March is just around the corner, and the competition is really starting to heat up in college basketball. Teams are fighting for high ranks and top seeds come Selection Sunday, so it is starting to be pretty obvious who will be in and out of the postseason.

Bleacherreport.com has compiled a list of eleven teams who are a tough pick for the tournament, teams that may or may not have even a shot to make it even though they were top picks at the beginning of the season. These teams have around 17 wins and 11 losses each on average, and they are mediocre in their individual conferences.

I see a lot of teams on their list that I personally think have a big shot in the tournament. They have a somewhat solid record and have consistent victories against non-conference teams and multiple plays that will most likely be ranked at the top of them all by the end of the tournament. Plus, they have a history of showing up in the Big Dance year after year, although that is not always a shoe-in for the future—does anyone remember North Carolina being in the tournament in 2010? No? That’s because they actually were not there for once.

Some teams listed, however, most likely do not have a chance on Selection Sunday. I do not think Cincinnati, for example, has a good chance at overcoming tenth-ranked Marquette and South Florida with a 9-5 record in the Big East already. I also do not see the Mississippi State Bulldogs headed to postseason play either, especially with a 6-7 SEC record and not finishing out their scare against Kentucky last week. And it is obviously a surprise to see Connecticut on this list – the defending champions of 2011! These teams may give quite the fright against top ranked ones, but in the end, it is all about winning the game, not just freaking the opposing team out for a few minutes.

We won’t be learning of these teams’ fate until Selection Sunday, but until then, it is all about their fight back into being top contenders for the tournament, so the games in the next few weeks will no doubt be incredibly exciting.

Photo courtesy of MidwestSportsFans.com

One week after a horrific fight with Cincinnati that made Ron Artest look like an a pacifist, Xavier University took to the court against 7-4 Oral Roberts last weekend.    (photo courtesy of thesportsbank.net)

Due to suspensions from last week’s brawl to settle it all, Xavier was without three players, including All-American point guard Tu Holloway.  And it showed.

The Musketeers were throttled by Oral Roberts on the Xavier home court by a score of 64-42.    Holloway seemingly took pride in the Cincinnati fight, saying after the game that Xavier had a “bunch of gangsters in the locker room” and boasted that Xavier’s team motto is ”We zip them up.”

Well, the Gangstas were thumped by 22 points on last Sunday, and instead of receiving All-American accolades and triple doubles, Holloway will forever be known as the thug who spoke those eloquent words a week ago.

Because the suspension was only for one game (which garnered plenty of criticism in and of itself), Holloway will return for Xavier’s next match up against Long Beach State, as he and the Musketeers will not only try to bounce back after this season’s only loss, and they’ll try to shake the self-imposed thug image for the rest of the season.

Xavier’s record after this loss drops them to 8-1 on the season.

NFL Combine Big Winners and Losers–By Jeff Dunbar

Each year, millions of dollars are at stake in Indianapolis, as top college players take part in testing and interviews at the NFL Combine.  Depending on their performances over four-day period, these young men can literally make or lose millions of dollars based on what they show NFL scouts in this short amount of time.

This year was no different from years past as a few individuals improved their stock, while others likely took major hits to their wallets.  College FootBlog breaks down six of the biggest winners and three of the biggest losers based on their combine performances.

Winners

Jacoby Ford posted the Combine's top forty time at 4.28 seconds (google images)

1.  Jacoby Ford (WR/Clemson):  Ford stole the show on the wideout day, posting a ridiculous forty time of 4.28.  At 5’9″ and 186 lbs, many experts had him pegged in the later rounds of the draft.  Ford helped his stock even more by running very crisp routes, negating the criticism that he was just a return man.  With his performance in the receiver drills and his forty time, Ford is now drawing comparisons to Carolina Panther All-Pro Steve Smith.

2.  Taylor Mays (Safety/USC):  Mays was already tabbed as a first rounder, but his 4.43 time in the forty may have moved him into the top 10.  Mays has made a steady climb since the Senior Bowl, where he intercepted a pass in the game, showing critics that he is only a big hitter that he can also perform in coverage.

3.  Jahvid Best ( RB/Cal):  Best was right in the thick of the Heisman race before he was forced to miss several games due to a concussion.  His speed has been well-documented–Best was the California state champion in the 100-meter dash as a senior with a blistering time of 10.31 seconds.  That speed was on display for the pro scouts at the combine as Best posted the top time for all running backs, edging CJ Spiller by 0.02 seconds with a time of 4.35.

4.  Eric Berry (Safety/Tennessee):  Berry also showed out in the forty-yard dash, posting an official time of 4.47.  Like Mays, Berry was already considered a first rounder, but the versatile defensive back showed a lot of confidence and great hips and change of direction in the combine drills.  That, in addition to playing for defensive guru Monte Kiffin should result in a nice payday for him next month.

