results from Thursday until Saturday. Every week after that, the weekly results will come from Sunday to Saturday of the previous week. Also keep in mind that SN does NOT allow any teams to gain points against D1-AA schools, so those games won't be listed here. Here we go:

Offenses: Arizona posted 70 points, 521 total yards, and three turnovers for 1,161 points against Idaho. Southern Miss had 51 points, 633 total yards, and five turnovers for 1,043 points against Louisiana-Lafayette. Tulsa had 45 points, 601 total yards, and one turnover for 1,031 points against UAB. No. 6 Missouri posted 52 points, 549 total yards, and two turnovers for 1,029 points against No. 20 Illinois. No. 11 Texas had 52 points, 503 total yards, and zero turnovers for 1,023 points against Florida Atlantic. No. 3 Southern Cal posted 52 points, 558 total yards, and three turnovers for 1,018 points against Virginia.

Defenses: South Carolina shutout NC State on Thursday while allowing 138 total yards with five turnovers and five sacks for 1,137 points. Arizona shutout Idaho while allowing 112 yards with six turnovers for 1,108 points. TCU allowed only three points against New Mexico while allowing 186 yards with six turnovers and two sacks for 1,034 points. Boston College shutout Kent State and No. 10 Auburn shutout Louisiana-Monroe. No. 3 Southern Cal allowed just seven points and 187 yards against Virginia.

Top individual performers against D1-A opponents:
QB Juice Williams, No. 20 Illinois against No. 6 Missouri: 26-for-42, 451 passing yards, five touchdowns, two interceptions, 10 rushing yards
QB Lyle Moevao, Oregon State against Stanford: 34-for-54, 404 passing yards, three touchdowns, two interceptions
QB Chase Clement, Rice against SMU: 24-for-37, 258 passing yards, six touchdowns, 87 rushing yards
RB Damion Fletcher, Southern Miss against Louisiana-Lafayette: 222 rushing yards, two rushing touchdowns
RB P.J. Hill, No. 13 Wisconsin against Akron: 210 rushing yards, two touchdowns
WR Mark Dell, Michigan State against California: nine receptions, 202 receiving yards, one touchdown
WR Will Judson, No. 20 Illinois against No. 6 Missouri: five receptions, 177 receiving yards, two touchdowns
WR Sammie Stroughter, Oregon State against Stanford: 12 receptions, 157 receiving yards, two touchdowns
WR Nathan Palmer, Northern Illinois against Wyoming: 3 receptions, 170 receiving yards, two touchdowns

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Oklahoma Sooners 2008 Football Preview

I wanted to get this in before the start of the season for Sooners football. Here's the schedule for 2008:

August 30: Chattanooga
September 6: Cincinnati
September 13: @ Washington
September 20: Bye
September 27: TCU
October 4: @ Baylor
October 11: Texas in Dallas
October 18: Kansas
October 25: @ Kansas State
November 1: Nebraska
November 8: @ Texas A&M
November 15: Bye
November 22: Texas Tech
November 29: @ Oklahoma State

The Sooners are coming off a season in which they lost to West Virginia in the Fiesta Bowl. It was their fourth consecutive BCS Bowl loss. But expectations are still high in Norman for 2008.

Sophmore Sam Bradford is returning after leading the nation in pass efficiency a year ago. He had some growing pains in the new offense during the spring, but improved over time. Joey Halzle will backup Bradford again. DeMarco Murray, another sophmore, showed what he was capable of last year until an injury derailed his season in which he missed the bowl game. Chris Brown provides depth behind him.

Malcolm Kelly is now gone at receiver, but that doesn't mean the Sooners can't replace him. Juaquin Iglesias is returning and is a deep threat. Manuel Johnson was a solid third receiver last year, and coaches expect him to have a good year. Quentin Chaney will see time, and the rest of the group is inexperienced. Tight end Jermaine Gresham is being looked upon to produce at that position this year.

The offensive line returns fully intact which is led by senior guard Duke Robinson, who is already projected to be a first round pick at the next level. LT Phil Loadholt could also be a top pick at the next level, and this unit should have no trouble protecting Bradford as well as opening up the ground game.

