To the Top of the Mountain: Massachusetts State Mountaineers (NCAA 07)

[thesportsguru11]

Premise/Background Info about the Dynasty:

I’ve been watching football for most of my short life, and while I have a true passion for the NFL and college games, college football has always held a special place in my heart. My favorite era of college football was probably from 1997-2009, and even though I don’t remember much the 90’s stuff, I’ve read up on it and sounded great. I still really miss the days of just putting the TV on ESPNNews’ College Football Overdrive on Saturdays and just watching them flip to games all over the country all day.

I enjoyed the living hell out of NCAA 07. I got years of entertainment with Road To Glory, and dozens of dynasties that have gone down in personal lore. To this day, I still believe this is the best video game I have ever played.

As previously mentioned, the goal here is to do a flashback dynasty of sorts, going back to NCAA 07 on my PS2 and the 2006 season and just having some fun playing against the great players of that time, changing history in a way with new schools coming to the top of the CFB landscape each year, new dynasties and legacies being created, bringing Massachusetts State to the top of college football.

Some other things to note about this dynasty: Massachusetts State is completely created. All things about this school are made-up. However, when I reach the bio about Canton, that is real. I used to live in the area, and have family there currently. I’ve always thought of it as my second home.

So that’s that. In short, I’ll be spending a portion of my summer break playing with a created school in a time era that holds a special place in my heart. Enjoy.

[thesportsguru11]

Re: To the Top of the Mountain: Massachusetts State Mountaineers (NCAA 07)

Yes, this is long and not necessarily needed info. But bear with me.

Game/Platform: NCAA Football 07 for PS2 (EA Sports)
Rosters: Created by Me
Sliders: Default Heisman difficulty (will change if necessary)
5 minute quarters

About the Rosters:
The rosters were completed by myself in 2012 over months of work and research. I basically spent the majority of that summer working on that and a set for NCAA March Madness 06 when I wasn’t camping. Anyway, the set was based off the default rosters, so guys who were dismissed/transferred before the 2006 started are still on the roster. (Rhett Bomar, Jevan Snead and Ramonce Taylor are 3 big names off the top of my head that I can think of which apply to these rules.)

Every player in the game has been named accurately according to the default roster. I would have shot for more accuracy and removed Bomar, Snead and those guys, but you can’t change a player’s year of eligibility in this game, so I didn’t bother with that and left them. Some notable players were missing off the default roster, specifically Junior College transfers and notable true freshmen. So I went back and created them in with the correct team, rating based off H.S./Juco stats and scouting reports from Scout.com, year, height, weight and equipment (to an extent). Some notables I added were: Taylor Mays, Kam Chancellor, Andy Dalton, LeSean McCoy (on Miami), Reshad Jones, Ryan Torain, etc. I believe there were somewhere between 20-25 players added to the roster. (I can provide a full list if upon request).

Coaches will be named and edited to resemble the start of the 2006 season. (So no Randy Walker, who to the best of my knowledge is portrayed in the game, Pat Fitzgerald will be coaching Northwestern. When we reach 2007, Indiana coach Terry Hoeppner will be removed, as he passed away before the ‘07 season started.) I have more flexibility editing coaches, so for retirees like Bobby Bowden and Joe Paterno I’ll see what I can do about editing those guys out of the dynasty after 3 or 4 seasons when they retired in real life. I have to redo my research as I lost my sheet with all the names and coaches ages on it, so I’ll track that and let coaches retire when the time is correct. I’ll “hire” small coaches to bigger schools if they have a run of success, and “fire” coaches at bigger programs if they struggle for a period of time (within reason of course).

Sliders/Difficulty:
I’ll be playing on Heisman difficulty with the default sliders to start. In the past dynasties, I’ve had no problems getting competitive, realistic games out of the default sliders. 5 minute quarters, no advanced play clock. So that’s where I’ll start. As always, I’m open to adjusting pieces if things get out of hand. Unfortunately, there is no way to adjust recruiting difficulty, so it might be easier than I would hope getting commits to come to play in Canton. But as there is no way around this, we will just have to deal with it.

