Lloyd Carr was already on thin ice this season because of his embarrassing 1-5 record versus Jim Tressel. Carr is famous for taking equal or superior talented teams and coming away with losses. He is not a good big-game coach. He routinely gets out coached and outclassed by guys like Tressel, Pete Carroll, Mack Brown, Bill Callahan and others. Carr is 5-7 in bowl games and has lost his last 4. Last year ('06) Michigan was as talented as USC yet were thumped 32-18 in the Rose Bowl. 2005, Michigan had a very talented team overall, yet underachieved to a 7-5 record which concluded with an Alamo Bowl loss to a lesser talented Nebraska team. I am sure after Tressel drops a double-digit beat down in 74 days (11/17) it will soon be official - But the writing is on the wall today: Lloyd Carr should be through as coach.

This is actually a blessing in disguise for Wolverine fans in truth. The University of Michigan has too much tradition and too many resources to not be an even more successful program than they have been. Much like Alabama and Nebraska in recent years, a 21st century coach is needed to take this team back to where it belongs. To see some of the talent that has come from this program the past 5-years and not see at least a championship game appearance is a shame.

Pro Bears: Chicago has to be able to stop the Colts' running game with their nickel package. Urlacher and Briggs will likely try and stop the run while ace nickel back Ricky Manning will shadow Dallas Clark. The Chicago front four also has to get pressure on Peyton without much blitzing..........Vasher, Tillman and Ricky Manning have to keep Harrison and Wayne in check. The Bears are known as a "Cover 2" defense, but they have played 45% man defense over the past half of the regular season and throughout the playoffs. The Bears' corners are known to bite on double moves and Peyton Manning is perhaps the NFL's best play fake QB. If the Bears 3 man CB rotation can hold up and not give up the back breaking big play, the Bears will be in good position..........The Colts gave up 173 yards rushing per game this year, 28 more yards per game than the next worst team. The Colts have knocked that average by 100 yards during the playoffs, but none of those teams have played as well as Chicago on the ground. Chicago is averaging 158 yards on the ground during the playoffs and with an undersized Colts front seven, it will be a tough task to stop the Bears running game without committing Bob Sanders to the box. If Chicago can establish the run, they can take shots with play action passes and hit Berrian or Rashied Davis deep. If Grossman throws when he wants to and not when he has to, he can be very effective. Grossman has led Chicago on two game winning or game changing drives in both playoffs games, his confidence is at an all-time high right now..........Devin Hester will be a factor in this game. The Colts have shaky special teams and Hester set a new NFL record with 6 return TDs. Even if the Colts kick it away they will sacrifice field position instead of letting Hester break the game open which he could with any touch. If Hester handles the ball 4 or 5 times, expect a big play. Of Hester's 47 punt returns (3 TD) 11 of them were for more than 20 yards. Even if Hester does not score, he is still liable to return a kickoff 45 yards or a punt 30 yards to set the Bears up for the momentum changing score. Devin Hester is Deion Sanders reincarnate with the ball in his hands.  

Prediction: This game has the feel of Super Bowl XXXVII between Tampa Bay and Oakland. Oakland boasted the NFL MVP in Rich Gannon and sported a high powered offense. An offense that was ranked first in yards per game and second in points per game. Tampa Bay had the consensus #1 defense in the NFL and one of the best in modern history. The Bucs were number one in yards and points that year. While I feel the 2006 Bears were a better unit, when it included Tommie Harris and Mike Brown, the current unit is still good enough to replicate the Bucs success against the Raiders. History shows that a good defense beats a good offense. The Raiders were 4 point favorites against Tampa Bay: People love offense. The Bears have the best special teams in the NFL. Devin Hester and the return game has been chronicled, but the Bears also boast the NFC representative in the Pro Bowl for his coverage ability, Brendan Ayanbadejo. Robbie Gould is also Pro Bowl bound thanks to a season in which he was 32 of 36 and has been clutch throughout the playoffs going 5 for 5. The Bears' running game is on fire and will give the Colts a lot of trouble. With Harris and Brown I feel the Bears would be the 7 point favorite, not the Colts. The Bears are still good enough to win 6 of 10 without them.

