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Manning Award Lists 10 Finalists
The Manning Award, sponsored by the Sugar Bowl, announced its 10 finalists for this year’s quarterback award on Tuesday. The winner will be announced after the bowls in January and will be honored at a banquet in New Orleans. The Manning Award was created by the Allstate Sugar Bowl in honor of the college football accomplishments of Archie, Peyton and Eli Manning. It is the only quarterback award that takes into consideration the candidates’ bowl performances.

Photo - QB Jimmy Clausen - Notre Dame

Finalists Manning Award
Jimmy Clausen, Notre Dame
Andy Dalton, Texas Christian
Max Hall, BYU
Case Keenum, Houston
Dan LeFevour, Central Michigan
Ryan Mallett, Arkansas
Colt McCoy, Texas
Kellen Moore, Boise St
Tony Pike, Cincinnati
Tim Tebow, Florida

This year’s finalists are an outstanding class which includes five players from undefeated teams and a combined 102 victories with over 30,000 passing yards and 275 touchdowns. As far as national statistical leaders, eight of the top 12 in touchdown passes, five of the top 10 in passing yardage and 10 of the top 12 in passing efficiency are included on the list. The winner will be announced on Thursday, Jan. 14.

NFL Power Rankings – Week 12

Team of the Week – N.O. Saints
Player of the Week – Drew Brees

Photo – QB Drew Brees - Saints

The Saints’ Drew Brees had a near perfect performance vs the Patriots on Monday night in leading New Orleans to a key 38-17 victory. Brees threw for 371 yards on 18 of 23 passing for 5 TDs and no interception in one of the most impressive performances of the season. He is having an MVP type of season with over 3000 yards passing for 27 TD passes and just 9 interceptions on 343 passing attempts.
The Saints remaining five games includes only two playoff contenders, Dallas and Atlanta that gives them a strong chance to challenge the Dolphins perfect season in the early ‘70s.

Rank / Team / Record

1. Indianapolis Colts (11-0)
Colts made a great second half comeback that breaks the Texans heart.

2. New Orleans Saints (11-0)
The Saints behind Drew Brees will be very difficult to beat moving forward.

3. Minnesota Vikings (10-1)
The Vikings’ and Brett Farve are hitting stride and prepped to cause damage this postseason.

4. San Diego Chargers (8-3)
Chargers won a key game vs the Giants that keeps them just behind the Broncos with the critical second half of the season starting.

5. Dallas Cowboys (8-3)
Cowboys are peaking as the second half begins with many key NFC games on the agenda.

6. New England Patriots (7-4)
Patriots and QB Tom Brady are hitting stride and could be the best in the league in time.

7. Cincinnati Bengals (8-3)
The Bengals are looking to get healthy for the stretch run.

8. Philadelphia Eagles (7-4)
Eagles just got by the Redskins and face a tough close vs five playoff contenders.

9. Green Bay Packers (7-4)
Packers won Thanksgiving and prepare for critical Monday night clash with the Ravens.

10. Arizona Cardinals (7-4)
Cards are into Titans buzz saw and now jump in the arena with hot Vikings coming to town.

11. Pittsburgh Steelers (6-5)
Steelers lost a heartbreaker to the Ravens but get Big Ben back for Raiders and Browns up next.

12. Denver Broncos (7-4)
The Broncos beat the lifeless Giants on Turkey day and are prepped for a fairly soft finish that bodes well for their playoff chances.

13. Baltimore Ravens (6-5)
Ravens came up big vs the Steelers and travel to Green Bay for another critical must win situation this week.

14. Tennessee Titans (5-6)
Titans have won five in a row and are capable of running the table from here.

15. Atlanta Falcons (6-5)
Falcons face a critical game vs the Bucs on 4th quarter rally.

16. New York Giants (6-5)
The Giants never even showed up for key Thanksgiving game and probably have to run the table to make the playoffs.

17 .Jacksonville Jaguars (6-5)
Jags face a steady stream of contenders from here.

