A VIEW FROM THE SIDELINE
e No tes
R E D E M P T I O N ?3 ,
allas - Jan.
Philly vs. D
Last year, the Cowboys were on the fast train
to Quitsville. This year, though, is a different
story, but will the final chapter read in Dallas?
Pla y offs & bo w l g a m e s ? No th i n’ Be t t e r
he NFL playoff picture is
T completed, with the exception
of seeding in the NFC. But,
that picture is as clouded as it could be
in the AFC. Here goes:
Jets and Ravens win and they’re in.
Broncos, Texans and Steelers win and
need help.
Jags and the Dolphins can still get in,
but it’ll take a minor miracle to get
them there. But, just ask Philadelphia
who needed that miracle last year. The
Eagles got it and took it all the way to
the NFC Championship game.
exas
D A l l a s  T
2010
The NFC playoff picture is clearer,
well, as it pertains to the six teams;
now, it’s just about order and chaos.
Or, chaos and order. A Minnesota loss
will have them playing Wild Card
weekend, but a win and a Philly loss
will give them that coveted first round
bye.
The college season concludes with its
January games and the BCS National
Championship game in Pasadena.
Alabama and Texas meet in the title
game - the one the SEC has dominated
the last three seasons.
Gam
Win and...get help
Unchartered Territory
The Houston Texans are 8-7 for the first
time in organization history and a win
will put them at 9-7 for, repeat after me,
the first time ever. But, 9-7 will be
hollow without a playoff trip. The Texans
need to beat New England and then
hope for help. Check out LZ’s write-up,
pg. 2
December’s Song
Can Favre turnaround in Jan.?
Although it’s hard to fault Brett Favre for
the ENTIRE Viking swoon in December,
you can’t argue with the fact that this
trend has been there for the past six to
seven years for Favre-led teams. Can
January be different for the Vikes against
the Giants? Check out page 4.
New Year’s Day!
Welcome Back to Pasadena!
It’s been a while since Ohio State and
Oregon have been to the Rose Bowl...as
Rose Bowl participants. However, this
matchup has plenty of intrigue and could
be the most “fun” game on 1/1/2010!
JH & LZ on radio
1560 The Game
Catch Lance Zierlein
from 6 to 10 am
daily, alongside John
Granato. Listen to
John Harris on the
Sean and John show,
with Sean Pendergast show 3 to 7 PM
daily. www.1560thegame.com
 NFL SECTION BY LANCE ZIERLEIN WEEK 17

New England (10-5) vs. Houston (8-7)

January 3, 2010 - CBS 12 PM CST
Vegas Line: HOU -8 / 46

t 2009 Ranking
2009 ATS Record 2009 ATS Record
123.1 ypg - 11th Run Offense 88.7 ypg - 31st
7-7-1 7-7-1
279.5 ypg - 4th Pass Offense 290.6 ypg - 2nd
2009 Over/Under 2009 Over/Under
4-10-1 4-10-1
26.7 ppg - 7th Scoring Offense 23.6 ppg - 11th
Last 5 Games Last 5 Games
108.3 ypg - 11th Run Defense 109.1 ypg - 13th
12/27 W, Jacksonvi!e 35-7 12/27 W, @ Miami 27-20
12/20 W, @ Buffalo 17-10 12/20 W, @ St. Louis 16-13
204.0 ypg - 7th Pass Defense 216.3 ypg - 17th
12/13 W, Carolina 20-10 12/13 W, Seattle 34-7
12/6 L, @ Miami 21-22 12/6 L, @ Jacksonvi!e 18-23
16.7 ppg - 4th Scoring Defense 20.4 ppg - 15th
11/30 L, @ New Orleans 17-38 11/29 L, Indianapolis 27-35
+7 - 8th TO Margin -2 - 18th

Last Meeting: New England - 40 vs. Houston - 7 (12/17/2006)

Patriots Keys to Victory... The Patriots are still being coy about who will play and who won't but
obviously Las Vegas thinks the Patriots are going to rest some of their key starts since the Texans opened as
a touchdown favorite.  I anticipate the Patriots playing their starters for a half or possibly less and if that
happens, they have some serious matchup problems that they can impose on the Texans secondary. The
Patriots haven't allowed a sack in their last four games, but they will probably try and run the ball if Brady
is in the game just to be safe. On defense, the Patriots secondary has been much better since safeties
Meriweather and Sanders have returned to the lineup and if the Patriots can rush Matt Schaub with some
level of effectiveness, they should be able to slow the Texans offense down. If Schaub has time to throw,
the Pats defense will be in trouble.

Texans Keys to Victory...The improvement of the running game last weekend had as much to do with
the offensive line of the Texans as it had to do with RB Arian Foster. However, the Texans will have some
problems with the Patriots defensive front this week as the Patriots 3-4 figures to cause more problems for
the Texans than the Dolphins 3-4 did. The Pats have been somewhat average against the run, but they
should be better at shutting down the interior running game which means the Texans might try to match
their LBs up in coverage like they did to the Dolphins. The Texans rush defense has been terrific over the
last 12 games and the Patriots don't figure to give them as severe a test as they've seen in other games this
season. The secondary, however, will have problems if QB Brady starts because he’ll figure out who the
weak link is in coverage and pick at them over and over.