House Rules:
No extreme cheese, that is obvious for every dynasty. It’s acceptable to run pass heavy or run heavy depending on what best fits the team I have, but so long as I’m not abusing the A.I., we will be good. (It’s not easy to do that anyway based off of experience with this game on Heisman).
For recruiting, there is a problem in this game where sometimes CPU guys who are not on your radar will sign with you, regardless of caliber, rating, etc. There is nothing that I know of that can be done to fix this. So with that said, no signing 2 5 star prospects at positions where only one starts, (like QB, K, P, etc.) unless that problem arises. No cutting seniors. No ifs ands or buts about it. Seniors have worked their tails off to get this far in their careers, sometimes sitting through 4 seasons just to start in their 5th as a redshirt senior. Therefore, they deserve to stick around for a final season, even if their role won’t be huge.

If sophomores or juniors wish to declare for the NFL Draft, I am allowed to try and convince them to stay if I choose. My role is the coach in this dynasty, so I am allowed to decide who can stay and go. If a player wishes to transfer, I am not allowed to persuade them to stay.

How Recruiting Works in NCAA 07:
Figured I’d give this little spiel for the folks who never played the older NCAA games. Recruiting is a bit different than it is now. Surprisingly, it’s not far off from NCAA 14.

In the preseason, you are allowed to put 12 recruits on your recruiting board. You can’t scout them fully, but hints are given as to the prospect’s skills (i.e. 40 time, bench press, squat, vertical jump, etc.) A prospect’s 40 time, at least in dynasties, determines a player’s speed rating. For other skills like arm accuracy, strength, catching, etc., you receive a letter grade as to their skills in that area. 100 points are assigned to spend however you want.

During the season, you are free to readjust points as necessary at any time. Once you get into a recruit’s top 3 choices, you schedule a visit. Obviously, if you win the game on the day of the visit the recruit is more likely to commit to you, whether it be soft or hard.

There are 5 weeks of offseason recruiting. You are allowed to target as many guys as you have scholarships. Instead of points, you pitch a topic about your school to each recruit you are targeting (example: location, academic prestige, program prestige, coach style, coach prestige, etc.). In addition, you can choose who off your staff visits the prospect, whether it be a head coach visiting, calling or an assistant visiting or calling. If a recruit likes what you are pitching, they are more likely to commit to you, and vise versa.

[thesportsguru11]

Re: To the Top of the Mountain: Massachusetts State Mountaineers (NCAA 07)

About the School and Program:



Massachusetts State, located in Canton, Massachusetts, was founded by a group led by Paul Revere back in 1803. It was a male-only school until the women’s suffrage act was passed by President Wilson in 1920. African-Americans and other minorities were first admitted into the school in 1930, before the height of the Civil Rights Movement in the South.

Legendary coach James Harper, with the guidance of longtime A.D. Kevin Allen, started the Mountaineers football program from scratch in 1980 with a rag-tag team of misfits and castoffs from other FBS and FCS programs, and the first few years in the Atlantic 10 conference were rough. They finally made the FCS playoffs for the first time in 1994. However, they were never able to break through and win their first championship until the late 90’s when they became contenders. In 1999, they advanced to their first FCS championship, defeating Stephen F. Austin 24-10 in the semis. They lost a heartbreaker to Jim Tressel-coached Youngstown State, the dynasty of the 90’s, 31-28 on a game winning field goal.

Their fortunes changed in the 2000’s though. In 2001, they finally won their first FCS title, 45-28 over Wofford. After again dominating the FCS competition in 2002 en route to another FCS title, they earned a promotion to the FBS and moved into the Big East in 2003, reuniting with arch-rival Luke U for 2 years. In 2005, Luke U moved to the ACC with Boston College, Miami and Virginia Tech, with Wake Forest off to the Big East while Mass State stayed put in the Big East. USF’s football program disbanded after the 2005 season.

Being ineligible for postseason play until 2006 per NCAA rules, the Mountaineers finished 6-6 in 2003 and ‘04 and then 8-4 in 2005. It has been rumored that Mass State could be on the move to the ACC in the coming years.