18. Houston Texans (5-6)
Texans can not get past the Colts with another two losses this season that most likely ends their playoff chances.

19. San Francisco 49ers (5-6)
The 49ers won a big game vs Jaguars that puts them in a good position to make a playoff run with soft schedule ahead.

20. New York Jets (5-6)
Jets face Buffalo in Toronto on Thursday night with hopes of getting a streak for longshot at playoffs.

21. Miami Dolphins (5-6)
The Dolphins lost a horrible game to the Bills that puts an end to their slim playoff chances.

22. Seattle Seahawks (4-7)
Seahawks beat the weak Rams and face a soft stretch here that could produce a few wins.

23. Chicago Bears (4-7)
Bears have lost four in a row and six of the last seven in a total collapse.

24. Carolina Panthers (4-7)
Panthers are dead in the water with expected wholesale changes this offseason.

25. Buffalo Bills (4-7)
Bills may have ruined the Dolphins season last week.

26. Kansas City Chiefs (3-8)
Chiefs are not ready to run with the big dogs like the Chargers just yet.

27. Washington Redskins (3-8)
Skins are playing hard weekly. They’re just not that good or know how to win.

28. Oakland Raiders (3-8)
The Raiders are thinking about joining the UFL this season.

29. Detroit Lions (2-9)
Lions move out of the basement mainly due to so many bad clubs in the NFL this season.

30. Cleveland Browns (1-10)
Browns are simply inept and probably start a major house cleaning as soon as the season terminates.

31. Tampa Bay Bucs (1-10)
The Bucs have started their rebuilding by starting rookie QB Josh Freeman.

32. St. Louis Rams (1-10)
The Rams are simply awful and may not win another game this season.

Legendary Bobby Bowden Retires

Photo – Coach Bobby Bowden

28 of Bobby Bowden's former players were selected in the first round of the NFL Draft over the last 20 years

One of the legendary college head coaches, Bobby Bowden retired yesterday after a 44 year coaching career. The great majority of his career was spent at Florida St where he won two national championships and competed for the title for two decades before recent problems. The 80-year-old coach retires as the second winningest head coach behind only Penn St’s Joe Paterno. He finishes with 388 career wins are second only to Paterno among major college.
What Bobby Bowden meant to Florida St and college football off the playing field cannot be measured. He is well respect, honest, humble man with a great sense of humor and integrity. It was a pleasure to meet him over 20 years ago. He always had time to discuss college football, Florida St and life. He has been one of the best examples of leadership in the country in any field of endeavor.
Bowden is in his 34th season at FSU and will finish his career after Florida St bowl game over the next month. He will be replaced by next season by offensive coordinator Jimbo Fisher. Bowden had been on a one-year rollover agreement with the university for several years, but that ends after the 2010 season. As the winningest coach in ACC history, Bowden teams put together the one of most dominant runs in college football history between 1987 and 2000 with 14 consecutive finishes in the nation’s top five and a pair of national titles. The 2001 Orange Bowl was the Seminole's third straight national title game.
The Seminoles’ fortunes have not been as good in recent years when they finished this year with a 6-6 record after starting the year with high expectations and a preseason No. 18 ranking. In 1993, despite a late-season loss at Notre Dame, Florida St won its 1st national title after near misses in 1987, 1988, 1991 and 1992 — because of losses to nemesis Miami, which won three national titles during that span. Since winning their 12th ACC championship in 2005, the Seminoles have been 16-16 over the past four seasons against league opponents.
In 2007, Bowden passed another truly remarkable milestone. With his victory over Maryland, he won his 300th game at Florida St. He is one of only two coaches in major college football history to win 300 games at one school. The victory gave him seven wins and he has now won at least seven games for 26 straight seasons. Bowden also ensured himself his 31st consecutive winning season in Tallahassee. He has won 10 or more games 18 times in his 32 years in Tallahassee and over the last 20 years no program in America has a higher winning percentage than Florida St. The man who is synonymous with Seminole football took Florida St to a bowl game for the 26th consecutive season when his team played in the 2007 Music City Bowl for the first time in school history. With the invitation he passed Tom Osborne and became the first coach in college football history to lead his team to 26 straight bowl games.
Bowden is the only coach in NCAA history to win 11 consecutive bowl games (1985-95) and the only coach ever with 14 consecutive bowl appearances (1982-95) without a loss (FSU tied Georgia 17-17 in the 1984 Citrus Bowl). Bowden and Florida State finished the 2006 season with an Emerald Bowl victory over UCLA marking the 20th bowl victory in his illustrious career. Among his many accomplishments, one of the most amazing has to be the remarkable 14 straight top five finishes in the AP poll from 1987-2000. During that run Florida St was 152-18-1 and captured national championships in 1993 and 1999. In 1999 the team became the first and only squad to ever go wire-to-wire as the No. 1 team in the AP poll. The Seminoles also played for the title three other times during that span and since 1993 no team in the FBS has played for more national titles than FSU.
Bowden has won 12 ACC Championships since FSU joined the conference in 1992. Under Bowden's guidance, FSU has not only produced great teams but great players as well. Two Seminoles, Charlie Ward and Chris Weinke won the Heisman Trophy, 24 of his players have been named consensus All-Americans, three of his QB's have won the Johnny Unitas Award and two have won the Thorpe Award, the Butkus Award, the Davey O'Brien Award and the Lombardi Award.
Success on the field is not enough for Bobby Bowden as he expects his players to contribute more than just athletically. Two of Bowden's greatest players, Warrick Dunn and Derrick Brooks, went on to not only become phenomenal pros but both were honored as the NFL's Man of the Year. Florida St is one of just five schools to produce multiple players to win the NFL's top award for community service.