Conclusion: The Patriots know that if they win this game, they could potentially open the door for the
Steelers to make it into the playoffs (even though that would still be quite a long-shot) which I'm sure they
don't want to happen.  I'm not saying the Patriots will try and tank this game, but I do think they will
ultimately treat this game like they would the second game of preseason which means this game should be
there for the taking by the Texans.

Texans - 24 vs. Patriots - 17

 Philadelphia (11-4) vs. Dallas (10-5)
January 3, 2010 - FOX 3 PM CST
Vegas Line: DAL -3 / 47.5

t 2009 Ranking
2009 ATS Record 2009 ATS Record
106.7 ypg - 21st Run Offense 128.3 ypg - 8th
9-6-0 8-7-0
259.9 ypg - 9th Pass Offense 266.1 ypg - 6th
2009 Over/Under 2009 Over/Under
10-5-0 6-9-0
28.6 ppg - 3rd Scoring Offense 22.5 ppg - 14th
Last 5 Games Last 5 Games
99.7 ypg - 8th Run Defense 94.1 ypg - 5th
12/27 W, Denver 30-27 12/27 W, @ Washington 17-0
12/20 W, San Francisco 27-13 12/19 W, @ NO 24-17
211.1 ypg - 13th Pass Defense 228.3 ypg - 21st
12/13 W, @ NY Giants 45-38 12/13 L, San Diego 17-20
12/6 W, @ Atlanta 34-7 12/6 L, @ NY Giants 24-31
20.9 ppg - 16th Scoring Defense 16.7 ppg - 3rd
11/29 W, Washington 27-24 11/26 W, Oakland 24-7
+15 - 2nd TO Margin +2 - 14th

Last Meeting: Dallas - 20 vs. Philadelphia - 16 (11/8/2009)

Eagles Keys to Victory... The Cowboys defense did a nice job of controlling the Eagles offense last time
out in their 20-16 win over the Eagles and the Eagles know that with Dallas' defense playing as well as it
has lately, it won't be easy to move the chains with first down after first down. Instead, the Eagles have to
have what has put them in position to win their division in the first place - the big play. DeSean Jackson
has had a record setting year when it comes to long pass receptions and last year the Eagles burned the
Cowboys down the field with long pass players early in the season as well. The Eagles have been running
the ball much better over the last couple of months and that could make things much easier on the offense. 
The Eagles defense has to make sure it defends QB Romo's shots down the field as the Cowboys have had
their fair share of long TD passes as well.
 
Cowboys keys to victory...Dallas has allowed more than 20 points in a game just once in the their last
nine and their pass rush has really kicked it up over that time-frame. The Eagles are a quick-strike team
with several weapons who can hit for long, quick TDs. WR Jackson stretches the field deep and TE Celek
is able to exploit the deep middle. If the Cowboys can sit in their two-deep zone and get after the passer
with just four pass rushers and occasionally five, then they can make things very difficult for the Eagles
offense. If they can't rush the passer, their secondary will be in trouble. The Eagles are going to bring
plenty of blitzes and the Cowboys burly offensive line had better be prepared to deal with blitz packages
that DC McDermott will throw at them. QB Romo has stepped his play up this December and continuing
to make good decisions will be the key for the Cowboys. 
 
Conclusion: The Eagles couldn't get Maclin, Jackson and Celek loose for big plays in their first meeting
against the Cowboys but they will probably have success at some point this time around. The Cowboys
have the running game that can control the tempo of the game while at the same time hit for big plays
thanks to Felix Jones. The second time around it will be a higher scoring game but more of the same as it
pertains to who wins.

Cowboys - 24 vs. Eagles - 20

CINCINNATI (10-5) VS. NY JETS (8-7) VEGAS SAYS: NYJ -10 / 35.5
January 3, 2010 NBC 7:30 PM CST
Before anyone gets the notion that the Bengals are have the best cover CB in
Score Predictions
just going to roll over and die in this game, keep in the game today in CB Revis Colts - 14
mind that they realize that a victory over the Jets who will probably shut Bills - 24
could mean the Jets are out of the playoffs and down WR Ochocinco.  
since the Jets feature the best rush defense in the   Saints - 17
NFL, it makes sense that the Bengals might want The Bengals can run the ball Panthers - 28
to knock them out of the playoffs. The main issue against the Jets better than  
for the Bengals, however, is that they are worried people think, but the real Jaguars - 24
that if they rest their starters, they won't stay key to victory could rest Browns - 14
sharp. Does Marvin Lewis really want to rest his with how QB Palmer plays  
starters and let the Jets slide into the playoffs with and whether or not he can Bears - 31
back-to-back win over teams who don't give a throw it away from Revis Lions - 16
100% effort to win? and still have success. The  
Jets offense is one- Steelers - 23
The Jets are as simple to analyze as they come.  dimensional and DC Dolphins - 17
They want to, and will, run the football behind an Zimmer will have his guys  
offensive line that produced two All-Pro players ready to stop the Jets Niners - 24
(Faneca and Mangold) and they’ll try and keep QB running game but executing Rams - 13
Sanchez from being in position to make bad could be another story.
decisions and turn the ball over. Defensively, the
Jets don't get much pressure on the QB, but they PREDICTION: Bengals - 17 vs. Jets - 14
are very good against the run and they happen to

