A Short and sweet Gold Rush? That shouldn’t be, we are heading into the second week of college football. Is it possible that I’m correct so often nobody has anything to argue? Well either way, had a good time with the questions this week and I’m looking forward to this weekend of games. Remember, if you’re watching football this Saturday and need someone to rant to, try @Einsane and get into next weeks Gold Rush!
@tsmiley26
Tweet from TweetCaster – @Einsane @tsmiley26: 41-14 #Bama over Michigan…too much hype for Michigan this year at #8 ranking or just good ole SEC dominance?? #GoldRush
I think Michigan was over-hyped heading into 2012, but not by much. They are good, and still have one of the most dangerous quarterbacks in the country. Alabama made it obvious that Michigan still has a lot of questions to answer on defense, and added a few more doubts on offense such as, what can Denard Robinson do if you keep him in the pocket and get pressure with the front four? But to break it down as simply as possible, Alabama looked awesome.
I don’t want to chalk it up to SEC dominance, because there was a whole lot of weak SEC play this past weekend as well (South Carolina and Florida come to mind immediately), and that is a simple cop out. Alabama has been a cut above the rest for the past three years, and it appears that Saban has recruited and developed all the NFL replacements he needed to continue his string of dominance. Just from a laymen’s standpoint, I watched Alabama and Michigan with my girlfriend and her first quarter remarks included “Alabama looks like an NFL team”, “Alabama seems much bigger and faster”, and “Michigan’s jerseys are awful”. I agree with two-of-the-three statements.
The next few weeks should do a lot to answer your two questions. If Michigan can rebound nicely against Air Force and UMass, and then beat Notre Dame, they’ll be back in the conversation for a Top Ten ranking. It will also be worth watching the development of the SEC in coming weeks, they start conference play earlier, which means it will start to sort itself out power-wise. Tennessee made the most of their opportunity against NC State, watch the Volunteers.
@FoSchnizzle
@BeyondUSports the wisco offense looked like tolziens from 2010 minus the oline play. Cause for concern? or early season new qb lumps?
Wisconsin lost 14 starters and has overwhelming expectations since back-to-back Rose Bowl invitations, cause for concern. That is the catch 22 about raising your program profile – going to Pasadena was great, but now the players that brought you there are graduated and showing off in the NFL, meanwhile, players that watched are front-and-center and not necessarily as good. Wisconsin still has studs sprinkled across the team such as tailback Monte Ball, tackle Ricky Wagner, and linebacker Chris Borland, but the depth isn’t there yet and from his short sample size Danny O’Brien has to improve.
You asked more specifically about the offense and O’Brien, and here is my take. For more than a decade Wisconsin has done an excellent job of taking smart quarterbacks with above-average athletic ability and grooming them to be solid Big Ten quarterbacks and career NFL backups. Russell Wilson was cut from a different mold, has already taken a starting job in the NFL, and you aren’t going to see another one like him in Madison for a long long long time. O’Brien is a throwback to the talent of Wisconsin past, so you will have to remember what it was like having Tolzien as a junior. Another thing you should question is the new offensive coordinator, and if he is orchestrating the offense as brilliantly as Paul Chryst. The running dominance should improve as the season goes along, but what Wisconsin showed Saturday was a far cry from what we’re used to lately.
@dug_martin
@einsane. Is Doug Martin the dark horse to win Offensive Rookie of the Year?
Rats, you aren’t the real Doug Martin. Well, I guess you were the first Doug Martin, but you aren’t the one to jump the Gold Rush profile into a new stratosphere. Anyway, unless you are talking about yourself, Doug Martin isn’t a dark horse to win Offensive Rookie of the Year because he is probably one of the odds on favorites. Martin was a first round pick and already earned the starting job from Lazy LaGareete Blount in the preseason and is also healthy heading into 2012. Robert Griffin III, Andrew Luck, Trent Richardson, and Justin Blackmon are other preseason favorites, but Doug Martin has to be right up there at the forefront.
Doug Martin has earned comparisons to former NFL All-Pro backs Curtis Martin and Tiki Barber, so he is certainly someone to target early in fantasy.
Ian Gold
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