How Will Bobby Petrino do as Western Kentucky Head Coach?

After a messy split from Arkansas and surprise hiring at Western Kentucky, the college football world will be watching the Hilltoppers closely to see how coach Bobby Petrino will perform. While many may not like him, no one can dispute his coaching ability.

Western Kentucky finished fifth in the Sun Belt last season going 7-5 overall (4-4 Sun Belt) and suffered a heart breaking 24-21 loss to Central Michigan in the Little Caesars Bowl. Petrino will be looking
to improve upon Willie Taggart's last season as coach of the Hilltoppers before departing for South Florida.

Luckily for Petrino, Western Kentucky has several skilled players returning. Senior running back Antonio Andrews led the nation with 3,161 all purpose yards, joining Barry Sanders as the only players to ever eclipse 3,000 all purpose yards.

Receiver Willie McNeal returns after recording six receiving touchdowns last season. Joining him on the other side will be Austin Aikens, a sophomore who averaged 27 yards on just eight catches last season.

Petrino has always used tight ends as a focal point of his offensive schemes, and he will have plenty of options at the position. Converted receiver Tyler Higbee is tall and has good hands, while Mitchell Henry and Tim Gorski also expect to see the field.

The only question on offense comes at quarterback, although it's expected junior Brandon Doughty , who actually started as a freshman before an injury sidelined him, will likely fill the position.

Petrino's defense is largely intact, from the previos season, with the exception of the line. This was a talented squad, and one can assume it can only get better when Petrino finds the right "hogs" to anchor
the line, if you'll pardon the reference.

With all the returning talent, some early projections have Western Kentucky finishing third in the Sun Belt before leaving for Conference USA next season. The real question is, will Petrino be satisfied with
the possibility of finishing third or will he do something rarely achieved by a coach in his first season and win the conference outright? With new defensive coordinator Nick Holt, formerly of USC and Washington, implementing what is coming together as an aggressive 4-3 set, and offensive coordinator Jeff Brohm running the offense under Petrino's watchful eye, chances are Petrino has a team that should be more than capable of making the Hilltoppers last run in the Sun Belt a memorable one.

- Kevin Hicks

@kevinhicks77

kevin.projectcfb@gmail.com

The Latest with Johnny Manziel

The football season had begun and slowly one quarterback began to receive exposure. By the end of the season his name and videos of his incredible plays were everywhere. He claimed a victory over Alabama and won the Heisman Trophy, and almost immediately everyone knew his name. The player in question is not Tim Tebow. In fact, most people don't refer to him by his given name. They simply call him "Johnny Football."

Johnny Manziel has been in the news again lately, but not necessarily in a flattering light. From his courtside appearances at NBA Finals games and throwing out ceremonial first pitches at Major League Baseball games, to his apparent enjoyment of firing back at his critics on Twitter, one recent tweet may have him in hot water.

After tweeting that he could not wait to get out of College Station, speculation began that his newfound fame may be harder to handle than he originally thought. Although he deleted the post almost immediately and explained that his frustration stemmed from a parking ticket, many believe the damage was done.

The tweet came about the same time news outlets began reporting that he was considering transferring to a junior college so he could play after being suspended by Texas A&M for his arrest on June 29, 2012. He was charged with not identifying himself, being in possession of fake IDs and disturbing the peace after getting into a fight which he claimed  was to defend a friend after someone thought his companion used a racial slur.

Manziel decided to file an appeal before transferring, which included letters of support from Head Coach Kevin Sumlin and then-offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury. His suspension was lifted and he was placed on probation for the 2012 season.

After winning the Heisman Trophy, among several other awards, Manziel seemed to rocket to a level of fame that led the school to organize a support system to insure he remained in compliance due to the appearances he began making all over the country.

This newfound popularity, he claims, has forced him to begin taking all of his classes online for his major, sports management. This move raised eyebrows as well, fueling the assumption that he has either become uncomfortable with his popularity, or, as some suggested, he has embraced fame and is on his way down the path of the oft-reviled diva.

Whatever the case may be, it's safe to assume that once the new season begins, the answers to the questions surrounding Manziel's ego will be answered. Will a gifted athlete cave under the weight of his own fame or will the country be in awe of Johnny Football 2.0?

- Kevin Hicks
@kevinhicks77
kevin.projectcfb@gmail.com

Will Georgia's RB Duo Take Them to the Championship?

