It’s only July, but major universities and college football programs are already launching Heisman campaigns to generate the much-needed media exposure for select candidates.  Anyone who follows college football knows about Washington’s Jake Locker, Ohio State’s Terrelle Pryor and last year’s Heisman-winner, Alabama running back Mark Ingram.

WVU running back Noel Devine has his sights set on a Big East Title and a trip to New York in 2010 (google images)

In the second part of a 5-part series, College FootBlog takes a look at some of the individuals that may not be on everybody’s radar screen just yet, but all signs indicate they have as good a chance as anyone of making the trip to New York’s Downtown Athletic Club at season’s end.  In case you missed it, we spotlighted Florida State’s Christian Ponder in part one.  In this edition, we take a look at West Virginia running back Noel Devine.

If you just take a look at his numbers, it’s amazing that the explosive running back is not on everyone’s watch list, but surprisingly, many of the so-called experts do not have Devine listed as a threat to take home the coveted trophy.

Devine burst on the scene as a true freshman, when he took carries away from All-American running back Steve Slaton.  After Slaton was injured in the Fiesta Bowl, which meant Devine would have to carry the load for the Mountaineers, and he delivered, rushing for 105 on just 12 carries with two touchdowns.

His numbers increased his sophomore season, as he rushed for 1,289, and despite being hampered by minor injuries for much of last season, the talented back still managed to rush for 1,465 yards and 13 TDs.  If this trend continues, and more importantly, if Devine can avoid injury this season, there is every reason to believe that he could break 1,800 yards this season.  That sounds like a high number, but it is more attainable than you may think.

Since his arrival in Morgantown, the electric running back from Fort Myers, FL has averaged 6.5 yards per carry.  If he can stay healthy, there is every reason in the world to believe that he will get more carries than last season.  If he gets just 44 more carries than last season, that would put him at 285, putting him over 1,800 yards, given his career yards/carry average.

College FootBlog takes a look at the two things must happen for Devine to get serious consideration from the media and ultimately, the voters.

West Virginia must win the Big East: Six out of the last seven Heisman Trophy winners played on conference champion teams.  This could be a tall order for Devine and the Mountaineers, and given the emergence of the Big East as a formidable BCS conference in the last couple of years, it is.  But despite the success of WVU, Cincinnati, Pitt and others from the conference, the Big East is still unfairly viewed as a little brother to the other conferences by most writers.

In order for the national media to take notice of a Heisman candidate from this conference, they will have to win, and they’ll have to hope that others in the conference like Pitt and Cincy win as well.  This would set the stage for a national TV audience for the “Backyard Brawl” rivalry game on Nov. 26, when WVU travels to Pitt to take on the Panthers.

Will it happen? They should be in the hunt, but the Pitt game will likely determine who wins the Big East.  West Virginia hosts Cincinnati, South Florida and Syracuse before the Pitt game, and they travel to UConn and Louisville.  Unless something unforeseen happens, the Mountaineers will be favored in all of these games.  If they take down Pitt, the conference title will be theirs, and they will lock up a BCS game, and the media will notice.

Devine must avoid injury: At 5’8″ and just 176 lbs., Devine is far from a bruising back.  The only thing preventing him from eclipsing 1,500 yards last season was the fact that he played much of the season banged up.  He still managed to put up some very impressive numbers last fall, but his relatively small frame showed signs of fatigue last year, particularly in the middle of the season.

Devine needs at least 300 touches (rushing, receiving and returning) if he is going to put up the kind of numbers that will trump the other candidates.  If he gets that many touches, that means he made it through the year without a significant injury, and with his explosiveness and elusiveness, that means bigtime production.

Will it happen? It should.  Despite traveling to Death Valley to take on LSU in September, the non-conference schedule is not that tough for the Mountaineers.  And despite his small frame, Devine has proven to be an extremely durable back.  In addition, new quarterback Geno Smith is more of a passer than a runner, which means that unlike in past years, Devine will not be splitting carries with his QB.  His strength and durability will be tested, but he has carried 447 times in his two years as the featured running back at WVU.  Look for that durability to continue in 2010 because it will be his last season, and Devine will have his chance to ease the concerns of NFL scouts that his body can handle the punishment of a 280-plus carry season.