One of coach Harper’s trademarks was uncovering gems in the recruiting field and was a guru at getting guys to play and act how he wanted, similar to 3 time Super Bowl Champion coach Bill Belichick and legendary Penn State coach Joe Paterno. Harper often had standout players fall into his lap after being snubbed over by the bigger FBS schools, have guys with unfulfilled potential reach that or troubled recruits with lots of talent straighten themselves out. That’s the big reason the Mountaineers were competitive in the 90’s and early 2000's.

Over the years, Paul Revere Stadium has transformed from a 20,000 capacity field to a sort of luxury bowl shaped stadium, holding 75,000 with scoreboards on both ends, well-kept grass and a Big House feel for this football-crazed town.

[thesportsguru11]

Re: To the Top of the Mountain: Massachusetts State Mountaineers (NCAA 07)

About coach Jake DeArruda: (Sorry for the grainy pic)


Born in Raynham, MA in 1981. He had lots of family out in Canton, so he became acquainted with Mountaineer football at a very young age. He lived in Vermont throughout his teenage years, but moved back to Canton to attend Mass. State for college, where he played receiver from 1999-2002, where he was lauded for being a player in a coach’s brain.

As soon as he graduated in the spring of 2003, he got an assistant’s gig with Canton High School’s football team for the 2003 season. He was promoted to head coach for the 2004 season. Before he was promoted, the Bulldogs had a 1-8 season. In his 2 years he led them to a combined 20-2 record. 2004 resulted in a quarterfinal loss, and in ‘05 he led the undefeated Canton Bulldogs to the school’s first D-2 state title since 1981, and third in school history. Not only that, but he led Canton to their first 3 year winning streak over arch-rival Stoughton in almost 15 years.

With Massachusetts State back in the suddenly competitive Big East for the ‘06 season, the Mountaineers decided to take a chance and hire the 25-year old DeArruda for his first collegiate head coaching gig to replace retired head coach James Harper, who coached the Mountaineers in the FCS for 22 years and the FBS for 3 (1980-2005).

[thesportsguru11]

Re: To the Top of the Mountain: Massachusetts State Mountaineers (NCAA 07)

About the town of Canton, Massachusetts



General:
Canton is a small suburban town located in Norfolk County, Massachusetts. Population is estimated at 20,000. Canton is a part of the Greater Boston area, located about 20 minutes south of the capital city. Canton was incorporated into Massachusetts on February 23, 1797. Paul Revere was a key factor in the early growth of the town, building the town’s first copper mill in 1801.

Geography:
Canton lies at the foot of Great Blue Hill. It borders a total of 8 towns, most notably Stoughton, Dedham, Randolph and Sharon. Stoughton is the most noteworthy as the 2 town’s high schools share a long lasting football rivalry, their annual game played every Thanksgiving morning.

Other points of Interest:
The Canton viaduct, built in 1835, is one of the 2 oldest surviving multiple arch stone railroad bridges still in use in the U.S. (And trust me, it is really neat driving under that thing).

MBTA commuter rails pass through Canton on the Providence, RI/Stoughton line.
Canton is famous for being home to the headquarters of world famous donut/coffee chain Dunkin Donuts and sports apparel brand Reebok.

[thesportsguru11]

Re: To the Top of the Mountain: Massachusetts State Mountaineers (NCAA 07)



SINGLE GAME RECORDS:

Completions: Daniel Rose, 40, (October 2, 1999, vs. William & Mary)
Attempts: Daniel Rose, 57 (October 2, 1999, vs. William & Mary)
Passing Yards: Kevin Eldred, 513 (November 30, 2002, vs. Luke U)
Passing TD’s: Kevin Eldred, 6, (November 2, 2002 vs. UMass)

Carries: J.R. Shackleford, 38, (October 23, 2004 vs. UConn)
Yards: J.R. Shackleford, 237, (October 23, 2004 vs. UConn)
TD’s: 3 tied, 4 (most recent, Marcus Peters, November 11, 2006, vs. Syracuse)


Aldarius Allen

Receptions: Devin Gordon, 11, (October 16, 1999, vs. Rhode Island)
Yards: Aldarius Allen, 285, (October 18, 2008, vs. Virginia Tech)
TD’s: 4 tied, 3, (most recent, Ricky Price, September 23, 2006 vs. Kansas)