In 2012, the Georgia Bulldogs could literally see the BCS National Championship at the end of the SEC Title Game. Unfortunately, 2012 was not meant to be their year as they watched their season come to an end just a few yards away from the endzone. Could 2013 be the year of the Bulldogs? It could happen if two very talented teammates have their

way.

Sophomore running backs Todd Gurley and Keith Marshall developed a chemistry with quarterback Aaron Murray and between themselves that

earned the two a special nickname, not only because they could be used

interchangeably from one play to the next, but also because their

performances drew some rather lofty comparisons to a legend in Georgia Bulldog lore. So far, they have handled the comparison well. Even the man, Hershell Walker himself, has been impressed with "Gurshall's" performance.

The key to the duo's impact is largely in the hands of returning quarterback Aaron Murray. The chemistry the three of them have, as well as the fact that ten of the Bulldogs' starting offensive eleven are back this season, should translate into another season with lots of points on the scoreboard. Last season, the team set new school records in points per game (37.8), total offense (467.6 yards per game), and most yards in a single game (713 against Florida Atlantic.) It will be a tall order to improve upon such numbers, but anything may be possible when such a potent offense is virtually one hundred percent intact intact from one season to the next.

Gurley and Marshall will likely be used individually from play to

play, but rumor has it both could be in the backfield together in a

formation similar to the wishbone, with a fullback as lead blocker.

That scenario should horrify opposing defensive coordinators as they struggle to identify which fully capable back will get the ball.

Thanks to the play of the two running backs, defenses will continue

questioning themselves on whether they should crowd the line to stop

the run, or stay in coverage to defend the pass. Keeping defenses

honest will give Murray the chance to break alot of conference passing

records, which translates into as many, if not more big plays over

twenty yards this season as last season. Running a no huddle offense

doesn't hurt, either.

The Georgia Bulldog faithful have much to be thankful for over the

last couple seasons, thanks in large part to "Gurshall." Fresh off a

phenomenal season that saw them carry the Dogs to an SEC East Division title, two goals remain in sight. Odds are good that they make it back to Atlanta after the regular season, and luckily for the Georgia

fanbase, they have not just one set, but two sets of very powerful

legs to carry them all the way to Pasadena.

- Kevin Hicks

@kevinhicks77

kevin.projectcfb@gmail.com

Who You See in the National Title Game?

Last week we asked you to chime in on who you think we will see play in this season's National Championship Game. We went over your responses and here are the ones we thought were the best.

Courtney from Florida

You can't overlook how awesome Alabama is. I definitely see them making it to the title game. I also see Georgia making it to the National Championship, although I think they will lose to 'Bama in the SEC Title game.

Mike from Ohio

I have 3 picks. First off Urban Meyer will lead the OSU Buckeyes to another undefeated season and on to the National Championship Game. The other pick is where the question lies. If Louisville  can go undefeated, I see them playing OSU in the title game. But if they stumble then Alabama will take on the Buckeyes in the most awaited game of the decade. 

Ben from Boston

I'm going to go with a couple of off the wall picks here. Tajh Boyd leads the Clemson Tigers to play Teddy Bridgewater and the Louisville Cardinals. Mark it down!

MonikaAndrews from Detroit

I see Michigan shocking the college football world, going undefeated and upsetting Alabama in the National Title Game.

CKW from Knoxville

As much as I would love to see my Vols go to the title game, I think the Texas Longhorns are going to surprise a lot of people and ein the National Championship,  beating Ohio State in the big game.

Thank you to everyone that participated in this topic. Stay tuned for more interactions in our upcoming articles

- Project CFB
@projectcfb
projectcfb@yahoo.com

Is Jameis Winston the Answer for FSU?

With the graduation of former FSU standout EJ Manuel, the Seminoles have a huge void to fill at quarterback. Among the signal callers vying for the starting job is redshirt freshmen, and former Alabama high school phenom Jameis Winston. Winston who in 2012 was the #1 rated quarterback prospect by Rivals.com and a project top pick in the 2012 major league baseball amateur draft.  As a dual threat all everything quarterback in high school,  he committed to FSU over many of the other top programs in the country,  home state schools Alabama and Auburn included. 