When it was first reported last fall that Michigan head football coach Rich Rodriguez was breaking NCAA rules which limit the number of hours student athletes can practice and take part in sports activities, many assumed he and the Michigan program might get a slap on the wrists, if any punishment at all. 

Rodriguez denied any wrong-doing in a press conference last year, but many have their doubts (google images)

In August of last year, former Michigan players and at least one current anonymous player came forward with the information that sparked the media reports and subsequent investigation. 

Unfortunately for Rodriguez, where there is smoke, there is usually fire.  And while he and the Michigan program will likely face some kind of sanctions from the NCAA’s investigation, it is not likely to be overly harsh–keep in mind that the NCAA cannot hand Michigan a more stringent penalty because of something their head coach did before he even arrived in Ann Arbor.

The investigation into West Virginia, could, however, be the beginning of the end for Rodriguez and his stint as the Wolverines’ head coach.  On August 31st of last year, Rodriguez responded in a press conference to the initial allegations.  An emotional and teary-eyed Rodriguez told the press that day, “We know the rules, and we follow the rules.” 

Apparently, the NCAA doesn’t exactly believe him.  And they intend to prove it.

By Jay Ingles

As we approach the national semifinal games, let’s take a look at what you should watch for in Indianapolis:

1. Michigan State guard Korie Lucious. Lucious has gone from role player to X-factor in the absence of Spartan star Kalin Lucas. Lucious averaged just five points a game in the regular season but has scored better than ten a game since Lucas’ injury against Maryland. He even nailed a game-winning three as time expired against the Terrapins, showing a willingness to take the big shot and an ability to perform in the clutch. Lucious logged an impressive 37 minutes per game in Michigan State’s last two games.

2. Butler’s home-court advantage. The Bulldogs have a comfortable five-mile bus ride from their campus to Lucas Oil Stadium, which may give their game a decidedly home-court feel. This could have an impact on the performance of Butler’s younger stars, namely sophomores Gordon Hayward and Shelvin Mack. Nothing like the hometown fans cheering you on, especially when you’re a school the size of Butler.

3. West Virginia’s athleticism. The Mountaineers are big, they’re long, they’re mean. They’re just the team to give Duke, a team that lacks athleticism, serious problems. The Mountaineers’ zone defense can be very effective when they can use their length to cut off passing lanes. Duke crashes the offensive boards hard, but West Virginia may crash them even harder. If Bob Huggins’ team can use its athleticism to its advantage, they may very well win a national title.

4. Duke’s big three. Duke goes as Kyle Singler, Jon Scheyer, and Nolan Smith go. If you can’t shut down at least one of these guys, you’re not going to beat them. It’s as simple as that. They all play nearly the entire game and combine to take the vast majority of the Blue Devils’ field goal attempts. Singler and Scheyer may get more hype, but Smith can be downright scary (see his 29 points against Baylor). If these three have their way, Duke is going to have its way.

5. The unexpected. Nothing is certain in this NCAA Tournament, and there is a believable scenario under which each of these four teams could win the title. Thanks to the unlikely runs of Michigan State and Butler, there will be a five-seed playing in the national championship for the first time since 2002. We all have an idea who we think will win, but, let’s be honest, nobody really knows.

Brad Stevens, an Indy native, and his Butler squad will have hometown support in this year's Final Four.

By: Brian Mosgaller

So, the eve of the Final Four is finally upon us. And beyond the standard hyperbole of, ‘This is the best tournament ever!’ recited perfunctorily by the experts, the week’s media coverage has gravitated heavily – and understandably – toward the Butler Bulldogs. It makes sense; it is inarguably a special story. However, some of the pro-Butler, overly schmoozy portrayals of the team’s run may have turned some off. Which is why, I think it’s necessary to revisit the reasons why this underdog for the ages deserves your support…

1.) Butler is the flag-bearer for all mid-majors seeking real respect

Now, don’t get me wrong, George Mason was a fantastic story. Jim Larranaga was a lovable front man, and the Patriots knocked off tournament mainstays Michigan State, North Carolina and Connecticut to earn their way to the national semifinals. Unfortunately, it was a lighting-in-a-bottle moment. George Mason is a solid program, in a solid, mid-major league, that caught fire and a number of breaks on their way to the most magical run in tournament history.