Continue to view Bobby Bowden’s career information

NFL Draft 2010 - Mock Draft
Dec. 1, 2009 * underclassmen
Exact draft order to be determined at close of postseason.

Photo - WR Brandon LeFell -LSU

1st Round
Team / Player / Pos / School
1. Cleveland - * Sam Bradford - QB - Oklahoma
2. St. Louis - * Jimmy Clausen - QB - Notre Dame
3. Tampa Bay - Ndamukong Suh - DT - Nebraska
4. Detroit - Russell Okung - OT - Oklahoma St
5. Seattle - * Jake Locker - QB - Washington
6. Washington - * Joe Haden - CB - Florida
7. Buffalo - * Brian Bulaga - OT - Iowa
8. Oakland - Colt McCoy - QB - Texas
9. Kansas City - * Gerald McCoy - DT - Oklahoma
10. Denver (Chicago) - Terrence Cody - DT - Alabama
11. San Francisco - * Eric Berry - FS - Tennessee
12. NY Jets - * Kareem Jackson  - CB  - Alabama
13. San Fran (Carolina) - Brandon Spikes - LB - Florida
14. Tennessee - Taylor Mays - FS - Southern Cal
15. Atlanta - * Marvin Austin - DT - North Carolina
16. Houston - * Arrelious Benn - WR - Illinois
17. Miami - * Rolando McClain - LB - Alabama
18. Baltimore - Brandon LeFell - WR - LSU
19. New York Giants - Brandon Ghee - CB - Wake Forest
20. Green Bay - C.J. Spiller - RB - Clemson
21. Pittsburgh - * Anthony Davis - OT - Rutgers
22. Jacksonville - Ciron Black - OT - LSU
23. Philadelphia - Greg Hardy - DE - Mississippi
24. Seattle (Denver) - Sergio Kindle - LB - Texas
25. Arizona - Patrick Robinson - CB - Florida St
26. Cincinnati - * Dez Bryant - WR - Oklahoma St
27. San Diego - * Jonathan Dwyer - RB - Georgia Tech
28. Dallas - Tim Tebow - QB - Florida
29. New England - Jerry Hughes - DE - TCU
30. Minnesota - * Greg Jones - LB - Michigan St
31. New Orleans - Jared Odrick - DT - Penn St
32. Indianapolis - * Bruce Carter - LB - North Carolina

Frank Coyle is a scouting talent consultant for the Senior Bowl and other All-star games providing year round evaluation on future NFL pro prospects. He is a longtime Member of the FWAA and voter in College team and player awards - Heisman, Outland, Nagurski, Thorpe, etc.