Saban has hurt his credibility and likely burned his NFL bridges by the way he has handled the move back to the college game. While I feel Saban would have ultimately succeeded in the NFL, he is a better fit in college. Saban is arguably one of the top 2-3 coaches in country with a track record of building strong programs wherever he has been. No salary cap, players actually listening to you and the advantage of recruiting over drafting; why would any great college coach want to leave for the NFL? Saban now makes at least 11 college coaches who make more than $2 million annually. Oklahoma's Bob Stoops and Notre Dame's Charlie Weis are in the $3 million category. Several NFL coaches don't make that much money. In fact, Chicago Bear coach and 2005 NFL Coach of the Year, Lovie Smith, is making a reported $1.35 million this season.

The 2006 All-America team is led by Doak Walker Award winner, RB Darren McFadden, who was chosen as the Offensive Player of the Year. McFadden is sure to be one of the top 3 players eligible for the 2008 NFL Draft. For the second straight year an Ohio State LB was chosen as the Defensive Player of the Year; true Sophomore James Laurinaitis picked up where A.J. Hawk left off and had just as impressive a season. Butkus Award winner Patrick Willis, Thorpe Award winner Aaron Ross and Lombardi Award winner LaMarr Woodley round out the top defensive selections. The aforementioned Daniel Sepulveda became the first ever two-time winner of the Ray Guy Award. Sepulveda is the best punting prospect to come out of college since Shane Lechler entered the NFL in 2000 from Texas A&M.

2006 Heisman Trophy winner Troy Smith leads the rest of the offense. Wisconsin OT Joe Thomas, the winner of the Outland Trophy, figures to carry an NFL grade similar to last years' top Lineman, D'Brickashaw Ferguson.

Regardless of the outcome, this game will indeed pit the two best teams in college football for the 2006 season. While only one will go on to play in the Fiesta Bowl for the National Championship, this game reminds me of the San Francisco vs. Dallas games in the NFL back in the early-to-mid 1990's. It was the NFC Championship game, but the consensus was that the two best teams were playing before the Super Bowl - as will be the case here.

Jim Tressel has owned the Wolverines since taking over as coach in 2001, winning 4 of 5 meetings. Athletic QB's have given the Wolverines problems in the recent past and Troy Smith in particular has played well against them. In his previous 2 games against Michigan, both Buckeye victories, the 2006 Heisman Trophy favorite, has averaged 271 yards passing and 91 yards rushing. Smith has also not thrown an INT in those games and has scored 5 combined TD's. Linebacker James Laurinaitis, a Butkus Award Finalist, has taken over where A.J. Hawk left off and Ohio State has not missed a beat. Laurinaitis versus Michigan RB Mike Hart will be one of the most watched matchups of the game. Another key matchup will be between perhaps the best WR and CB in college football with Ohio State WR/KR Ted Ginn being covered by Michigan CB Leon Hall.

Both Michigan and Ohio State have looked good against their respective top opponents. Ohio State easily handled Texas 24-7 in Austin, while Michigan dominated both Notre Dame on the road (47-21) and Wisconsin (27-13). This truly seems like a game that can go either way. When looking at this game and these teams on film, Michigan appears to hold a slight edge. Ohio State, while having one of the better defenses in the country, has had a tendency to have lapses stopping the run. As Mike Hart goes, so goes Michigan. Michigan is 17-1 when Hart reaches the century mark, so the Buckeyes can expect a healthy dose come Saturday. Besides trying to stop Hart, Ohio State must keep an eye on Michigan's big-play WR Mario Manningham. Manningham seems to save his best for big games, evident by his combined 250 receiving yards and five touchdowns against Notre Dame and Wisconsin this season. This is the best Michigan team since their 1997 Championship squad and I believe the reason is defensive coordinator Ron English. English, along with Bo Pelini (LSU) and Randy Shannon (Miami) are the brightest defensive minds in college football today. English has his defense clicking on all cylinders and poised to carry Michigan to Glendale, AZ on January 8th.

As odd as it may sound, the University that had the second most wins during the 90's (Florida State was first) is in a serious reconstruction stage. It seems unlikely but it is true. On November 29th, 2003, Nebraska Athletic Director Steve Pederson decided to take the program in a new direction and fired coach Frank Solich, despite the fact that Solich averaged over 9 wins a season and had been named Big 12 Coach of the Year in 1999 and 2001. Solich also won the Big 12 championship in 1999 and played for the national title after the 2001 season. To the undiscerning eye, the decision to fire a coach who had accomplished this would be a mistake; those people would be wrong. Solich accomplished those feats with teams made up of legendary coach Tom Osborne's recruits. The two Nebraska teams made up entirely of Solich's recruits went a combined 16-10. Solich was not a good recruiter and it was starting to affect the program.