Butler is different. The program has reached the tournament nine times in the past 14 years, with an infamous 25-5 snub in 2002. It is a program that has given us a memorable, Darnell Archey-led run to the Sweet Sixteen in 2003, and another second-weekend run behind A.J. Graves in 2007. They have won seven Horizon League titles since 2001. Butler is a damn good basketball school.

Which is what makes this special. They aren’t a blind squirrel finding a nut. Rather, they are a quality mid-major that has built to this point and finally gotten to the promised land. It was commonly assumed that Gonzaga – the former posterchild for mid-major success – would be the first non-BCS university to crash the party. Instead, it’s Butler. But either way, their trip validates the long-term success of a handful of mid-majors that have been able to sustain success.

2.) The hometown factor

Although the Michigan State in Detroit theme from last year’s Dance was neat, MSU is 90 miles away from Detroit. Butler is mere miles from Indy. They are the first school to legitimately have a hometown Final Four game since UCLA in 1972 – and I’m willing to wager the Bruins didn’t need the hometown boost. With Butler, though, the fans will be a very influential factor. Which leads me to…

3.) Hoosiers

Is there any place more deserving and fitting of this run than Butler and the state of Indiana? Butler, a small-school from basketball-crazy Indianapolis, knocks off more heralded foes en route to an unlikely destination in a prestigious championship event. Seriously? You can’t write this stuff. Someone check the roster, Jimmy Chitwood must be the leading scorer.

There isn’t a state in the union more frequently or passionately associated with the sport of basketball than Indiana. And Indiana is also a blue-collar Midwest state with a bit of an inferiority complex to it (see: ESPN’s Reggie Miller v. Knicks documentary). Now, we have the team that actually plays in the building that saw Milan High miraculously triumph over Muncie High (the basis of the famous movie, which also happened to be filmed at Hinkle Fieldhouse, Butler’s home arena), reaching the Final Four in its home city. It is nothing short of a fairytale.

4.) Team identity

Making the powerful story all the more fitting, is that Butler didn’t stray from the state’s basketball genetics in order to reach this peak. Two-thirds of the current roster hails from the Hoosier State, including first- and third-leading scorers, Gordon Hayward and Matt Howard, respectively. Head coach Brad Stevens grew up in an Indianapolis suburb and his team reflects the state’s basketball M.O.

The Bulldogs aren’t tall – Howard holds down the fort in the post at a relatively diminutive 6-8 – but they are efficient with the ball, shoot it well and play hard-nosed defense. As a team, the Horizon League champs shot a healthy 45 percent on the year, with four of the squad’s five starters gunning at clips in excess of 46 percent. They managed a respectable 1.7 turnover margin, and finished ninth in the country in defense, allowing just 59.6 points per game. In other words, not only does Butler represent Indiana this weekend, but they’ve reflected the state’s basketball values all decade.

5.) Who else are you going to root for?

Honestly, come on. Outside of Durham, the state of West Virginia and the state to the north of this year’s finals, there is no acceptable reason not to pull for Butler. Yeah, West Virginia is in its first Final Four since the late-1950s. But they also play in the Big East and have an enrollment more than five times that of Butler. And yes, Michigan State coping with and surviving the loss of its leader, Kalin Lucas, is pretty special. But the Spartans and Tom Izzo have been there six out of the last 12 years – not quite as special anymore, huh? And Duke, well, let’s just say, I don’t think I could come up with three reasons to root for the Blue Devils.

No, instead, indulge yourself and root for the hometown underdog. Let the story suck you in. And as soon as you feel like a chump for doing so, simply revisit this list.

As the end of Spring Football draws near, some major college football programs have answered some questions, while others have more questions than they had in February.  In this three-part series, College FootBlog will release our Preseason 2010 Top 25 with some insight on each team and the season that will be here in five months.  In this first edition, we will break down #16-#25.