5.  Sean Weatherspoon (ILB/Missouri):  Weatherspoon continues to see his stock soar as he ran a 4.68 forty, which is very respectable for a middle linebacker.  He also did an unbelievable 34 reps of 225 lbs in the bench press.  This strong performance combined with his dominance in the Senior Bowl, where Weatherspoon showed cover skills to compliment his ability to close holes and make tackles will only help his stock.

6.  Dekoda Watson (Linebacker/Florida St.):  Watson ran a 4.52 forty and is now up to 240 lbs.  FSU’s defensive captain from 2009 battled minor injuries throughout his career, but his speed off the edge and his improved muscle mass should help the OLB move higher in the third round or potentially crack the late second round.

Losers

Joe Haden's slow forty time likely dropped him out of the Top 10 in next months draft (google images)

1.  Joe Haden (CB/Florida):  Haden was widely considered the to DB in the draft this year, but his stock took a major hit at the combine, as he posted a very unimpressive 4.57 and followed that time up with a 4.60.  Despite all the great film of Haden from his dominant days at Florida, this slow time will have a major impact on his stock. 

2.  LeGarrette Blount  (RB/Oregon):  Blount was already fighting an uphill battle due to his actions in the 2009 opener against Boise State when he KO’d Byron Hout and then had to be held back by coaches and teammates from going into the crowd to fight fans.  After a solid performance at the Senior Bowl, Blount showed up at the combine looking like he was carrying some extra, unnecessary weight. 

That proved to be the case when he clocked in at 4.62 and 4.69 in the forty.  His 241-pound frame should help his cause, but even for a big back, 4.62 is not a solid time.  Blount could have offset the less than stellar forty time with the bench press, but he managed 19 reps of 225 lbs, which is okay, but not spectacular.

3.  Tony Pike (QB/Cincinnati):  Pike was on a lot of scouts’ radar going into this season, but after a rather unimpressive performance at the Senior Bowl, he had a lot to gain going into the combine.  After the combine, he likely dropped even lower.  Pike took part in throwing drills and many scouts were unimpressed with his arm strength.  Pike, who is not a physical specimen, will have to hope for a third round selection.

The future looks bright for former Bearcat.

By Coden Mruk

MORGANTOWN, WV – Cincinnatti QB Tony Pike has finished his college career as a two year starter for the Bearcats throwing for over 5,000 yards and 49 touchdowns. In his final season at Cincinnati, Pike led his team to a 12-0 regular season record and a birth in the 2009-2010 Allstate Sugar Bowl. Improving each year, Pike saw his touchdown numbers shoot from 19 to 29 this past season. Just as impressive was that he threw those touchdowns without turning the ball over, throwing only 6 INTs on the season. Coming in to the final game of the season against Pitt for the Big East championship Pike had only thrown 3 interceptions on the year. He managed to match his 3 additional interceptions with 3 touchdowns and the all important game winner to take the conference and finish out a perfect regular season. Also note that he threw 3 touchdowns and 0 interceptions in Cincinnati’s only loss to Florida.

Much of this past year’s success can be credited to the Bearcats high flying offense led by Pike and senior wideout Mardy Gilyard. The duo hooked up for a total of 9 touchdowns in as many games. Pike missed 3 regular season games due to injury but before going down was considered a candidate for the Heisman trophy.

Now, after impressing everyone at the Senior Bowl including ESPN’s and Scout.com’s Todd McShay, Tony Pike finds himself right in the middle of the draft process and there is a ton of buzz around this guy. In fact, Mcshay called Pike the “best all around prospect” at this years Senior Bowl. Pointing out Pike’s upside,Mcshay calls his ball “deadly accurate”, and continued by noting Pike “shows good poise in the pocket”. If he can continue to improve on his pocket awareness and ability to read coverages he becomes an elite NFL QB prospect standing 6’6 and weighing in at 225 lbs. He has the body of your prototypical quarterback resembling Peyton Manning and Carson Palmer. Scouts and GMs both love what Tony Pike brings to the table at the quarterback position.

Lets be realistic, there are about ten total teams whose quarterback position can be considered up in the air or unsettled. From the Rams to the Vikings, throw in the Jaguars, Cardinals, Panthers, and Seahawks…to name a few. I’m not saying that ten teams are going to draft a quarterback, especially not within the first three rounds of this years draft. What I’m saying is that if you are one of these GMs and you see a quarterback on your draft board who you feel can make your team better you draft him. As we all know the quarterback is the leader of the offense and by default the scape goat when things turn sour. Having a quarterback whose abilities only allow him to manage an offense puts a strain on defenses that few teams can afford. That’s why the strong arm and accuracy of Pike has a lot of people taking a closer look. Here is a short look at a few of those scenarios.