After the change was made, Pederson began an extensive search for the next Nebraska football coach realizing that this hire, if it proved to be unsuccessful, would likely mean his job as well. The search was done in secrecy, but that didn't stop rumors from flying about who was being considered. Names from the NFL ranks as well as coaches at other Universities were mentioned. Among the most rumored candidates were; Kansas City Chiefs offensive coordinator Al Saunders, Philadelphia Eagles offensive coordinator Brad Childress,  Miami Dolphins head coach Dave Wannstedt, Dallas Cowboys defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer, Arkansas' Houston Nutt, Utah's Urban Meyer, Ole Miss' David Cutcliffe and South Carolina's Lou Holtz. Even Steve Spurrier, who had resigned from the Washington Redskins during the search, had been rumored at one point. There were even numerous reports of offers being made to and being turned down by both Mike Zimmer and Houston Nutt. Pederson held to his word and confirmed nothing until he hired former Oakland Raiders head coach Bill Callahan on January 9th, 2004. The N2FL was quick to praise the hiring of Callahan, who had coached the Oakland Raiders to the 2002 Super Bowl. We were not the only ones, as the consensus seemed to be that it was a good hire. "I've dealt with hundreds of coaches over the past 22 years," Tom Lemming has admitted, "and whenever I've ranked coaches who combine coaching and recruiting skills, Coach Callahan always ended up in the Top 10." Lemming was not the only highly respected recruiting analyst who agreed with the hiring. Vice president and editor-in-chief of Rivals.com, Bobby Burton, told N2FL, "Callahan just fit right in. I think, in the end, it was a good hire." Besides his time as the head coach of Oakland, Callahan has also coached under two of the best coaches anywhere in Andy Reid (Philadelphia) and Jon Gruden (Oakland).

Callahan brought with him not only an NFL background, but a reputation as a top-notch recruiter; a reputation he acquired while coaching on the collegiate level from 1980-1994. Callahan was not only ranked as one of the top 10 recruiters in the country by Tom Lemming in 1992, he was listed as one of the top 10 recruiters of all-time by Lemming in 2001, based on Lemming’s recruiting ratings over the past 20 years. In terms of recruiting, an NFL background helps immensely with recruits. "I think Callahan, like (Pete) Carroll, relates to players, enjoys recruiting and enjoys other parts of being a head coach. Those kind of NFL guys tend to succeed more often than not." said Burton. 

Highly respected throughout the coaching ranks; Callahan quickly went to work on assembling a coaching staff and playing the ultimate game of catch-up in terms of salvaging a recruiting class. Using his coaching ties in both the NFL and college, Callahan quickly hired offensive line coach Dennis Wagner away from Fresno State. Quick to join them were defensive coordinator Kevin Cosgrove (Wisconsin), secondary coaches Bill Busch (Utah) and Phil Elmassian (Purdue). Callahan would also eventually bring with him two members of his staff in Oakland, offensive coordinator Jay Norvell and running backs coach Randy Jordan. It was two of the coaches to be hired that perhaps have really proved to be the best. Defensive line coach John Blake came from Mississippi State and head strength coach Dave Kennedy was lured away from Pittsburgh.

John Blake has a reputation of being a great line coach and is undeniably one of the best college recruiters in the country. Allen Wallace, National Recruiting Editor of Scout.com and the publisher of SuperPrep magazine, told N2FL, "I would stick my neck out and say that John Blake is a good candidate to be labeled as a top 10 recruiter in the country. He consistently has a major impact in his recruiting territories." Blake has two Super Bowl rings from coaching with the Dallas Cowboys and after a three year stint as coach of Oklahoma ('96-'98), he was responsible for recruiting the majority of the starters on Oklahoma’s 2000 National Championship team. "I've watched coach Blake work for years, the guy can recruit as well as anybody in the country", told Burton. "(Blake) is a big reason why Stoops had so much success so early at Oklahoma. OU doesn't win a national championship without Roy Williams, Andre Woolfork, Derrick Strait and Rocky Calmus."

Dave Kennedy is considered one of the nation's best football strength coaches. Kennedy earned his reputation during his time at Ohio State (89-'01). There, he helped the Buckeyes produce 21 All-Americans, 17 first-round draft picks, and winners of Heisman and Outland trophies as well as the Butkus, Biletnikoff, Thorpe and Lombardi Awards. Over the years, Kennedy has turned down overtures from numerous NFL and collegiate programs; including Callahan when he was with the Raiders. What makes someone like Kennedy so valuable to Callahan and the Husker program is simple. A quality strength coach has become a high priority because the strength coach is with the players the most of anyone on the staff. Kennedy's job is to instill a winning attitude through the physical and mental development of the players. Kennedy's reputation shows him being one of the best at doing just that.  

