College Football No. 1

Tonight, college football officially began the 2009 season. College football is similar to college basketball in the fact that the players work harder and controversy in playoff decisions. In college, athletes have something to prove and tend to work a little harder than in the pro's, when they're guaranteed money. Also, the selection committee for both basketball and football has made some questionable decisions. Anyone remember Texas last year and Syracuse in 2006-2007.



Tonight, the only really notable game is No. 16 Oregon versus No. 14 Boise State. Boise State has been very successful the past six years, winning a bowl game against Oklahoma a few years back. Oregon is an up and coming team that has produced a few NFL players the past few years. Both teams are very exciting, and I'm expecting an interesting and fast paced game. Also, the game is played at Boise State, which has probably the coolest field in the NCAA.



In this post, I'm going to look at some of the most exciting games of the year, starting with day one and going until the end. To begin with, I'll start with Saturday's Minnesota at Syracuse game. Neither team is ranked, but this marks the debut of Greg Paulus as the Syracuse quarterback. With Paulus having fragile confidence after coming off of a horrible senior season at Duke, this game will probably be an indication of the season to come. I'll take the Paulus flop.



The next game that I really noticed was No. 4 USC at No. 6 Ohio State. Last year, USC won but there was some controversy at quarterback for Ohio State. This year, Terrelle Pryor is the definite starter for Ohio State and Usc is the one with some quarterback drama. Also, both teams lost key players on both sides of the ball. This game should be more competitive than last years, and I'm predicting an Ohio State victory.



Om September 19th, Texas Tech visits No. 2 Texas. Even though Texas Tech isn't rated, they're always dangerous with their spread offense and Mike Leach coaching. Last year, Texas Tech beat Texas in what was probably the game of the year and ended up keeping Texas from going to the national championship game. This should add more heat to the game, and I think that Texas should win in favorable fashion.



The next week is a little bit quiet, but I think that the game of the week is No. 12 California against No. 16 Oregon. This is a Pac-10 game that will probably have playoff implications. Both teams have been said to be over-rated, but they could easily win the Pac-10 if USC slips up. I"m taking California over Oregon, although they have the best uniforms in the country.



On October 3rd, No. 11 LSU goes to No. 13 Georgia to play in a typical SEC rivalry game. This game will probably implicate who plays Florida in the SEC final. I'm going to take Georgia in an upset because of a gut feeling I have about them and a hatred of LSU.



This concludes the first of my college football trilogy. Check back the next few days to see the next two.

Dajuan Coleman and Glens Falls

In my family, we have a tradition for all the men to go down to Glens Falls for the High School Basketball Championships. We always get the best seats, front row right about half court, and just have a good time watching basketball and going out to eat. Now before reading this post, there are a few things you should know about the tournament.

1)There are five classes, starting with D and going up to AA.

2)The classes are organized by enrollment in schools, so Class D has the smallest enrollment while Class AA has the largest.

3)As you go up classes, the games are usually faster paced and more exciting, with more athletic, bigger, and faster players.

4)Occasionally, there are really good players there. Also, of the three days your guaranteed at least one great game.

5)Past alumns include Ben Gordon, Elton Brand, Hilton Armstrong, and Christian Laettner.

6)Several current division one players have played in Glens Falls.

7)Coaches like Jim Boeheim, Paul Hewitt, and Jim Calhoun are sometimes there scouting.

8)The fans are crazy and usually it gets pretty intense.

9)Four teams from around the state are in each class.

10)Enough with this, here's my story.



While down there this year, I was looking forward to see the Class A Final, which featured Jamesville Dewitt and Peekskill. Jamesville Dewitt had a point guard, Brandon Triche, who was committed to Syracuse while Peekskill had a forward, Ralph Watts, who was committed to Albany. However, this man stole the show.



Six foot eight inch Dajuan Coleman. The thing is, he's only a freshman. He clinched the championship for Jamesville Dewitt, with eighteen points and eighteen rebounds. The rumors around the gym were that he was the son of Derrick Coleman, which seemed very possible because Jamesville Dewitt is around Syracuse, Coleman's alma mater.



However, after fact checking this, I found that his parents are both below six feet and that he could grow four more inches. About a month later, he was ranked by ESPN as the number one freshman in the country. After that, I found out that he was going to play in the Elite 24 Classic, which feature the twenty four best high schoolers in the country.



The future is bright for Coleman, and in ten years he could very well be an NBA All-Star. As for college, the early leader is Syracuse, which most upstate kids go to. Ex. Jonny Flynn and Paul Harris. However, I think this kid is special and has the potential to go to a bigger and better school. No matter what he does, this kid is destined for greatness.