Oregon State RB Quizz Rodgers is one of the most electric players in college football (google images)

16. Oregon State: The Beavers surprised many outside of their conference last season, but to the Pac 10, their rise in ’09 was a continuance of what they have been doing for the last four years, the Beavers are 36-17 and have finished second in the Pac 10 in each of the last two years.  The Rodgers brothers (Quizz and James) return to lead the offense.  There is a battle between Ryan Katz and Peter Lalich to replace Sean Canfield at quarterback, but if the last four years are any indication, Oregon State is for real and they are here to stay.

17. Miami: Many doubted the Hurricane offense going into last season, but then sophomore quarterback Jacory Harris proceeded to light up defensive secondaries en route to a 3,000-yard passing season.  Harris and his receiving corps faltered against Wisconsin in their bowl game, but with only one wideout leaving for graduation (Leonard Hankerson), look for Miami to put up good numbers on offense again in 2010.  Couple that with a very athletic defense led by linebacker Sean Spence, and the ‘Canes will be tough this fall.

18. LSU: The Tigers were a decent offense away from ending Tim Tebow’s BCS Championship long before Alabama knocked the Gators off in the SEC Championship Game.  Les Miles had a solid defense last season, and senior linebacker Kelvin Sheppard returns to anchor this season’s unit.   Do-everything offensive game-breaker, Russell Shepard should make a name for himself in his sophomore season.

19. Nebraska: Bo Pelini brought respect back to the storied program that had been in a major drought since the days of Eric Crouch.  Pelini has brought back the “black shirt” defense as opposed to what had looked more like the “mesh shirt” defense in the earlier part of the last decade.  The loss of Ndamukong Suh is significant, but luckily for Husker fans, the rest of the Big 12 is not good at tackle football.

20. Georgia: After a disappointing 8-5 season, look for the Bulldogs to bounce back this fall.  The offense should take a step forward, with one of the top receivers in the country in AJ Green and running back Washaun Ealey.  The defense was a major reason the ‘Dawgs underachieved in 2009, so head coach Mark Richt has revamped his coaching staff on that side of the ball, and the buzz coming out of Athens so far this spring sounds like those changes are already having a favorable impact.

21. Penn State: Look for JoPa to make one last run in 2010, although we believe the Nittany Lions don’t quite have enough to dethrone Ohio State for a run at the Big Ten title.  The thing that Penn State has going for them is their conference.  While there are four teams that should be very good in 2010, the rest of the conference takes a significant nosedive, and PSU should benefit from that.

Senior quarterback Josh Nesbitt is the key to GT's triple option attack (google images)

22. Georgia Tech: After scoffing at Paul Johnson bringing the triple option to a major college offense a couple years ago, we have all learned one thing–he is a great football coach.  And we have learned to not count him out.  The loss of stud running back Jonathan Dwyer will hurt the Yellow Jackets, but if quarterback Josh Nesbitt can stay healthy, GT will make another run at an ACC Championship Game.

23. North Carolina: Butch Davis has the Tarheels playing great football…well, at least on defense.  UNC boasted the nation’s 6th ranked total defense, allowing opposing offenses just under 270 yards per game.  Unfortunately, for the ‘Heels, the offense was as bad as the defense was good.  UNC was ranked a pathetic 108th in total offense.   If the offense can improve at all (which isn’t exactly a tall order), look for Butch Davis’ squad to give teams fits in 2010.

24. West Virginia: The Mountaineers will have to overcome the loss of quarterback Jarrett Brown, but Geno Smith will look to show why he was such a highly-touted QB out of Florida.  Noel Devine has been one of the most explosive players in the country since his freshman season, and the fact that he returned for his senior means that the Mountaineers can always one play away from breaking one.

25. Auburn: The heavily criticized hiring of Gene Chizik worked out well, as he led the Tigers to an 8-5 record and a bowl victory over Northwestern in his inaugural season.  Look for even more improvement from the offense and a stout defense.  Look for freshman running back Michael Dyer and freshman DE Corey Lemonier to make immediate impact this fall.

I think it’s safe to say that March Madness 2010 has changed the way that fans will evaluate their brackets moving forward. Teams like St. Mary’s and Northern Iowa came from no where to shock the world and a few number one ranked teams in the process.