Tackles: Jason Bicknell, 22, (December 29, 2001, vs. Towson - FCS Championship Game)
TFL: Stafford Royal, 9, (September 3, 2005 vs. Rutgers)
Sacks: Matt Rush, 6, (November 8, 2008 vs. Notre Dame)
INT’s: Coleman Griffin, 3, (November 25, 2006)

SEASON RECORDS:

Completions: Daniel Rose, 298, (1999)
Attempts: Kevin Eldred, 510, (2002)
Passing Yards: Kevin Eldred, 3746 (2003)
Passing TD’s: Daniel Rose, 34 (1999)

Carries: J.R. Shackleford, 227, (2004)
Yards: J.R. Shackleford, 1459, (2004)
TD’s: Emile Britton, 16, (2006)

Receptions: Kallen Brackett, 76, (2001)
Yards: Kylan Carpenter, 1401 (2008)
TD’s: Kallen Brackett, 17 (2001)

Tackles: Brock Kemp, 94, (2000)
TFL: Matt Rush, 27 (2008)
Sacks: Eric Shaw, 16, (1995)
INT’s: Coleman Griffin, 8, (2006)


CAREER RECORDS:

Completions: Daniel Rose, 698, (1996-99)
Attempts: Kevin Eldred, 912, (2000-03)
Passing Yards: Kevin Eldred, 8923, (2000-03)
Passing TD’s: Kevin Eldred, 87, (2000-03)

Carries: J.R. Shackleford, 734, (2001-04)
Yards: J.R. Shackleford, 3897, (2001-04)
TD’s: J.R. Shackleford, 45 (2001-04)

Receptions: Kallen Brackett, 221 (1999-2002)
Yards: Aldarius Allen, 2522 (2005-08)
TD’s: Kallen Brackett, 49, (1999-2002)

Tackles: Jamie Parker, 219, (1987-1990)
TFL: Eric Shaw, 55, (1993-96)
Sacks: Eric Shaw, 38 (1993-96)
INT’s: Coleman Griffin, 16, (2003-06)


Coleman Griffin

[thesportsguru11]

Re: To the Top of the Mountain: Massachusetts State Mountaineers (NCAA 07)

2006 -

Spoiler

Record: 9-4 (loss to Arizona State in Emerald Bowl 65-17)
National Champs: Nebraska def West Virginia 31-9
Heisman Winner: Zac Taylor (QB, Nebraska)
All-Americans: CB Coleman Griffin (1st team), C Danny Johnson (2nd team)

2007 -

Spoiler

Record: 12-1 (defeated Cal in Sun Bowl 35-24)
National Champs: Oklahoma def. West Virginia 35-14
Heisman Winner: Rocky Hinds (QB, UNLV)
All-Americans: None

2008 -

Spoiler

Record: 7-6 (lost to Kentucky in Music City Bowl 31-14)
National Champs: Luke U def. Oklahoma 24-21 (OT)
Heisman Winner: Sidney Rice (WR, South Carolina)
All-Americans: DE Matt Rush (1st team)
Award Winners: Lombardi Award - DE Matt Rush

[thesportsguru11]

Re: To the Top of the Mountain: Massachusetts State Mountaineers (NCAA 07)

All clear to post!! Should be a slow start, as I haven't actually "started" the dynasty file yet. First games I'm hoping will be played this weekend.

[thesportsguru11]

Re: To the Top of the Mountain: Massachusetts State Mountaineers (NCAA 07)

Again, sorry for the large amount of info and reading, hope you guys don't mind, a lot should end up playing a key role in the dynasty.

Thanks for lots of support early as well. Hopefully followers from the Kentucky dynasty and others alike check this out as well.