Minnesota Vikings- This whole situation revolves around Brett Favre’s decision to come back or retire. For sake of this argument lets say he retires. The Minnesota Vikings are stacked on the defensive side of the ball however they are aging quickly. The offense has a premiere running back, three good wide receivers, and a tight end already in place. We have all seen  what Minnesota can do with an effective passing game and we have also seen just how ineffective Tavaris Jackson can be. Minnesota could address the  defense early and Tony Pike could find his way on the Vikings draft board come round 3.

Seattle Seahawks- There is a new sheriff in town in Seattle and he wants to win. Pete Carroll had a short stint in the NFL prior to this gig with the Seahawks but his professional coaching career turned out to be a bust. He moved on to USC where he experienced win after win, bowl after bowl. He’s going to want to win and win now. To do that, don’t be surprised to see the Seahawks draft a quarterback to play and learn behind Matt Hasselbeck, who could be looking for work if he doesn’t get the job done soon.

Arizona Cardinals- It looks like kurt Warner’s career has finally come to an end. Originally, Arizona’s plan was to move in to the future featuring Matt Leinart at the helm. The time Leinart has spent on the feild, though it short, has not been by any means impressive. To me, it is obvious that Matt Leinart is not the answer for the future unless he improves significantly. This improvement could be sparked by creating a small quarterback controversy by drafting a guy like Pike. Give yourself two young quarterbacks both of whom are looking to prove something. Announce Leinart as your starter going in to camp giving him the confidence of the coaching staff and front office and let Tony Pike learn from the sideline.

Do I think Tony Pike is going to be a great NFL quarterback? No. Do I think any team should bet the farm on a guy like Pike? No.I do think that Tony Pike has put himself in position to be considered an elite prospect at the quarterback position. If I’m a GM I take a chance on Pike in round 3. If he falls to round 4 or 5 its a steal.

The Senior Bowl in Mobile, Alabama featured several NFL prospects with big names, but there were five athletes who did wonders for their draft stock with their performances yesterday afternoon.  College FootBlog breaks down these five individuals and analyzes how they could fare in NFL training camps in the upcoming months.

5.  Stafon Johnson (RB/USC)

How can you not root for this kid?  After nearly dying from a freak accident in the weight room, which crushed his larynx, many thought Johnson would be done with football.  Although his numbers were not great (4 carries for 3 yards), Johnson showed his speed and agility on his first carry, making a defender miss en route to a short gain.  If Johnson can show the same perseverance and guts that got him back on the field yesterday, his stock will only continue to rise. 

Oregon's Legarrette Blount had an impressive showing at the Senior Bowl (google images)

4.  LeGarrette Blount (RB/Oregon)

Blount’s measurables have never been an issue–at 6’2″ and 240 lbs, he is a load out of the backfield.  Blount also possesses a textbook right cross (just ask Boise State’s Byron Hout), which has scouts questioning his character.  Since that altercation in Boise, Blount has been on the straight and narrow.  Blount’s suspension was lifted, and he has continued to show maturity.  In the Senior Bowl, Blount was by far the most NFL-ready running back on the field.  Of his 240 lbs, it is all solid and he has good speed and power.  He finished the day with 36 yards and a touchdown on just seven carries. 

3.  Dan LeFevour (QB/Central Michigan)

While Tim Tebow got all the press for his strep throat and upcoming Superbowl commercial, it was LeFevour who impressed at quarterback.  He showed great escapability and showcased his ability to run and pass.  His running style should translate to the NFL because he is quick and despite his size (6’3″, 229 lbs), he does not depend on power, but instead, he has deceptive speed and keeps his eyes down field.  LeFevour also showed good pocket presence and delivered the best pass of the day, when he dropped a perfect pass in a very tight window for a 32-yard touchdown to Mardy Gilyard.

2.  Brandon Graham (DE/Michigan)

Graham was disruptive all game, collecting two sacks and a forced fumble.  He showed great explosiveness off the edge, but he also showed a solid base against the run and pass.  On a misdirection running play, Graham showed the ability to change direction, shed a block and accelerate to the ball carrier.  Graham was always know at Michigan as an end who could get to the quarterback, but he showed tremendous versatility yesterday and likely made himself a lot of money with his dominant performance.

1.  Mardy Gilyard (WR/Cincinnati)

Gilyard was one of the most explosive players in college football in the last two seasons, but experts wondered how he would do against the big boys, outside of the Big East Conference.  Simply put–Gilyard showed out yesterday.  His size may be an issue with some scouts, but the upside he possesses and the number of ways he can collect yardage (as a return man and a receiver) can not be ignored.  Gilyard was on a different level all afternoon, and he highlighted his five-catch, 103-yard performance by leaving All-American cornerback Javier Arenas on a go-route for a touchdown.