NY GIANTS (8-7) VS. MINNESOTA (11-4) VEGAS SAYS: MIN -9 / 47.5

January 3, 2009 Fox 12 PM CST
Score Predictions Two teams who are in the
toilet lately, but "toilet" is a
Falcons - 21 relative term. The Giants
Bucs - 24 were fighting for their
  playoff lives and playing in
Packers - 28 their last game at the
Cardinals - 24 Meadowlands and they got
  destroyed by an average
Chiefs - 10 Carolina team. The Vikings
Broncos - 35 were getting it handed to
  them by the Bears before
Ravens - 24 tying the game up with 30
Raiders - 6 points in the second half
  only to lose in overtime.
Redskins - 20  The Giants have nothing to
Chargers - 23 play for but their respect
  while the Vikings are trying
Titans - 28 to right the ship.
Seahawks - 17  
The Giants were so bad last
week that one New York
newspaper actually had a headline that said their
loss to the Panthers proved that their Super
Bowl from the 2007 season was a fluke. Huh?  PREDICTION: Vikings - 21 vs. Giants - 20
The Giants will either mope out on the field and
get the living crap kicked out of them or they will
play with great intensity because they feel like they
lost a measure of self-respect with the way they
have played over their last 10 games. With RB
Jacobs out, look for Ahmad Bradshaw to actually
improve the rushing attack and I think Eli
Manning can have some success down the field
against the Vikings overrated secondary.
 
There are rumbles that the Vikings players want to
be more aggressive on offense like they were in the
second half of the Bears game but that is a bad
idea moving forward. They might get away with it
against the Giants, but putting the game in Brett
Favre's hands has been a dangerous proposition
over the last few years and I don't think getting
away from the running game will serve the Vikings
well in the playoffs. However, I could see the
Vikings coming out and throwing the ball early
and often since the Giants pass defense has been
so poor.
What to Watch for in Today’s Bowl Games
The Ten Things to Watch for Today January 1, 2010
1. The Rose Bowl game is actually intriguing even without the annual visit from USC.
The Ducks spread option attack against the smashmouth Ohio State defense. The
Buckeyes haven’t been back since 1997 when David Boston caught the game winner
against Arizona State. The Ducks haven’t seen Pasadena, as a Rose Bowl participant,
since 1995.

2. Ohio State S Kurt Coleman vs. Oregon QB Jeremiah Masoli is a tremendous

matchup and one of the chess match-ups to keep an eye on this afternoon.

3. I love watching Ben Tate from Auburn, the “other” running back in the state of
Alabama. Now that Mark Ingram has the Heisman, he’ll carry a ton of hype, but Tate
is fun to watch and faces a Northwestern defense, he could shred for 125+ yards.

4. NFL types love Northwestern DE Corey Wootton and what’s not to love - 6’7”,
280 lbs and, well, one potentially gimpy knee. He’s the prototype 3-4 defensive end,
but coming back from an ACL tear in the Alamo Bowl has been tough.

5. Penn State and LSU are facing each other for only the second time in their great
histories in perhaps the most high profile non-BCS bowl game. Keep an eye on LSU S
Chad Jones in this one, along with PSU LB Navorro Bowman, who’s healthy and
teams well with Sean Lee.

6. Not many people talk about Northwestern QB Mike Ka(a, but he’s had a strong
season - 2,898 yards passing, 12 TDs, 265 yards rushing and seven TDs. He won’t strike
fear in the hearts of Auburn fans and players alike, but when he’s healthy he’s a
maestro of this fast paced attack with a bunch of supposed nobodies at receiver.

7. West Virginia’s RB Noel Devine with a month to get healthy.

8. Ohio State’s Terrelle Pryor with a month and a half to learn how to be a better QB

9. Cincinnati’s WR/KR/PR Mardy Gilyard pissed off at Brian Kelly and looking to

take it out on the Gators.