[hotsnakes]

Re: To the Top of the Mountain: Massachusetts State Mountaineers (NCAA 07)

Looks awesome! Love teambuilder schools. Following

[thesportsguru11]

Re: To the Top of the Mountain: Massachusetts State Mountaineers (NCAA 07)



Meet the 2006 Mountaineers

Quarterback:

Emile Britton
15 Emile Britton rJR 6'5 209 89 ovr
16 Adam Woods SR 6'1 211 84 ovr
11 Mason Cyr FR 6'4 190 80 ovr
7 Sean Nicholas rSO 6'1 203 68 ovr

Junior Emile Britton returns to start at QB for the 2nd straight year. Britton is a scrambler and was highly productive in the option offense, which new coach Jake DeArruda will retain. True freshman Mason Cyr, who will be redshirted in '06, is of the same mold as Britton.

Running Back/Fullback

Marcus Peters

22 Marcus Peters SR 5'10 191 86 ovr
18 Scott Sweeney rFR 6'2 203 76 ovr
6 Jayson Stocker rFR 5'10 196 76 ovr
34 Matt Lloyd rSO 6'4 214 74 ovr
24 Jay Sanders rSO 6'1 224 74 ovr

FB:
25 Luke Valentine rSO 6'2 231 84 ovr
26 Andy Green rSO 6'2 224 74 ovr
39 Tom Thompson rSO 5'10 215 68 ovr

Senior Marcus Peters will get the nod at tailback for the Mountaineers. His speed will be a great asset to the option offense. Sophomore Luke Valentine will start at fullback.

Wide Receiver/Tight End

Ricky Price

17 Ricky Price rJR 6'5 219 93 ovr
88 Aldarius Allen SO 6'4 190 89 ovr
80 Danny Denman SR 6'0 177 88 ovr
4 Kylan Carpenter rFR 6'2 182 85 ovr
2 Pharrell Phillips SO 5'5 160 85 ovr
1 Geno Burnsides rFR 6'6 209 84 ovr
84 Brice Brock rJR 6'2 211 72 ovr
86 Nathan Waller rJR 5'11 175 70 ovr
19 Kyle Payne rJR 5'9 165 70 ovr

85 Tyler Everett SR 6'5 212 82 ovr
89 Mason Rucker FR 6'4 256 76 ovr
87 Lance Shuler rSO 6'3 223 76 ovr

This is the Mountaineers' deepest position. At wideout, junior Ricky Price returns to be the #1. Sophomore Aldarius Allen and senior captain Danny Denman will compete for the #2 role. There are several promising prospects, including 2nd year freshmen Kylan Robinson and Geno Burnsides, as well as sophomore Pharrell Phillips, a track star who will return kicks.

Tyler Everett will start for the first time in his career, and sophomore Lance Shuler will back him up. Freshman Mason Rucker will be redshirted.

Offensive Line

Danny Johnson

T:
70 Rian Thompson JR 6'5 306 84 ovr
77 Andrew Burke rSO 6'6 307 82 ovr
68 Chris Thomas rSO 6'4 313 74 ovr
65 Lorenzo Adams rSO 6'6 309 74 ovr

G:
62 Ben Burns rSO 6'5 355 84 ovr
64 Paul Lawrie FR 6'3 282 80 ovr
61 Bryan Rivers rSO 6'6 311 76 ovr
60 Kyle Hoyte rJR 6'4 272 70 ovr
59 James Jones rSR 6'5 257 68 ovr

C:
66 Danny Johnson rJR 6'3 290 86 ovr
76 Rhett Robertson FR 6'5 284 78 ovr

Youth abounds on the offensive line, as 2 juniors, 2 sophomores and a freshman will be starting. Center Danny Johnson is the anchor, and his maturity and leadership should be huge in the development of guards Paul Lawrie, Ben Burns and Bryan Rivers.

Defensive Line

Nick Palmer

DE:
53 Nick Palmer rJR 6'3 257 86 ovr
74 Alex Joseph SO 6'4 257 84 ovr
93 Matt Rush rFR 6'4 272 82 ovr
44 Darius McGee JR 6'4 240 70 ovr
51 Mason Rackley rJR 6'5 257 70 ovr

DT:
55 Zac Levine rSR 6'7 335 85 ovr
99 Alex Stone FR 6'2 339 80 ovr
63 Avery Aguilera rSO 6'5 263 78 ovr
90 Joey Slaughter rJR 6'4 296 70 ovr

Nick Palmer returns, as does senior Nose Tackle Zac Levine. But the Mountaineers need a new end to play opposite Palmer. Alex Joseph and Matt Rush and are the 2 favorites, and the competition should go into fall practice. Alex Stone will be redshirted, allowing Avery Aguilera to gain some experience.