Honorable Mention:  Jeremy Williams, WR/Tulane; Sean Weatherspoon, LB/Missouri; Colin Peek, TE/Alabama

In our first two pieces, College FootBlog ranked the third through the sixth ranked BCS conferences from the 2009 season (see link). In this three-part breakdown, we analyze the results from each conference from the 2009 college football season, and we also give an outlook for the upcoming 2010 season.

Without further adieu, here are our top two BCS conferences from our Power Rankings.

2.  Big East

2009 Recap: There was a time when analysts argued if the Big East should even have the right to an automatic BCS bid for its champion.  That is no longer the case.  Most people left the Big East for dead when Miami, Virginia Tech and Boston College left for what was believed to be the greener pastures of the ACC.  While the ACC has fallen from respectability, the Big East has consistently raised the bar over the last three years.

Cincinnati's Mardy Gilyard was one of the most explosive players in college football in '09 (google images)

The Big East went 4-2 in their bowl games, and this was despite Cincinnati’s loss to Florida in the Sugar Bowl (which, coincidentally, was a horrible match up by the selection committee).  We are all aware of what Tony Pike, Zach Collaros and Mardy Gilyard did for the Bearcat offense, but the Big East was much ‘Bigger’ this season, and it was the second-deepest conference in the nation.

Dave Wannstedt has Pitt back on the national scene and they gave Cincinnati all they could handle in a stunning 45-44 loss that was one of the best (if not the best) college football games all season.  Overall, the Panthers finished with ten wins on the year, West Virginia and Rutgers racked up nine wins and USF and UConn each pulled in eight victories on the year.

2010 Outlook: Coaching changes could have a significant effect on the Big East next season.  The Departure of Cincinnati coach Brian Kelly for Notre Dame and the firing of South Florida coach Jim Leavitt will put a lot of pressure on new head coaches Butch Jones and Skip Holtz.

The good news is that each of those two programs will have a proven quarterback.  Cincy did not lose a beat when Tony Pike was lost temporarily due to injury because of the great play of Zach Collaros.  And USF will have leader Matt Grothe back next fall, but they now have a proven back up in BJ Daniels.

The issue for the Bulls is going to be replacing future NFL defensive ends George Selvie and Jason Pierre-Paul.  Pitt will have to replace quarterback Bill Stull, but running back Dion Lewis will take a lot of pressure off the new starter at QB.

Overall, it will be difficult to keep the #2 Power Ranking in 2010, but the coaching and talent will continue to gain well-deserved respect from college football.

1.  SEC

2009 Recap: As much as some fans would like to see a changing of the guard, the SEC simply will not allow that to happen.  All the SEC did this season is send ten of their twelve teams to bowl games, and they won six, which included the Sugar Bowl and the BCS National Championship.

When the dust settled, the SEC combined for a whopping 97-59 record in ’09, making it by far the deepest conference in the country.  Led by Alabama’s national championship team and the Florida Gators, whose only loss came at the hands of the Crimson Tide, the SEC once again imposed its will on the rest of college football.

Mark Ingram's punishing running-style led the Tide to the BCS Title (google images)

With the one-two punch of Heisman Trophy winner Mark Ingram and freshman Trent Richardson, Bama’s smashmouth running game and defense was in stark contrast to Florida’s spread attack and Arkansas’ pass-happy scheme, but each was effective all season.  Georgia was disappointing but still finished the year with eight wins, capped off with a 44-20 drubbing of Texas A&M.  LSU and Ole Miss finished with very respectable nine win seasons as well, and both are looking to have even better years next season.

2010 Outlook: Look for much of the same with the SEC dominating college football.  Flordia will have a bit of a rebuilding year after the loss of Tim Tebow and likely NFL first rounders, LB Brandon Spikes, TE Aaron Hernandez and CB Joe Haden.

The scary part is that the other top teams could be and should be even better this fall.  That includes ‘Bama, who returns the running back tandem of Ingram and Richardson, but they also return WR Julio Jones and QB Greg McElroy.

Head coach Gene Chizik will look to build on the momentum he created at Auburn, and with Arkansas’ Ryan Mallett and Ole Miss QB Jevan Snead, the SEC could possibly have a pair of first round quarterbacks in the 2011 NFL Draft.

Just to recap, College FootBlog’s 2009 BCS Conference Power Rankings are as follows:

1. SEC
2. Big East
3. Big Ten
4. Big 12
5. ACC
6. Pac 10

Please feel free to post your own power rankings and give your feedback.  Also, look for College FootBlog’s analysis of the recruiting season in a couple of weeks.