10. This story is one you’ll hear for the next few weeks over and over and over again -
Bobby Bowden coaching his last game just a stone’s throw from my former house in
Jacksonville. The sad thing, as it was for Bear Bryant - the Gator Bowl is fine, but it’s
not the Orange Bowl or the grand stage he deserved. Bryant ended his career with a
trip to the Liberty Bowl to face Illinois. He deserved the Sugar Bowl, but he just
didn’t have that team. Bowden’s team isn’t even in that 1982 ‘Bama class. I just hope
we don’t get a Woody Hayes ending - uh, on second thought, I wouldn’t bet that ever
happening with the classy Bowden on the sidelines.
 Capital One Bowl
2009 Schedule Jan. 1, 2010 - ABC 12 PM CST 2009 Schedule
W, Akron 31-7 W, Washington 31-23
W, Syracuse 28-7 Penn State (10-2) vs. LSU (9-3) W, Vanderbilt 23-9
W, Temple 31-6 W, ULL 31-3
L, Iowa 10-21 173.6 ypg - 38th Run Off. 129.6 ypg - 84th W, @ Mississippi St. 30-26
W, @ Illinois 35-17 W, @ Georgia 20-13
W, Eastern Illinois 52-3 238.9 ypg - 40th Pass Off. 180.1 ypg - 99th L, Florida 3-13
W, Minnesota 20-0 W, Auburn 31-10
W, @ Michigan 35-10 412.5 ypg - 36th Total Off. 309.7 ypg - 108th W, Tulane 42-0
W, @ Northwestern 34-13 L, @ Alabama 15-24
L, Ohio State 7-24 29.7 ppg - 41st Scoring Off. 25.5 ppg - 74th W, La. Tech 24-16
W, Indiana 31-20 L, @ Ole Miss 23-25
W, @ Michigan State 42-14 93.9 ypg - 10th Run Def. 134.2 ypg - 44th W, Arkansas 33-30 (OT)

Projected Starting Lineups 183.2 ypg - 19th Pass Def. 192.4 ypg - 29th Projected Starting Lineups
Offense Offense
QB #17 Daryll Clark 277.1 ypg - 8th Total Def. 326.6 ypg - 28th QB #9 Jordan Jefferson
RB #22 Evan Royster RB #34 Stephen Ridley
WR #2 Chaz Powell 11.8 ppg - 4th Scoring Def. 16.0 ppg - 12th FB #48 Thomas Parsons
WR #5 Graham Zug WR #1 Brandon LaFell
Keys to the Game
WR #6 Derek Moye WR #80 Terrance Toliver
TE #10 Andrew Quarless Ridley me this, Batman - LSU has suffered through an TE #18 Richard Dickson
LT #73 Dennis Landolt injury plagued year, especially in the backfield. But, where there LT #70 Ciron Black
LG #50 DeOn’tae Pannell is inury, opportunity is presented and for Stephen Ridley that’s LG #68 Josh Dworaczyk
C #61 Stefan Wisniewski definitely the case. Late in the Arkansas game, Ridley got his C #53 T-Bob Hebert
RG #77 Lou Eliades chance to make plays when the Tigers desperately needed it. He RG #65 Lyle Hitt
RT #79 Ako Poti had a couple of key catch-and-runs for first downs, putting LSU RT #78 Joseph Barksdale
Defense in position to kick the game tying field goal. With a month or Defense
DE #5 Jerome Hayes more to prepare, the Tigers have to find a way to allow Ridley to DE #84 Rahim Alem
DT #91 Jared Odrick impact this game. He has good speed to the edge, but good DT #97 Al Woods
DT #85 Ollie Ogbu vision for cutback lanes, which will be important against a fast DT #91 Charles Alexander
DE #81 Jack Crawford flow Penn State defense. But, more importantly, the LSU DE #95 Pep Levingston
LB #11 Navorro Bowman offensive line must find a way to get movement from guard to LB #11 Kelvin Sheppard
LB #45 Sean Lee guard for Ridley, something that has been absent this year. LB #56 Perry Riley
LB #43 Josh Hull However, that would mean... LB #24 Harry Coleman
CB #1 A.J. Wallace O does not stand for Offense - ...blocking the coaches CB #7 Patrick Peterson
S #18 Nick Sukay selection for Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year Jared Odrick. S #3 Chad Jones
S #28 Drew Astorino The Tigers struggled blocking a bunch of average, middling S #15 Brandon Taylor
CB #8 D’Anton Lynn players, much less a disruptive force like Odrick. The Penn State CB #29 Chris Hawkins
defensive tackle is a lot like Ndamukong Suh from Nebraska in
that he can do more than just plug a gap inside. With his
Scout’s Corner Scout’s Corner
LB Navorro Bowman quickness, the Tigers can only hope to get a hat on him, but most FS Chad Jones
importantly, keep a hat on him. Take him where he wants to go
6’1” 230 6’3” 225
The difference maker for the Penn and hope Ridley reads it properly. Good luck with that against He may want to be a pitcher in the
State defense with apologies to Jared the Big Ten’s best. major leagues (thanks for signing him
Odrick up front...nasty Astros or not), but has a wonderful
disposition...runs exceptionally Corner’s on lockdown - Penn State’s receivers are gaining future at FS...an explosive
well...blitzes like a mother...tackles experience by the boatload this season. Graham Zug, Chaz playmaker...hitter...plays well in the
through ball carriers...also has the Powell and Derek Moye have become reliable threats for QB alley...needs a bit of work playing the
speed to run down ball carriers Daryll Clark. But, wait until they get a load of Patrick Peterson. middle, floating in the middle...tough
His cover skills are tremendous and his physical nature will be a
problem for the Penn State receivers. Peterson’s done it to the
best in the SEC, these three are just added notches on his belt.
Conclusion - The LSU speed on defense will limit RB Evan Royster and frustrate Daryll Clark. The defense wins this for LSU.
Whenever LSU has had time to prepare under Les Miles, it’s awfully tough to beat. Jordan Jefferson will let it loose with 250 yds/2
TDs.