Final Week of Season & Conference Title Games

Team of the Week - Florida
Player of the Week – Tony Pike

Photo – QB Tony Pike - Cincinnati

Senior QB Tony Pike returned from a major injury to his non-throwing arm and had a record day Friday, passing for 6 TDs in a 49-36 victory over Illinois that kept 4th ranked-ranked Cincinnati unbeaten. Cincinnati ranks 5th in the BCS standings entering the final week of the season.
Cincinnati (11-0) remained one of six unbeaten Bowl Subdivision teams. The Bearcats finish their regular season next weekend in Pittsburgh, playing for their second straight Big East championship.
Pike had the biggest hand in the latest Bearcat victory. He hadn't played since Oct. 15, when he damaged a protective plate in his left arm. He needed surgery to replace the plate, and didn't start any of the last four games. He played in a 24-21 win over West Virginia for four snaps, and threw for a pair of TDs in his very limited role.
In the Illinois win, Pike threw a career-high four TDs in the first half alone while leading the Bearcats to a 35-20 lead. He was knocked to the ground twice by the Illini (3-8), the second time when he stayed in the pocket long enough to get off an 11-yard touchdown pass to Gilyard.
Pike finished 32 of 46 for 399 yards. On the season, he has thrown 23 touchdowns with only three interceptions.

Team / Ranking / Record

1. Florida (12-0) – Gators own the Seminoles with blowout win and prep for SEC title clash with Bama.

2. Alabama (12-0) – Tide just got by a stubborn Auburn team in season’s finale prior to SEC showdown with Florida.

3. Texas (12-0) – Longhorns offense behind Colt McCoy can light up any defense.

4. Cincinnati (11-0) - Bearcats are hoping for top BCS matchup with only Big East finale vs Pittsburgh on the schedule.

5. Texas Christian (12-0) – Horned Frogs finish with a perfect regular season and had a dominate performance over final two months.

6. Boise St (12-0) - Broncos face only WAC foe New Mexico St to complete undefeated season and BCS berth.

7. Ohio St (10-2) – Buckeyes finished their season and move into top ten after a few top clubs stumble.

8. Oregon (9-2) – Ducks face Oregon St in bitter rivalry this Thursday in the Civil War rivalry.

9. Iowa (10-2) – The Hawkeyes are hoping to sneak into the BCS equation if clubs above them lose key finales.

10. Penn St (10-2) – Nittany Lions finished strong and look for major bowl berth on their performance, reputation and traveling fans.

11. Oregon St (8-3) – Beavers looking to move into top ten with win over Oregon in what could be one of the great matchups of the season.

12. LSU (9-3) – Tigers got by a stubborn Arkansas team and look to receive a second tier bowl berth.

13. Virginia Tech (9-3) – Va Tech beat a disappointing Virginia team and wait for bowl invitation.

14. Georgia Tech (11-2) – Tech lost to instate rival Georgia in a game that cost them a top ten spot with ACC title game with Clemson on deck.

15. Miami (9-3) - Canes win their finale vs USF that probably earns them a good bowl bid most likely in Florida.

16. BYU (10-2) – Cougars won their finale vs Utah that moves them up the charts significantly and gains them a quality bowl invite next week.

17. Houston (10-2) - Cougars win CUSA West with another incredible offensive performance that makes them attractive to several major bowls.