All together, four Nebraska coaches have experience in the Super Bowl, including three as coaches (Callahan, Blake, Norvell) and one as a player (Jordan). The staff includes coaches who spent the 2003 season in six different collegiate conferences, as well as the NFL. Callahan worked hard and moved decisively on completing their 2004 recruiting class. At the time of his hire, Nebraska had 7 verbal commitments and were at a virtual standstill when most teams are coming on the strongest. What Callahan did in just three recruiting weekends was extraordinary, signing 11 more players, 5 of them being members of the N2FL Top 250. Nebraska wound up with the 22nd-ranked class and would prove to be a sign of things to come.

The 2004 season was a necessary struggle. Callahan decided to implement his entire West Coast Offense immediately; not going through a transitional year catering to the talent he inherited-which was scarce. Callahan knew the cupboards were practically bare in terms of offensive talent currently on the roster. This was especially evident when it came to the QB position. Joe Dailey, who was recruited to run the option, was vastly out of his element. Dailey completed just 49% of his passes and threw more int. (19) than TD (17). Dailey transferred to North Carolina after being dropped to 4th on the depth chart following spring practices.

Callahan knew that besides teaching his core players the offense; he would also have to showcase it to recruits at the same time. The diverse background and strong ties to different areas of the country allowed Nebraska to attract a plethora of blue-chip talent from all over the country. Recruits seemed to be turned on by the fact that they could come in and play from day 1. Callahan used the 2005 recruiting class, his first full class, to make a statement to the rest of the Big 12 and the country. Nebraska was going to recruit the top athletes to play for them; and the recruits listened. Callahan targeted Nebraska's biggest needs and hit on nearly all of them. Especially targeting the talent-rich states of California, Florida and Texas; Nebraska emphasized Memorial Stadium's game-day atmosphere to impress recruits during official visits. The results.....

The QB position has gone from being a disaster, to being an ideal situation. Callahan signed JUCO standout Zac Taylor of Butler County C.C. where he earn second-team NJCAA All-America honors. Taylor had a great spring game, connecting on 20-of-27 passes for 357 yards with 3 TD and no interceptions.....all before halftime. Zac would not be the only QB to be signed. Also signed was Florida High School star, Harrison Beck. Beck, who was a participant of the EA Sports Elite 11 QB camp, was said to be Callahan's number one QB target this past recruiting year. Beck chose Nebraska over offers from Florida, Florida State and Michigan. After seeing what Taylor can do, it appears that barring an injury, Beck will have a chance to redshirt and take a year to learn the offense. From a talent standpoint, it would not be a surprise to see Beck take the job next year despite the kind of numbers Taylor may put up.  

Along with QB, another position of great importance is the RB spot. In the WCO, the RB needs to be able to not only be a good runner, but an effective pass receiver as well. Callahan signed the best possible RB for the WCO this past year in California Parade All-American, Marlon Lucky. Lucky was rated as the 10th best recruit in the country by N2FL. Lucky has the talent to eventually take the job away from senior and incumbent starter, Cory Ross. Callahan beat out the likes of USC, LSU and Florida for Lucky. Along with Lucky, Nebraska also got a commitment from a fellow U.S. Army All-American, and N2FL Top 250 member, Leon Jackson of Pasco, WA. Jackson is a two-way standout who could also be a top defensive back for the Huskers. Jackson won the 3A state title in the 100 meters as both a freshman and sophomore, including a 10.74 clocking as a sophomore and Callahan wants to try that speed out in the offensive backfield first. Although it is the opinion of N2FL that Jackson would make a better FS.

Completing the WCO "trio" is the WR spot. Callahan went to both the high school and JUCO ranks for some standouts. Taylor's JUCO teammate, WR Frantz Hardy also signed. Hardy, a second-team JUCO All-America, was the second of what would be three Butler County C.C.  teammates to sign with the Huskers. The third of the Butler signees was TE/DE Justin Tomerlin. Tomerlin was considered a super blue-chip player when he originally signed with Florida State in 2001, being named a Parade All-America and participating in the U.S. Army All-American game. Hardy has the talent and is already familiar with Taylor; I expect him to be a top 3 WR on their depth chart. Another JUCO WR, Tyrell Spain of Mesa College in San Diego, could also earn significant playing time. Callahan also got the commitment from Missouri WR Chris Brooks, ranked in the N2FL Top 250.