LSU - 23 vs. Penn State - 20

 Rose Bowl
2009 Schedule 2009 Schedule
W, Navy 31-27
Jan. 1, 2010 - ABC 3:30 PM CST L, @ Boise State 8-19
L, USC 15-18 Ohio State (10-2) vs. Oregon (10-2) W, Purdue 38-36
W, Toledo 38-0 W, Utah 31-24
W, Illinois 30-0 198.9 ypg - 19th Run Off. 236.1 ypg - 6th W, Cal 42-3
W, @ Indiana 33-14 W, Washington State 52-6
W, Wisconsin 31-13 165.9 ypg - 106th Pass Off. 188.6 ypg - 91st W, @ UCLA 24-10
L, @ Purdue 18-26 W, @ Washington 43-19
W, Minnesota 38-7 364.8 ypg - 71st Total Off. 424.7 ypg - 25th W, USC 47-20
W, NMSU 45-0 L, @ Stanford 42-51
W, @ Penn State 24-7 29.3 ppg - 47th Scoring Off. 37.7 ppg - 7th W, Arizona State 44-21
W, Iowa 27-24 (OT) W, @ Arizona 44-41 (OT)
W, Michigan 21-10 83.4 ypg - 5th Run Def. 126.7 ypg - 39th W, Oregon State 37-33

Projected Starting Lineups 179.1 ypg - 17th Pass Def. 202.8 ypg - 37th Projected Starting Lineups
Offense Offense
QB #2 Terrelle Pryor 262.5 ypg - 5th Total Def. 329.4 ypg - 32nd QB #8 Jeremiah Masoli
RB #1 Dan ‘Boom’ Herron RB #21 LaMichael James
FB #44 Zach Boren 12.2 ppg - 5th Scoring Def. 23.6 ppg - 52nd WR #10 D.J. Davis
WR #8 Devier Posey WR #80 Lavasier Tuinei
Keys to the Game
WR #12 Dane Sanzenbacher WR #23 Jeff Maehl
TE #86 Jake Ballard The Fifth Ward - One of the toughest areas in all of Houston TE #83 Ed Dickson
LT #64 Jim Cordle (where I reside) is the Fifth Ward. Things don’t come easy there LT #69 Bo Thran
LG #65 Justin Boren for anyone. Well, when facing Oregon’s defense, running into FS LG #77 Carson York
C #50 Michael Brewster T.J. Ward is a lot like that. Hard times. Ward’s presence on this C #54 Jordan Holmes
RG #70 Bryant Browning defense was definitely felt through the first six games of the RG #79 Mark Asper
RT #76 J.B. Shugarts season as he missed with an ankle injury. But, with a month to get RT #68 C.E. Kaiser
Defense healthy and prepare, Ward should be a menace for the Buckeyes to Defense
DE #90 Thaddeus Gibson deal with in Pasadena. Last year, he turned the Holiday Bowl on a DE #39 Will Tukuafu
DT #84 Doug Worthington dime with his hit on Ok. State QB Zac Robinson and it could DT #88 Brandon Bair
DT #92 Todd Denlinger happen here as well. Ohio State QB Terrelle Pryor loves to get DT #90 Blake Ferras
DE #97 Cameron Heyward out of the pocket and scramble, but one shot from Ward and it DE #58 Kenny Rowe
LB #36 Brian Rolle could force him “back inside for the winter”. Ward’s ability to LB #35 Spencer Paysinger
LB #51 Ross Homan close on the line of scrimmage is hugely important against the LB #55 Casey Matthews
LB #38 Austin Spitler Ohio State running backs ‘Boom’ Herron and Brandon Saine. LB #11 Eddie Pleasant
CB #5 Chimdi Chekwa Keep an eye on #2 Ward. CB #3 Cliff Harris
S #21 Anderson Russell Sanzenbacher rolls right off the tongue - He’s caught S #14 Javes Lewis
S #4 Kurt Coleman deep balls this year but he’s not a huge deep threat. He’s caught S #2 TJ Ward
CB # 10 Devon Torrance bubble screens and ran after the catch but he’s not a make-you- CB #37 Talmadge Jackson
miss dynamo in space. But, Ohio State WR Dane Sanzenbacher is
Scout’s Corner a guy who can have a massive impact on this game, especially Scout’s Corner
DE Cameron Heyward catching the ball at the chains for first downs. The more times he WR Jeff Maehl
6’6” 287 can get open and get a first down, the more confident Pryor will 6’5” 200
What a specimen...the size, the get. Oregon will give #12 open areas in the field and he’ll find Long, lean and lanky...competitive and
quickness, the DNA...it’s all them. can go up and get it when he needs
there...son of former NFL FB Safety dance - After watching Oregon’s offense spin Oregon to...a next level deep threat...also a
“Ironhead” Heyward...however, it’s guy who can work the middle as he’s
not all there...missing that next level State FS Lance Mitchell around like a top, I couldn’t help but tough for a taller receiver...runs away
‘it’ factor...has the size to be 3-4 DE think about Ohio State’s S Kurt Coleman and Anderson Russell. from defensive backs...can catch quick
or 4-3 DE or even 4-3 ‘3’ technique No position is as important as safety against this Oregon defense. game throws and make things happen
Bite on the option and the option pass will kill you. Take the QB
and he’ll flip it out to a RB on the option pitch. No one has a
bigger burden to stop this Masoli-led spread attack than these two
Conclusion - The more that I’ve thought about this Rose Bowl, the more excited I actually get. I hope that Oregon can jump
out in front, because it’ll force Jimmy Sweatervest to open up the game plan. But I don’t think Ohio State can handle the entire
Duck ‘O’ package.