Linebackers

Simeon Slater

Stafford Royal

OLB:
98 Simeon Slater SO 6'8 247 90 ovr
12 Mark Carr rJR 6'1 223 86 ovr
52 Trent Garrett rSO 6'2 229 74 ovr
48 Chris Williamson rJR 6'3 202 70 ovr

MLB:
73 Stafford Royal rJR 6'8 248 92 ovr
10 Alex Appleby FR 6'5 223 78 ovr
50 Josh Avery rSO 6'3 220 74 ovr

Linebacker is an obvious strong suit. Huge Simeon Slater teams with hard working Mark Carr on the outside, while just as big middle 'backer Stafford Royal clogs the middle. Freshman Alex Appleby may see some snaps in his first year.

Secondary:

Coleman Griffin

Antoine Haumiller

CB:
3 Coleman Griffin SR 6'0 170 92 ovr
9 Tevin Blalock JR 5'11 178 82 ovr
31 Tavon Allen FR 6'1 204 78 ovr
21 Trai O'Brian rSO 6'0 170 78 ovr
36 Tristan O'Neill FR 6'1 182 76 ovr

FS:
23 Antoine Haumiller rSO 5'11 195 85 ovr
14 Kyle Matthews rJR 6'2 193 76 ovr

SS:
20 Matt Ray JR 6'3 22 83 ovr
40 Luke Bunkley JR 6'1 200 74 ovr
49 Sam Gregory JR 6'2 194 72 ovr

Coleman Griffin leads the secondary in his 4th year in Canton.
Tevin Blalock will be the second corner, but could be pushed by incoming freshman Tavon Allen. At safety, Matt Ray and Antoine Haumiller both return.

Kickers/Punters:

Kyle Chase

K:
8 Kyle Chase SO 5'11 186 84 ovr

P:
5 Stephen White JR 5'11 189 76 ovr

Kyle Chase played well as a freshman last year, and the pressure is on punter Stephen Chase to improve over his dismal 35.6 average from 2005.

[thesportsguru11]

Re: To the Top of the Mountain: Massachusetts State Mountaineers (NCAA 07)





2006 College Football Preview



Many unanswered questions

Ohio State comes into the year #1, and has the team to make a run for the National Title. But do they have enough in their linebacking core and secondary?
The only thing separating Texas from the #1 spot is a quarterback. Either true freshman Jevan Snead or redshirt freshman Colt McCoy will have to emerge to give the Horns a shot at repeating.
Notre Dame has Brady Quinn, a Heisman favorite, but do they have the secondary to compete with the best?
Can USC find their identity without Matt Leinart, Reggie Bush and Darnell Bing? Can someone else step up and shock the nation?

Top 25 Polls:
1. Ohio State
2. Texas
3. Notre Dame
4. USC
5. LSU
6. Florida
7. Auburn
8. Oklahoma
9. West Virginia
10. Louisville
11. Miami (FL)
12. Florida State
13. Penn State
14. Michigan
15. Cal
16. Georgia
17. Iowa
18. Tennessee
19. Arizona State
20. Nebraska
21. Virginia Tech
22. Texas Tech
23. Clemson
24. Alabama
25. Georgia Tech


Heisman Watch:
Brady Quinn (QB, Notre Dame)
Adrian Peterson (RB, Oklahoma)
Troy Smith (QB, Ohio State)
Chris Leak (QB, Florida)
Brian Brohm (QB, Louisville)

Preseason All-Americans
QB: Brady Quinn (Notre Dame)
RB: Marshawn Lynch (Cal)
RB: Adrian Peterson (Oklahoma)
FB: Brian Leonard (Rutgers)
WR: Dwayne Jarrett (USC)
WR: Calvin Johnson (Georgia Tech)
TE: Zach Miller (Arizona State)
T: Joe Thomas (Wisconsin)
G: Kasey Studdard (Texas)
C: Dan Mozes (West Virginia)
G: Manuel Rodriguez (Texas Tech)
T: Justin Blalock (Texas)