Nebraska got help for the present and future on the offensive line. High school blue-chippers, Rodney Picou of California and Craig Roark of Oklahoma, are future anchors in the middle. In the near future, the two of them will team with super blue-chip 2004 Callahan recruit, Lydon Murtha, to be the core of a good young line. Picou was a USA Today second-team All-America and another Husker recruit who played in the prestigious U.S. Army All-American Game in San Antonio. He chose Nebraska over offers from USC, Arizona State and Oregon. Roark, like Picou, played in the U.S. Army All-America Game and was a member of the N2FL Top 250. Roark turned down offers from Ohio State, Florida State and Arizona for Nebraska. For the immediate future, Callahan grabbed Brock Pasteur of Mesabi Range Central and Technical College (MN). In 2004, Pasteur garnered honorable-mention NJCAA All-America honors and was a JC Gridwire Preseason All-American. Pasteur should be in the rotation at OT this season, while Picou and Roark will likely have the opportunity to redshirt.

The offensive side of the ball was not the only one to get an influx of talent. The defensive coaches are also going to have some new athletes to use. With Nebraska losing wars in the trenches for the first time in years, the front 4 needed some help. Callahan brought in three members of the N2FL Top 250; DE Barry Turner of Tennessee, DT Ndamukong Suh of Oregon and DE Zach Potter of Nebraska. They also signed JUCO DTs, Ola Dagunduro of Compton (CA) C.C. and Barry Cryer of Dodge City (KS) C.C. Callahan beat out Phil Fulmer and Tennessee for Barry Turner, a USA Today second-team All-American, Turner looks like the next Trev Alberts. Suh chose Nebraska over California, Miami and Mississippi State. Suh began playing football his sophomore season and in just two years is already considered one of the best recruits on the west coast. Suh played in the U.S. Army All-American Game on the O-Line but his athleticism will be tried at DT first, where he could develop into a special player.

Nebraska lost Barrett Ruud to the NFL, so Callahan made grabbing some top LB talent a priority as well. Kevin Cosgrove could have his MLB of the future with Oklahoma product Phillip Dillard. Another N2FL Top 250 signee, Dillard is widely regarded as one of the nation’s top linebacker prospects. It will be tempting for the coaching staff to play Dillard as a true freshman. Incoming JUCO star Steve Octavien of William Rainey Harper College (IL), is expected to earn a starting spot at WLB. Octavien was a track standout for Harper College. He ran the second leg on the school’s 2004 national champion 400-meter relay team and won the Division III junior college discus title with a throw of 164-7. At 6'0" and 235 lbs., Octavien's size-speed combo is frightening.

The secondary is where Callahan's class is the least adequate. After losing Fabian Washington and Josh Bullocks to the NFL a year early, Nebraska needed to replace 3 of their 4 starting DB's. What the class lacked in numbers, it made up for in talent. Callahan was able to get a commit from one of the best JUCO CB recruits the N2FL has scouted in the past 5 years.  Zackary Bowman of New Mexico Military Institute in Roswell. There, he earned junior college All-America honors. In two seasons at the school, Bowman intercepted 10 passes, including six as a sophomore while scoring two touchdowns. Bowman may soon join Washington as a 1st round NFL draft pick. Because of the bareness of top prospects here, this is another reason why the N2FL would prefer to see Leon Jackson moved to DB. The class could use another difference maker.

Getting a kicker with a strong and accurate  leg became a recruiting priority after last year's two kickers, junior David Dyches and the since-graduated Sandro DeAngelis, combined to make only 6-of-12 field goals last season and were just 2-of-6 from beyond 40 yards. Callahan would improve this area indeed, signing the nations top kicking recruit in California product, Jordan Congdon. "Jordan is the best kicker I have seen on the high school level in my 20 years of coaching. I have only said in my 20 years of coaching to five guys that they will make the NFL if they so desired. Jordan is one of them." once stated former NFL PK coach Evan Arapostathis. Congdon is one of four Huskers who earned Parade All-America honors (Lucky, Suh, Jackson) and one of seven Husker commits who participated in the U.S. Army All-America game (Lucky, Suh, Jackson, Roark, Picou, Dillard). It would surprise no one if Congdon won the job from day 1.

Overall, Nebraska's recruiting efforts garnered them the 3rd ranked recruiting class in the country according to N2FL. It contained 31 commits (12 JUCO) and 10 members of the N