Oregon - 31 vs. Ohio State - 28

 In the Film Room
at the Rose Bowl
Oregon’s Zone Read Option
FS
SS CB

CB
$B LB
LB
DT DT DE
DE

24

21
8
Oregon’s “Zone Read Option” w/slot as Pitch man
Although the Zone read has been in vogue for the past eight to ten years, it’s really become fashionable since Vince Young
utilized the “zone read” in the Texas Longhorns 2005 national championship season.
Oregon’s Chip Kelly has taken the zone read concepts to a different level and that was evident in the de facto Pac-10
championship game against Oregon State. Throughout the game, the Ducks’ fine signal caller Jeremiah Masoli, alongside
whippet quick RB LaMichael James, conducted the zone read to a T.
Now, the concept of the zone read is quite easy - traditional zone concepts for the OL. The defensive end crashes, the
QB pulls the ball. As you can see above, if the defensive end (in the blue dotted circle) crashes down the line on James
(#21) as he takes a potential zone read handoff, Masoli pulls the ball and makes a bee line downfield where that DE had
vacated, running into wide open space.
Teams started taking Masoli away though when the defensive end “crashed” down the line by having the backside
linebacker/nickel back stay home and wait for Masoli to run right back to him.
So, Kelly, being a spread offense guru put in the wrinkle that you see above - the zone read with an option pitch to the
slot wide receiver.
The play starts as it always does and looks exactly like the traditional zone read. When the defensive end crashes, Masoli
pulls the ball and starts downfield. As the nickel back/linebacker takes a dead run to Masoli, #24 Kenjon Barner
“moonwalks” back into pitch relation with Masoli, something the nickel back/linebacker doesn’t see. Masoli flattens out a
bit to make sure he has that relationship with Barner. When the backer darts to Masoli, the QB flips the ball to a wide
open Barner. This play accounted for a first down every time the Ducks ran it against the Beavers. Ohio State has a
tough challenge ahead, trying to stop the three prong attack of the Ducks zone read.
 BCS Nat’l Champ.
2009 Schedule Jan. 7, 2010 - ABC 7 PM CST 2009 Schedule
W, Virginia Tech 34-24 W, ULM 59-20
W, FIU 40-14 Alabama (13-0) vs. Texas (13-0) W, @ Wyoming 41-10
W, North Texas 53-7 W, Texas Tech 34-24
W, Arkansas 35-7 215.9 ypg - 12th Run Off. 152.7 ypg - 55th W, UTEP 64-7
W, @ Kentucky 38-20 W, Colorado 38-14
W, @ Ole Miss 22-3 197.9 ypg - 84th Pass Off. 279.7 ypg - 14th W, Oklahoma 16-13
W, South Carolina 20-6 W, @ Missouri 41-7
W, Tennessee 12-10 413.8 ypg - 35th Total Off. 432.4 ypg - 20th W, @ Ok. State 41-14
W, LSU 24-15 W, UCF 35-3
W, @ Miss. State 31-3 31.7 ppg - 26th Scoring Off. 40.7 ppg - 3rd W, @ Baylor 47-14
W, Chattanooga 45-0 W, Kansas 51-20
W, @ Auburn 26-21 77.9 ypg - 2nd Run Def. 62.2 ypg - 1st W, @ Texas A&M 49-39
W, Florida (Atlanta) 32-13 W, Nebraska (Arl.) 13-12
163.8 ypg - 7th Pass Def. 188.9 ypg - 23rd
Projected Starting Lineups Projected Starting Lineups
Offense 241.7 ypg - 2nd Total Def. 251.1 ypg - 3rd Offense
QB #12 Greg McElroy QB #12 Colt McCoy
RB #22 Mark Ingram 11.0 ppg - 1st Scoring Def. 15.2 ppg - 8th RB #23 Tre Newton
TE/FB #85 Preston Dial WR #8 Jordan Shipley
TE #84 Colin Peek
Keys to the Game WR #11 James Kirkendoll
WR #8 Julio Jones Suh, Cody...same thing, right? - Uh, no, not in the WR #9 Malcolm Williams
WR #4 Marquis Maze slightest, but it truly doesn’t matter because the damage done by TE #4 Dan Buckner
Suh in the Big 12 championship game brought to light the biggest
LT #77 James Carpenter LT #74 Adam Ulatoski
weakness this Texas team has - guard to guard on the offensive
LG #78 Mike Johnson line. Charlie Tanner, Chris Hall and Michael Huey were turned LG #52 Charlie Tanner
C #73 William Vlachos around and upside down by Nebraska’s Ndamukong Suh and C #71 Chris Hall
RG #75 Barrett Innes many feel that Terrence “Mount” Cody will do the same. I’m not RG #63 Michael Huey
RT #79 Drew Davis as concerned about Cody because he’ll let you tie him up with one RT #64 Kyle Hix