What doesn’t come as a surprise are the four teams that reached the Final Four. No, I did not select these four teams to be here come April, but I wasn’t surprised to see that it was these teams left. Below is a breakdown of each team; how they got here and what it’ll take to win it all.

Duke Blue Devils

How they got here:

Duke is Duke. Coach K is Coach K. Year after year, the Blue Devils are favorites to make it this far, but this year they actually succeeded. Duke’s big three has put the team on their backs and haven’t looked back. Reaching the Final Four on an eight game win streak, this team is no stranger to the Final Four making it for the 11th time under Coach K. Jon Scheyer, Kyle Singler and Nolan Smith are all averaging over 17 points and Brian Zoubek has an impressive 7.6 rebounds per game. Duke beat impressive California, Purdue and Baylor squads on their road to Indy.

Why they’ll win it:

Determination. This team is driven. Other than being Las Vegas’ betting favorite, this team can play. Zoubek and Scheyer are Seniors; Singular and Smith both know that this is their chance to win it all. Squaring up against West Virginia in their Final Four match-up, the Blue Devils outscore the Mountaineers by five ppg and hold opponents to two less points. Aside from the numbers, they have Coach K drawing up their plays. His legendary experience will be enough to fire up his team and get them ready to play the biggest games of their lives.

West Virginia Mountaineers

How they got here:

While Cornell was making Kentucky’s job easier on the upper half of their tier, West Virginia was busy taking down such powers as Missouri, Washington and Kentucky. Kentucky itself was a huge victory for Bob Huggins, who is now 8-1 versus John Calipari all time, but Washington was overlooked being an 11 seed reaching the Sweet Sixteen. Da’Sean Butler has been averaging 17.3 ppg this tournament and this includes his nine points in his 28 minutes played against Morgan State in the opening round. Oh, I guess winning their last 10 including a Big East Championship puts them on a roll too.

Why they’ll win it:

Even though they were a number two seed in their region, no one thought they had a chance. This is especially true because Kentucky was most of America’s favorite to win it all. Winning 73-66, West Virginia led the entire game against what was thought to be the nation’s best team. Their experience also may have something to do with it because in their victory over Kentucky four Mountaineers were in double-digits. Their 43.5% shooting from beyond the arc will be a key to beating Duke who mixes between a zone and tough man.

Michigan State Spartans

How they got here:

After the fall of Kalin Lucas, no one expected this squad to make it past Northern Iowa let alone Tennessee. However, Korie Lucious has stepped in to fill Lucas’ roll and he has done so accordingly. Raymar Morgan has emerged as this teams on-court captain. Even though their game with Tennessee came down to an iffy call in the final two seconds, Michigan State’s coach Tom Izzo is no stranger to the Final Four with six life-time trips putting him 5th all time. Also, this is the teams second trip in the last two years. I’d say this team is hot.

Why they’ll win it:

If it was up to me, I’d say Michigan State is least likely to win it all because of the downing of Kalin Lucas. Then again, millions have been saying this for the past two games. Butler better prepare for the high-flying, shoot-anywhere-on-the-court antics of Lucious because he will kill you with the three ball if you let him. Plus, if Kansas was selected most to win it all in most all brackets filled, that should say something about the team from the region that emerged instead. Don’t count out the Spartans come April 5th at 9:21 p.m.

Butler Bulldogs

How they got here:

I wrote an article about this team almost a month ago saying that they are the country’s hottest team heading down the stretch. Winning their last 18 games of the season and the Horizon League easily, Butler has been putting their game where everyone else’s mouth is. Now winners of their last 25, Butler doesn’t plan on stopping because they are viewed as college basketball’s Boise State. Only difference, they actually get a shot at the National Championship come Sunday.

Why they’ll win it:

Like I recently said, they are winners in their last 25 games and that counts as something. A young team with experience, Butler has blown everyone out on their road to Indianapolis including a seven-point victory over Kansas State to reach the Final Four. Butler has the lowest points-against-average this season with an impressive 59.4 ppg. Also, Butler has the nation’s least amount of losses title with four. This team knows how to win big games and with four members of their team averaging over double-digits, there is no ‘I’ in Butler (or Bulldogs for that matter).

Now that you have seen the reasons that these are the four teams left, are you still happy with your bracket down the stretch?