DE: Dan Bazuin (Central Michigan)
DE: Gaines Adams (Clemson)
DT: Quinn Pitcock (Ohio State)
DT: Justin Harrell (Tennessee)
LB: Patrick Willis (Ole Miss)
LB: Brandon Siler (Florida)
LB: Rufus Alexander (Oklahoma)
CB: Daymeion Hughes (Cal)
CB: Antoine Cason (AZ)
FS: LaRon Landry (LSU)
SS: Tom Zbikowski (ND)

K: Mason Crosby (Colorado)
P: Daniel Sepulveda (Baylor)

Week 1 Notable Games
South Carolina vs. Mississippi State
Northwestern vs. Miami (OH)
Marshall vs. #9 West Virginia
Southern Miss vs. #6 Florida
Richmond vs. Luke U
Utah vs. UCLA
Houston vs. Rice
Northern Illinois vs. #1 Ohio State
Vanderbilt vs. #14 Michigan
#4 USC vs. Arkansas
#15 Cal vs. #18 Tennessee
#3 Notre Dame vs. #25 GA Tech (College Gameday)
Kentucky vs. #10 Louisville
#12 Florida State vs. #11 Miami (FL) (Monday Night)

[thesportsguru11]

Re: To the Top of the Mountain: Massachusetts State Mountaineers (NCAA 07)



2006 Massachusetts State Schedule; Outlook

9/9 @ Kansas State
9/16 @ UCF
9/23 @ Kansas
9/29 vs. Rutgers
10/7 vs. Connecticut
10/14 @ North Carolina
10/21 @ Cincinnati
10/28 @ Luke U
11/4 vs. Pitt
11/11 vs. Syracuse
11/18 @ #10 Louisville
11/25 @ #9 West Virginia

This is the first year the Mountaineers are eligible for a bowl game, and their schedule favors the skill of the team. The non-conference schedule sees all away games, with trips to Kansas and Kansas State, Central Florida, North Carolina, and the annual battle for the Frozen Pickaxe with Luke U, the earliest meeting for the 2 teams in the rivalry's history (October 28).

Then comes the Big East schedule, which appears to be somewhat soft serve until November. Rutgers, Cincinnati and Connecticut all appear to be in the cellar of the Big East in '06. Pitt and Syracuse could be solid, but the money will be made in the last 2 weeks. A trip to #10 Louisville and #9 West Virginia, both viewed as BCS contenders, will determine the fate of the Mountaineers' season. Either way, the Mountaineers should have no problems getting to a bowl game in 2006.

Projected Record: 9-3
I see potential losses to Louisville and West Virginia, and I can see a loss to Kansas State. It is in the house that Billy Snyder built, and that is one of the tougher places to play in the country. It is also reasonable to predict a loss to Luke U, being that the Ice Monsters have knocked off the Mountaineers each of the last 5 seasons, but Mass State should break through this time around.

[thesportsguru11]

Re: To the Top of the Mountain: Massachusetts State Mountaineers (NCAA 07)

Duke shuts down football program following hazing scandal

Duke's A.D. department and president has given itself the death penalty after a hazing scandal unfolded last week involving members of Duke's band and cheerleading team, as well as other walk-in freshmen of the football team. 45 Duke football players, most upperclassmen, were accused by members of those groups of threatening them, forcing them to send racist notes to African-American students, among other acts. Word has arisen that this has been happening for more than 5 years.

School president Richard Brodhead wasted no time suspending the 45 members "indefinitely" for acts that were "unjust, unfair and unlawful". However, Duke does not have enough players to field a team, so they will shut the program down, at least in the interim.

NCAA sanctions are likely to follow, but Duke has given itself a 3 year death penalty, at least. This incident has nothing to do with the basketball program or other sports, so those will go on without penalty.

Duke is now the second school in 6 months to shut down their football program. South Florida shut down in February due to lack of funding for school's athletics.