18. USC (7-3) – Trojans are rested for final two games with UCLA and Arizona and a chance to move up the charts further.

19. Cal (9-3) – Bears look to complete season with winning trip to Washington that moves them in the top 15 teams.

20. Nebraska (9-3) – Huskers win Big 12 North division for conference title clash with undefeated Texas.

21. West Virginia (8-3) - WV win the Backyard Brawl that puts them in the top 25 again with Cincinnati in the finale. .

22. Pittsburgh (9-2)- Panthers lost a tough game vs rival West Virginia and must recover for finale with Cincinnati next up.

23. Oklahoma St (9-3) – Cowboys got trashed by Oklahoma for their 7th straight loss to their instate rival.

24. Stanford (8-4) –Cardinal won a thriller over Notre Dame and wait for a bowl matchup in their most impressive season in years.

25. Clemson (8-4) – Tigers have been hot and cold all season with loss in their SC finale with ACC title game up next week.

Frank Coyle is a longtime Member of the FWAA and voter in College team and player awards - Heisman, Outland, Nagurski, Thorpe, etc. He is a voter for weekly Team and Player Awards.

Miles Austin Returns Home

Photo - Cowboys' Miles Austin

Cowboys' wideout Miles Austin caught seven passes for 145 yards with one TD on Thanksgiving that was instrumental in the Dallas win over the Raiders. The Cowboys retain the lead in the NFC East entering their key divisional contest with the Giants at the Meadowlands in New Jersey. Austin returns home where he played both his HS and college football. He graduated from Monmouth University (N.J.) and incredibly went undrafted in the NFL Draft ’06. In the Thanksgiving game victory, he did almost all of his damage in the first half as he piled up 130 yards and his TD. He beat Nnamdi Asomugha for his first reception, but then the Cowboys attacked the more beatable Chris Johnson. After three straight poor offensive games, the Cowboys proved they can get Austin the ball in different alignments and away from double coverage. He finished wit 7 catches for 145 yards and 1 TD in another holiday victory for Dallas.
As a Monmouth University graduate, I make it a labor of love to scout alumni pro prospects. Incredibly, only a handful of NFL teams came to interview and watch game tape of Miles Austin. That explains why there are so many horrible NFL teams at the bottom of the standings this season. NFL front offices give great lip service about their scouting staffs, but the truth is that many front offices do a poor job scouting talent in general and many personnel departments are burdened with poor key decision makers and immense nepotism on both their college and pro staffs. See teams like Detroit, Tampa, Oakland, Cleveland, Washington, San Francisco, Seattle and Buffalo among others.
After his final season, Austin did not play in an All-star game during the ’06 postseason, but did participate in the NFL Combine. He had a very good overall workout including a sub 4.5 time and fine other times and numbers in all the drills. He did drop several passes in the vital receiving drills that hurt his final grade and probably cost him a late draft selection. He went undrafted in the NFL Draft 2006, but made the Dallas roster on potential and his fine kickoff return skills. He has turned into one of the best bargains in the entire player selection process and has emerged as the Cowboys go to receiver over this season since midseason. He could earn a berth on the NFC Pro Bowl roster with a strong final month.