During his high school career, he passed for close to 7,000 passing yards, and 2,913 rushing yards and scored 103 total touchdowns. Last season, Winston was redshirted so he didn't he any playing time at all, but he did play on the FSU baseball team this past spring, which he was able to finally show many Florida State fans just how strong his arm can be. Various reports of the FSU spring camp have given WInston rave reviews, highlighting his accuracy and arm strength.  Despite all the Winston hype, he isn't necessarily guaranteed to be under center come August. Jacob Coker and Sean Macguire, who both looked impressive throughout spring camp along with Winston. Between Coker, Macguire and Winston, head coach Jimbo Fisher really has an embarrassment of riches at the quarterback position.

In my opinion, I really do want Winston to win the job. I have been hearing about his potential to be a Robert Griffin III clone for close to 2 years now, I would love to see what he is all about in regular season action and as soon as possible. If Winston does win the job and with other dual threat QBs like Braxton Miller and Johnny Manziel, this season could be even more unpredictable and exciting than ever before. 

- Josh Gamez

@itsjoshgamez

josh.projectcfb@gmail.com

Josh's Top Five SEC Defensive Linemen

1) Jadeveon Clowney (South Carolina)
2) Anthony Johnson (LSU)
3) Dominique Easley (Florida)
4) Trey Flowers (Arkansas)
5) Bryan Jones (Arkansas)

Over the last 8 seasons in college football there hasn't been a more dominant conference in the country than the South Eastern Conference. With 7 straight national championships the SEC has become the hot bed of big time players and games. Over the years the SEC has been known as a defensive minded conference, and 2013 is no exception. Lead by Jadeveon Clowney, who might be the best player in the country this year, the SEC has no lack of talent along the defensive line this year.

Clowney is a clear cut #1 on the top defensive linemen list, followed by Anthony Johnson of LSU, who as a sophomore looks to improve on a 10 tackle for loss, and 3 sack season in 2012 and lead the Tigers' defensive line as they push for a 2013 SEC championship. Followed closely by Florida's brash, trash talking interior linemen Dominique Easley who may be ready to break out in 2013 similar to Sharrif Floyd last season.

The final two spots on this list are a part of a very underrated Arkansas Razorback defensive line in Trey Flowers and Bryan Jones. Flowers and Jones are both among the more dominant linemen in the country and coming off strong 2012 seasons look to lead a much improved Razorback team in 2013.

- Josh Gamez
@itsjoshgamez
josh.projectcfb@gmail.com

Jackson's Top Five SEC Running Backs

1. TJ Yeldon, ALA

2. Todd Gurley, UGA

3. Jeremy Hill, LSU

4. Keith Marshall, UGA

5. LaDarius Perkins, MSU

This is a very young group of running backs. Four of the five are sophomores. And although this is a list that is only showing the top running backs for the SEC, I firmly believe that we will see a few of these names being consider for best running back this year, and possibly the Heisman.

TJ Yeldon impressed me day one. The way that he ran over Michigan last season was impressive. Some chalked it up to a poor defensive showing from the Wolverines, but TJ proved it wasn't a fluke by rushing for over 1,000 yards last season and 12 touchdowns.

Todd Gurley is the first of two Georgia running backs on this list. Both are sophomores, and both are rather impressive. Gurley rushed for over 1,300 yards last season, and punched the ball into the endzone 17 times.

LSU's Jeremy Hill breaks up the Georgia duo in the number three spot. Hill carried the ball last season 142 times for 755 yards and 12 touchdowns. He will look to do a lot more than that in 2013.

Our second Georgia Bulldog on the list comes in at number four. His name is Keith Marshall. Marshall didn't quite put up the stats that Todd Gurley did, but he still impressed with 759 yards on the ground as well as eight touchdowns. He had quite a battle with Todd Gurley, but I don't see why Georgia coach Mark Richt wouldn't use both quite often. Having this dynamic duo would definitely be something to take advantage of.

The oldest of the five comes it at number five. Mississippi State's LaDarius Perkins rushed the ball a little over 200 times totally 1,016 yards and eight touchdowns. Perkins will look repeat a 1,000 season and hopefully put his Bulldogs in contention for an SEC Title.

We all know that the SEC is loaded with talent, and this list alone shows that they are stacked with talent just at the running back position. These guys will be very hard to stop. And the kicker is, many of them will be playing across from one another on many Saturdays this fall!

- Jackson McNamara

@jacksonmcnamara

jackson.projectcfb@gmail.com