Defense blocker and he’s not on the field but for 60% of the game. But, Defense
DE #97 Lorenzo Washington regardless of who plays at that defensive tackle/nose tackle DE #2 Sergio Kindle
NT #62 Terrence Cody position, the Texas trio inside must find a way to keep Cody et. al DT #91 Kheeston Randall
DE #95 Brandon Deaderick from disrupting what the Horns can do inside. One thing the DT #33 Lamarr Houston
offensive staff can do is run some more zone read and try to use
LB #13 Cory Reamer DE #81 Sam Acho
the misdirection to stunt the impact the Alabama interior can
LB #25 Rolando McClain have on this game. Let me repeat, Suh isn’t Cody, but the Texas LB #18 Emmanuel Acho
LB #32 Eryk Anders threesome is still, well, you know the rest. LB #38 Roddrick Muckelroy
LB #35 Nico Johnson LB #1 Keenan Robinson
CB #28 Javier Arenas
When his best is needed - Texas LB Roddrick Muckelroy CB #3 Curtis Brown
retur ned to Texa s for this. One shot at the national
S #4 Mark Barron championship. An even bigger shot at the Heisman Trophy S #21 Blake Gideon
S #27 Justin Woodall winner Mark Ingram. Muckelroy has improved his game S #12 Earl Thomas
CB #3 Kareem Jackson throughout the season and has been so much more fundamentally CB #4 Aaron Williams
sound in 2009. But, fundamentals really mean nothing if he, and
Scout’s Corner Scout’s Corner
the Texas defense, can’t tackle Ingram. And, that’s rub, Texas is
WR Julio Jones going to know where Alabama is and vice versa, but can Texas CB Aaron Williams
6’4” 215 physically stop Ingram? Most of that is on #38 in the middle. 6’1” 190
As physical a receiver as there is in Soon to be a rich man...great ball
college football...hasn’t proven that We have one, you don’t - Although Texas has made due...I skills...breaks on the ball extremely
he’s highly successful in the middle of would say so with a 13-0 season, there have been times when it has well...good hands for a DB, could
the field where he’ll need to be at the missed TE Blaine Irby, out since early 2008 with an injury. But, as even be a WR with his
next level...runs well after the the season developed, the Alabama offense started utilizing its TE hands...matches cuts and doesn’t have
catch...deep threat...good Colin Peek. Not only has Peek been more utilized, he’s been a go- to clutch and grab to stay with
concentration on deep throws..tough receivers...can play man or zone well
to money maker, so to speak, for QB Greg McElroy in the red
zone. He can truly hurt the Longhorn LB in coverage and he may
demand a safety to cover him. Keep an eye on #84 Peek.
Conclusion - I’d like to think the BCS got this one right with two of the most storied college football programs of all-time. If I
hear about 2005 any more, though, I’m going to be ill. This is a different Texas team, although it still does rely heavily on its All-
American signal caller Colt McCoy. More importantly, the Longhorns are facing a defense better than any one ‘D’ that it has faced
this season. Alabama’s quickness/strength up front keeps LB Rolando McClain clean, while the secondary cleans up any mistakes. It
won’t be a pretty win, but Alabama will get a defensive score and stay out in front until having to hold off Colt in the 4th quarter.

Alabama - 23 vs. Texas - 17

 Harris’ End-of-season
Offensive All-American Team
QB - Case Keenum, Houston - The junior from Abilene has been superb this season
leading the Cougars to a 10-3 record and a berth in the CUSA championship game. He’s
thrown for 5,410 yards, 43 TDs and only 9 interceptions, while rushing for 4 TDs

RB - Mark Ingram, Alabama - The Trophy took over for last year’s All-SEC first teamer
Glen Coffee and made people forget Coffee existed. He’s rushed for 1,542 yards and 15
TDs, while accumulating 322 yards and 3 TDs through the air. He had six 100 yard games.

RB - Toby Gerhart, Stanford - What Gerhart did for the Cardinal this season goes above
making an All-American team. He rushed for 1,736 yards and 26 TDs to lead the nation in
touchdowns. But, most importantly, he led the Cardinal to eight wins and a bowl. Wow!