Miles Austin Scouting Report in the Draft Insiders' Digest Yearbook ’06

Miles Austin #80 - 6’2” 215 lbs.- Monmouth University - Sp. 4.5 R:70
Strong physical receiver has displayed big play ability over the past three seasons at the Division I-AA level. Miles is a big physical receiver with fine athletic ability that drew national attention at the NFL Combine. He performed well at the combine, showing fine speed and leaping ability. He put up some awesome numbers at the Division I-AA level where he was a man amongst boys. He has big hands and moves well for a player of his dimensions. He has been a dominant performer at the Division I-AA, combining all the skills to compete for an NFL roster spot this summer. He is a physical athlete who gets off the line easily with good quickness and movement. He has a burst of deceptive speed to get deep and make the big play. He is fearless going over the middle and uses his strong frame to outmuscle defenders with fine leaping ability and the toughness to take a hit and hold on to the ball. As a senior, he caught 49 passes for 1004 yards for a very impressive 20 yard average per catch and 11 TDs while earning NEAC first team honors. As a junior, he made 47 receptions for 859 yards for an 18.3 yard average and 9 TDs with similar stats as a sophomore when he totaled 44 receptions for 796 yards for an 18.1 yard average and 12 TDs. Over his career, he caught 150 passes for over 2800 yards and 33 TDs with 32 of those scores coming over his final three seasons. He averaged almost 19 yards per catch for those three seasons among the best for receivers from any level. He is an intriguing prospect who displays fine hands and will make the difficult catch over the middle and hang on to the ball. He has the physical ability to go up and make a play on the ball with the power to run after the catch. He has surprisingly good cutting skills that make defenders miss, though he mainly runs through tacklers to make the big play. He is very good on the fade pass where his height and leaping skills make him a difficult matchup. He has above average movement skills and the sure hands to develop into a good possession receiver as a pro. He provides his passer a big target with the long arms and hands to naturally snatch the ball in front of him. As a route runner, he has improved nicely with experience, but needs refinement especially in his footwork at the breakpoint to get open. That is the one area of concern, can he separate vs. NFL caliber cover men. He is a solid possession receiver for the next level with good functional strength that allows him to get off the jam, but he needs work on getting in and out of his cuts faster. He has adequate speed to separate and get open regularly, but only average long speed to break the big play and can struggle separating in the deep game. He is a tough, competitive performer with good field awareness to be a factor in an offense. He could compete for a #3 WR spot at some point in his career and possibly a starting job at some time. At the combine, he ran a 4.49 time with a 40.5” VJ, a 10’3” BJ and did 21 reps in the lifting and performed very well in the agility drills. He checked in at 215 lbs. after playing at just above 225 lbs. over his career. In the passing drills at the combine, he dropped a few passes that can happen with a small college performer. Over his career, he displayed consistently fine hands to catch the ball away from his body. Tough possession receiver with talent, good speed and the sure hands to be a surprise with development. Sleeper with upside if he develops his route running and proves he can get separate vs. quick NFL caliber cover men.

Outland Trophy Finalists

University of Idaho senior guard Mike Iupati is one of three finalists for the Outland Trophy, which honors college football's most outstanding interior lineman. Finalists for The Home Depot ESPNU College Football Awards will be announced live on Thursday, Dec. 10, at 7 p.m. ET on ESPN.

Photo - OG Mike Iupati - Idaho

Outland Trophy (Best Interior Lineman)
Mike Iupati, Idaho
Russell Okung, Oklahoma St
Ndamukong Suh, Nebraska

Iupati, 6'6" 325 lbs.has been the leader of the Vandal offensive line this fall as Idaho is enjoying its best season in a decade. He was recommended to the Senior Bowl committee by Frank Coyle in September 2009 and high on the offensive line list throughout the '09 season.
"He's a big strong man, who has great athletic ability," coach Robb Akey said. "He has the ability to move, the ability to run. He's physical at the point of attack. He also does a lot of good things as he's pulling. He can handle guys out in space. His athleticism combined with his size make him a special player."
There's more to Iupati, who came to Idaho from Western High School at Anaheim, Calif., but who grew up in American Samoa.
"He hasn't been in the United States all that long," said Akey of Iupati, whose family moved to the United States when he was 14. "He just started playing football when he was in high school."
Prior to the season, Iupati was voted as the Vandals' offensive captain.
"He's a first-class young man," Akey said. "He was elected team captain by his teammates for a reason."

Iupati is joined as a finalist by Oklahoma St's Russell Okung and Nebraska's Ndamukong Suh. He is expected to play at the Senior Bowl All-star game in late January 2010.
The Outland Trophy first was awarded in 1946 and is named to honor Pennsylvania's John Outland, one of only a few players in history to be chosen All-America at two positions. He was a consensus All-America in 1898 at tackle and a consensus All-America at back in 1899.

Frank Coyle is a consultant for the Senior Bowl and a longtime Member of the FWAA and voter in College team and player awards - Heisman, Outland, Nagurski, Thorpe, etc.