[thesportsguru11]

Re: To the Top of the Mountain: Massachusetts State Mountaineers (NCAA 07)



Around the NCAA: Week 1 in Review



Notre Dame Falls
#3 Notre Dame saw their National Title hopes potentially fall down the drain with a loss to Georgia Tech on Saturday. Reggie Ball and All-American Calvin Johnson had big days in the win, and now Notre Dame needs to win out to have a chance at the BCS.

#2 Texas survives scare
#2 Texas trailed North Texas 14-3 after 1 quarter, but recovered and scored late in the 4th to win 27-21. With the game of the century looming vs. #1 Ohio State, Texas has a lot to prove.

Florida State rolls over Miami
Lorenzo Booker led the way for FSU in a 52-27 thrashing of Miami in the Orange Bowl.

Tennessee stifles "Beast Mode"
The Vols won easily over Cal in a top 25 showdown, holding All-American tailback Marshawn Lynch to under 50 yards.

Northwestern wins through tragedy
Everyone remembers how Wildcats coach Randy Walker died of a heart attack before the season started, and Pat Fitzgerald was thrust into the coaching role, somewhat unprepared. Northwestern was able to defeat Miami Ohio in their first game without their deceased coach.



Big East Standings
1. Pitt (1-0, 0-0)
2. West Virginia (1-0, 0-0)
3. Connecticut (1-0, 0-0)
4. Louisville (1-0, 0-0)
5. Cincinnati (1-0, 0-0)
6. Syracuse (0-1, 0-0)
7. Massachusetts State (0-0, 0-0)
8. Rutgers (0-1, 0-0)


Week 1 Scores of Note:
South Carolina def Mississippi State
Northwestern def Miami (OH)
#9 West Virginia def Marshall
#6 Florida def Southern Miss
Luke U def Richmond
Rice def Houston
Pitt def Virginia
Memphis def Ole Miss
#1 Ohio State def Northern Illinois
#2 Texas def North Texas
#4 USC def Arkansas
#18 Tennessee def #14 Cal
#25 Georgia Tech def #3 Notre Dame
#10 Louisville def Kentucky
#11 Florida State def #12 Miami

Top 25 Polls:
1. Ohio State (1-0)
2. Texas (1-0)
3. USC (1-0)
4. LSU (1-0)
5. Florida (1-0)
6. Auburn (1-0)
7. Oklahoma (1-0)
8. West Virginia (1-0)
9. Florida State (1-0)
10. Louisville (1-0)
11. Notre Dame (0-1)
12. Penn State (1-0)
13. Michigan (1-0)
14. Tennessee (1-0)
15. Georgia (1-0)
16. Iowa (1-0)
17. Miami (FL) (0-1)
18. Arizona State (1-0)
19. Nebraska (1-0)
20. Virginia Tech (1-0)
21. Texas Tech (1-0)
22. Georgia Tech (1-0)
23. Clemson (1-0)
24. Cal (0-1)
25. Alabama (0-0)

Others receiving votes: Oregon, South Carolina, TCU, Utah, Boston College, Michigan State



Heisman Watch: (Red - Down, Brown - No Change, Green - Up, Lime- New)
Brady Quinn (QB, Notre Dame)
Adrian Peterson (RB, Oklahoma)
Troy Smith (QB, Ohio State)
Chris Leak (QB, Florida)
Steve Smith (WR, USC)

Players of the Week:
NCAA:
Offense: James Davis (RB, Clemson) 23 car, 137 yards, 5 TD, 4 rec, 57 yds, TD
Defense: Heath Grant (LB, Memphis) 13 tckls (8 TFL) 3 scks, FF, INT

Big East:
Offense: Steve Slaton (RB, West Virginia) 18 car, 111 yards, 5 TD
Defense: Rod Council (CB, Louisville) 3 tckls (2 TFL) sck, INT, TD

Week 2 Notable Games
Massachusetts State vs Kansas State
Oregon State vs Boise State
Pitt vs Cincinnati
Luke U vs Wake Forest
#15 Georgia vs South Carolina
#12 Penn State vs #11 Notre Dame
#1 Ohio State vs #2 Texas
New Mexico vs New Mexico State