WR - Golden Tate, Notre Dame - Many going into the season thought that Tate’s
teammate was the best receiver in the nation (count me in on that). But, Tate shone in
Michael Floyd’s absence - 93 receptions, 1,496 yards and 15 TDs, second in the nation.

WR - Jordan Shipley, Texas - All Shipley did in his 6th and final season was shatter
nearly every reception record at UT. He had 106 receptions for 1,363 yards and 11 TDs. He
holds the game (15) and season (106) records for catches and is two off the career best.

WR - Mardy Gilyard, Cincinnati - The senior out of Florida may have been relatively
unknown going into this season, but the Big East knew all about him. The first team All-
Big East selection had 80 catches for 1,150 yards and 11 TDs (3 return TDs as well).

T - Bryan Bulaga, Iowa - The 1st team All-Big 10 selection missed a few games earlier in
the season, but once back, the Iowa offense found success running behind him the rest of
the way. He’s a bona fide 1st rounder and helped lead Iowa to 10 wins and the Orange Bowl

G - Mike Johnson, Alabama - The Tide offense was a lot of Mark Ingram, sprinkled in
with a little Trent Richardson, which meant a lot of running behind Johnson, a first team
All-SEC selection. Terrence Cody said he’s the best he faced this year - I believe it.

C - Maurkice Pouncey, Florida - The trigger man for the Gator offense has been a three
year starter and first team All-SEC selection this season. He handles all of the offensive
calls for the offensive line and helped lead the Gators to 12 wins and the SEC East title.

G - Cord Howard, Georgia Tech - The Jackets offense was 2nd in the nation in rushing
utilizing Paul Johnson’s option attack and Howard was the leader up front for this
offensive line. A masher with a nasty disposition, Howard was a 1st-team All ACC pick.

T - Marcus Cannon, TCU - The Horned Frogs offense ran throughout the season behind
right tackle Cannon, a first-time All-MWC selection. TCU was fifth in the nation in
rushing and fourth in total offense due to the work of Cannon, a road grader.
 Harris’ End-of-season
Defensive All-American Team
DE - Jerry Hughes, TCU - Hughes was named the Mountain West Conference Defensive
Player of the Year for the second consecutive season and also received the Ted Hendricks
Award for being the top defensive end in the nation. 11.5 sacks and 15 TFLs did the trick.

DT - Ndamukong Suh, Nebraska - The unquestioned player of the year on the defensive
side of the ball. Suh led Nebraska with 82 tackles, had 12 sacks, 19.5 TFLs, 10 PBUs, forced
one fumble, had 21 QB hurries and an interception. Oh yeah, he was 4th in the Heisman.

DT - Gerald McCoy, Oklahoma - After watching McCoy in the opener against BYU, he
made a believer out of me. Not that I was skeptical, but his performance that night
opened everyone’s eyes. McCoy was first team All Big 12 and finished with 14.5 TFLs.

DE - Derrick Morgan, Ga. Tech - The ACC Defensive Player of the Year isn’t as well
known as his defensive line compadres, but he’s quite deserving of his spot on this team.
A sure-fire first round pick, Morgan was sixth in the nation with 12.5 sacks on the season.

DE/LB - Von Miller, Texas A&M - The Aggie defense struggled throughout the year, but
it wasn’t for a lack of effort from Miller, arguably the nation’s best pass rushing linebacker.
He led the nation in sacks with 17 and 21 tackles for a loss in his junior campaign.

LB - Pat Angerer, Iowa - The defensive leader for the 10-2 Orange Bowl-bound
Hawkeyes, Angerer finished the season with 135 tackles (5th in the nation) and four tackles
for a loss and a sack. The 1st team All-Big 10 selection finished his career with 248 tackles.

LB - Rolando McClain, Alabama - The Butkus and Lambert award recipient is arguably
the best defensive player in the SEC. He finished the season with 101 tackles, 12.5 tackles
for a loss and four sacks for the SEC champion Crimson Tide.

CB - Joe Haden, Florida - Arguably the best season any University of Florida defensive
back has ever had. Haden dominated the corner in a way no one else did this season. He
finished the season with 4 picks and most teams decided to throw away from him.

S - Eric Berry, Tennessee - The Vols were off the national radar for much of the season,
but Berry still had a tremendous season in Knoxville. Berry finished the season with 83
tackles, 6 tackles for a loss and two interceptions for the Chick-fil-A Bowl bound Vols.

S - Earl Thomas, Texas - If not for Ndamukong Suh, Thomas would’ve been the Big-12
Defensive Player of the Year. Thomas was tied for second in the nation in interceptions
with eight, including two picks sixes. He also recorded 59 tackles and 4.5 TFLs.

CB - Perrish Cox, Oklahoma State - One of the best pure cover guys in the nation, Cox
forced teams to think long and hard about throwing in his direction. He finished the
season with four picks and first team All-Big 12 honors.