The defense took some hits in the offseason with linebacker Curtis Lofton and defensive back Reggie Smith leaving. The good news is that they return one of the nation's best defensive lines.

Pass-rush specialist Auston English, who led the team with 9.5 sacks last year, returns at defensive end. The strength is in the middle with DeMarcus Granger and Gerald McCoy causing havoc for ball carriers and quarterbacks. Jeremy Beal starts at the other end spot. Tackle Cory Bennett and end John Williams provide depth to the unit.

The biggest question mark is at linebacker. Ryan Reynolds is the only returning starter, and he's had an injury-riddled career for the Sooners. JC transfer Mike Balogun could develop nicely, and it appears Keenan Clayton will take over at the strongside position. Look for freshman Travis Lewis to challenge for playing time.

The secondary is a concern, but safety Nic Harris could be an All-American by season's end. Lendy Holmes also mans the other safety spot. Both corners will have new starters, and Brian Jackson along with Dominique Franks appear to take over. Look for redshirt freshman Jamell Fleming and sophmore Jonathan Jackson to see action, too.

The special teams unit's only concern is in the kicking game with freshman Jimmy Stevens starting. Mike Knall returns to do the punting duties. The Sooners led the nation in kickoff returns last year, and both Iglesias and Murray are back to handle those duties again.

Bob Stoops is now in his 10th year as coach for the program, and has received a bit of criticism the last few years for their bowl game performances. Nonetheless, Stoops is one of the top head coaches in the nation, and will always field a competitive program in Norman as long as he's around. Kevin Wilson returns to call the offensive plays and Brent Venables is back as defensive coordinator.

Schedule road blocks

Texas: The Red River Shootout is one of college football's best rivalries, and it's certainly no lock for the Sooners to win this game as it appears they have the edge.

Texas A&M: Some may wonder why I put this here considering that the Aggies are a program in transition with new coach Mike Sherman. However, this is one place that Stoops' teams have struggled at with narrow wins in 2000, 2004, and 2006. They lost there in 2002. I expect this one to be a tough one for the Sooners.

Texas Tech: Oklahoma has always played well at home, and will be looking to avenge last year's loss in Lubbock. The Red Raiders return a loaded team, and will be looking to win in Norman for the first time under Mike Leach. It's interesting to note that both programs have a bye week on November 15, so both will have ample time to prepare gameplans against one another.

Oklahoma State: The Cowboys are on the verge of a breakthrough season, and the Bedlam Series could be what decides whether the Sooners go after the Big 12 Title and contend for the national title. Oklahoma State has made great strides, and they're recruiting much better talent in recent years. Sooners fans shouldn't sleep on this one.

Kansas could be a problem for the Sooners at home as well as Washington on the road. As we learned last year, no one is safe from being upset.

Outlook

Oklahoma's offense should be fine with plenty of talent and experience returning. The defense will have to lean more on the defensive line with concerns in the back seven. The Sooners schedule is favorable enough for them to make another run at a BCS Title, but they need to do a better job of finishing what they've started in terms of winning their bowl game. As long as the defense can hold up enough for the powerful offense, I see no reason for the Sooners to not make another run at a BCS Title. Should the defense not come around, the Sooners could end up falling in the Big 12 South division.

Thanks for viewing, and be sure to checkout some of the sites to the left of this page!

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My Yahoo! Fantasy Football League Draft

It's been a little bit since I posted, but like my buddy MoonDog, I recently moved myself about two weeks ago. I've been traveling on the road for work a little more often as well. Nonetheless, I held my Yahoo! Fantasy Football League Draft over a week ago in a league I've ran for five seasons now. It's a 12-team league which features 23 rounds of drafting. The rosters look like this:

1 QB
2 RB
3 WR
1 TE
1 K
2 DL
2 DB
2 D
9 Bench

Yes, I use IDP(Individual Defensive Players) in my league which you gain points for tackles, solo and assists, as well as turnovers, sacks, passes defended, and defensive touchdowns. You also gain points on special teams with all return yardage, touchdowns, and kicking, too. I just like being able to score in all phases of the game which gives everyone a fighting chance as well as allowing fantasy owners to become familar with defensive players. Those defensive players have helped many of our owners in this league win games and even help them make the playoffs. Nonetheless, I was randomly selected to pick No. 3 overall, and here's how, who, and when I drafted my team:

1. (3) Brian Westbrook RB
2. (22) Willis McGahee RB
3. (27) Marques Colston WR
4. (46) Carson Palmer QB
5. (51) Dwayne Bowe WR
6. (70) Joey Galloway WR
7. (75) Heath Miller TE
8. (94) Bernard Berrian WR
9. (99) Brian Urlacher DL
10. (118) Mario Williams DL
11. (123) Marcus Trufant DB
12. (142) Fred Taylor RB
13. (147) Kirk Morrison DL
14. (166) Matt Forte RB
15. (171) Reggie Nelson DB
16. (190) Jon Kitna QB
17. (195) Derrick Brooks DL
18. (214) Justin Gage WR
19. (219) Nate Clements DB
20. (238) Bob Sanders DB
21. (243) Robbie Gould K
22. (262) Randy McMichael TE
23. (267) Shaun Suisham K
Note: Linebackers are listed as DL(Defensive Lineman) on Yahoo! You can use any combination or defensive lineman and linebackers just as long as you have the minimum of two each every week starting or you won't gain points for them. Anyway, I knew that Westbrook was the guy I wanted at No. 3, and he's as versatile as they come in fantasy land. I really like my running backs, and depth with Fred Taylor and Matt Forte, too. There was an amazing run of defensive players going off the board in Round 9 & 10. As many of you know, I'm a Bears fan and Urlacher is my favorite player in today's game. He's a tackling machine which counts for alot of points in this league and that's why I didn't mind taking him as my first defensive player. I gambled with another good defensive player in Trufant in Round 12 thinking that Fred Taylor would still be there as the guy I wanted next. It worked. I'm looking for Reggie Nelson to have a very nice year in Jacksonville in his sophmore season. Mario Williams is good for sacks, and Bob Sanders was available which I didn't mind taking late. Gould was the best kicker available when I went with him. I think McMichael has a chance to be steal at tigh end that could put up nice numbers in St. Louis, and taking him at No. 22 won't cost me much anyway. I made it a point to have a backup at every position, and my only concern is my wide receiving corps. I know injuries are a hug factor in fantasy football, but I think this team stands a good chance of being great this season. Like many good fantasy owners will tell you, stick to your gameplan and draft strategy no matter if the course of the rounds go like you expect or not.

Now be sure to checkout my friends to the right of this page for some more great reading!

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What If? Charley Hennigan's 1961 season

Welcome to another entry of the What If? Fantasy Football edition. This is where I look back at a season long before fantasy football became prominent among us in our society as figure how the fantasy numbers would look if the fantasy game existed then. Today, we look back at the 1961 season for former Houston Oilers star Charley Hennigan. I'm using the default scoring systems for Sporting News and Yahoo! to calculate the point totals.

Here's the point scale for SN(default configuration):
60 points for every touchdown
2 points for every rushing, receiving, and punt return yard gained
1 point for every kickoff return yard gained
2 points for every reception
1 point for every passing yard
-10 points for every kickoff return attempt
-45 points for lost fumble and interception
-1 point for incomplete pass

Here's the point scale for Yahoo!(default configuration):
6 points for every rushing, receiving, and return touchdown
4 points for passing touchdown
1 point for every 10 rushing and receiving yards
1 point for every 25 passing yards
2 points for every two-point conversion
-1 point for every interception
-2 points for every fumble
No points are given for receptions or return yardage in the default configuration.

Here are the stats for Charley Hennigan in 1961 and fantasy points for the SN games:
Passing yards: NA = NA
Passing touchdowns: NA = NA
Incomplete passes: NA = NA
Interceptions: NA = NA
Rushing yards: 0 = 0 points
Rushing touchdowns: 0 = 0 points
Receptions: 82 = 164 points
Receiving yards: 1746 = 3492 points
Receiving touchdowns: 12 = 720 points
Fumbles Lost: 0 = 0 points
Total points: 4376 points
Total points per game: 312.57
Note: Teams only played 14 games in 1961.

Here are the stats for Charley Hennigan in 1961 and fantasy points for the Yahoo! game:
Passing yards: NA = NA
Passing touchdowns: NA = NA
Interceptions: NA = NA
Rushing yards: 0 = 0 points
Rushing touchdowns: 0 = 0 points
Receiving yards: 1746 = 174 points
Receiving touchdowns: 12 = 72
Fumbles Lost: 0 = 0 points
Total points: 246 points
Total points per game: 17.57
Note: Teams only played 14 games in 1961.

Statistical source: pro-football reference

In his second year in the AFL, Hennigan set the record for receiving yards that stood for over 30 years when both Issac Bruce and Jerry Rice broke it in 1995. The high-powered Oilers offense had Hall of Fame quarterback George Blanda as well as then-All Pro halfback Billy Cannon in the backfield. So there were plenty of weapons that fantasy owners would have feasted on for the Houston football team. Hennigan would have boosted any receiving unit on fantasy teams in 1961 after the year he had. His best games came in Week 5 against the Boston Patriots and against Buffalo two weeks later. He had 13 receptions for 272 yards and touchdown against the Patriots in a 31-31 tie. Against Buffalo, Hennigan had nine receptions for 232 yards and two touchdowns. The Oilers won the 1961 AFL Title in large part because they led the league in total offense that year. Hennigan went on to become a five-time Pro Bowler as well three-time first All-Pro in his career. He also became the second player in NFL history to record 100 receptions in a season three years later in 1964 for Houston. Hennigan had a nice career in football, and would have been one of the first receivers taken in fantasy football drafts. And yes, his name on the football card picture is misspelled.

If anyone wants to suggest a past player, then you can do so in the comments section. The only thing I ask is that the player and year be before 1990 because fantasy football wasn't as prominent then.

Past What If? posts:
Walter Payton's 1977 season
Gale Sayers' 1965 season
Eric Dickerson's 1983 season
Jim Brown's 1963 season
Dan Marino's 1984 season
Jerry Rice's 1987 season
O.J. Simpson's 1975 season
Johnny Unitas' 1959 season
Sid Luckman's 1943 season
Sammy Baugh's 1947 season
Beattie Feathers' 1934 season

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I Can't Blog 8 to 5!

This is another parody song I did on SN two years ago that I'm reposting here. Enjoy.

I Can't Blog 8 to 5
Parody of Sammy Hagar's song: I Can't Drive 55
Performed by Big Sooners fan
BSFE Productions
BWE Champ's Greatest Hits Volume One

"Both feet on the floor, and both hands typing on the laptop! Yeah!
There's too much blog traffic, I can't blog no!
So try my best illegal entry,
But trolls and haters want to stop me from writing again,
C'mon and write me up in the 265,
Post my face wanted dead or alive,
Take my blog license and all that jive, I can't blog 8 to 5! Oh no huh!

Someone gave a thumbs down, which is # 24, Hey!
And then TSN said just one more huh,
TSN said they would throw my a$$ in jail here in High Point,
I looked Jeff in the eye and said "You get my point!
And I said yeah, Oh yeah!
Trolls and haters want to stop me from writing again!
C'mon and write me up in the 265,
Post my face wanted dead or alive,
Take my blog license and all that jive, I can't blog 8 to 5! Oh no huh!
I can't blog 8 to 5!
I can't blog 8 to 5!
I can't blog 8 to 5!
I can't blog 8 to 5!

You know when I write that slow you know its been a long year!
But I had no trouble getting this blog into fifth gear!
What used to take two hours, now it takes all day! Huh!
It took me 16 hours to put my blog up on Friday!
C'mon and write me up in the 265,
Post my face wanted dead or alive,
Take my blog license and all that jive, I can't blog 8 to 5!
No, no, no, I can't blog, I can't blog 8 to 5!
I can't blog, I can't blog 8 to 5!
I can't blog 8 to 5!"

I Can't Blog 8 to 5
Parody of Sammy Hagar's song: I Can't Drive 55
Performed by Big Sooners fan
BSFE Productions
BWE Champ's Greatest Hits Volume One

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