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08/20/2010 - (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The San Francisco 49ers have a new strategy in their attempt to end a seven-year playoff drought.
The plan?
Try nothing new at all.
San Francisco finished strong under head coach Mike Singletary in 2008 after he replaced Mike Nolan midseason and that surge carried over to last season -- at least for the first four weeks.
After a 3-1 start, the 49ers lost four straight games and never really recovered en route to a .500 finish. Along the way, the club made a switch at quarterback, going from Shaun Hill to Alex Smith, but Singletary hopes his days of making big changes are long gone as he looks to get San Francisco back to the postseason for the first time since 2002.
For the first time since Greg Knapp's three-year tenure from 2001-03, the 49ers enter the season with the same offensive coordinator as the previous year. Jimmy Raye II is back for his second straight season after becoming the club's seventh OC in seven seasons in 2009, and Singletary hopes that the lack of change will benefit his growing club.
"It's a very good feeling to know that there can be some continuity," he said at the start of training camp. "I think that would be the word that connects everything that we did last year and take in the positives and beginning to build on those things and let this be a continuation of building and learning, rather than something new where you are trying to learn plays."
That is good news for Smith, the top overall pick of the 2005 draft who has seen his up-and-down career partially stymied by the installation of new offensive system after new offensive system.
After missing some of 2007 and all of '08 due to shoulder injuries, Smith took over the starting job last year in Week 8 and went 5-5 as a starter, but did lead the 49ers to wins in three of their final four games. Now, for the first time since 2006, Smith enters the season as the starting quarterback.
"I feel like I'm seeing things really well right now," said Smith. "There's not much, when I turn on the film, that I don't already know what happened. I feel like I'm seeing everything, I know what happened. You're never truly going to see everything, but I really feel I'm seeing enough of the puzzle that I know what's going on."
While Singletary will look to Smith to lead the offense, it is his defense that could be one of his best strengths. Returning for a fourth straight year is defensive coordinator Greg Manusky, whose unit last year forced a league- leading 21 fumbles and kept opponents out of the end zone in five games.
That allowed the 49ers to focus on offense with their two draft picks in 2010 and they grabbed tackle Anthony Davis 11th overall out of Rutgers before adding Idaho guard Mike Iupati to the ranks six picks later.
San Francisco didn't leave Manusky without his own new toys, landing USC safety Taylor Mays in the second round and linebacker Navorro Bowman out of Penn State in the third round.
Singletary will look to mix those few new pieces into a group he feels is ready to make an impact in the NFL.
Below we take a capsule look at the 2010 edition of the San Francisco 49ers, with a personnel evaluation and prognosis included therein:
2009 RECORD: 8-8 (2nd, NFC West)
LAST PLAYOFF APPEARANCE: 2002, lost to Tampa Bay, 31-6, in NFC Divisional Playoff
COACH (RECORD): Mike Singletary (13-12 in two seasons with 49ers, 13-12 overall)
OFFENSIVE COORDINATOR: Jimmy Raye II
DEFENSIVE COORDINATOR: Greg Manusky
OFFENSIVE STAR: Frank Gore, RB (1120 rushing yards, 52 receptions, 13 TD)
DEFENSIVE STAR: Patrick Willis, LB (152 tackles, 4 sacks, 3 INT)
OFFENSIVE TEAM RANKS: 25th rushing, 22nd passing, 18th scoring
DEFENSIVE TEAM RANKS: 6th rushing, 21st passing, 4th scoring
KEY ADDITIONS: QB David Carr (from Giants), RB Brian Westbrook (from Eagles), WR/RS Ted Ginn Jr. (from Dolphins), T Anthony Davis (1st Round, Rutgers), G Mike Iupati (1st Round, Idaho), OLB Travis LaBoy (from Cardinals), OLB Navorro Bowman (3rd Round, Penn State), CB William James (from Lions), CB Karl Paymah (from Vikings), S Taylor Mays (2nd Round, USC)
KEY DEPARTURES: QB Shaun Hill (to Lions), WR Arnaz Battle (to Steelers), WR Brandon Jones (released), T Tony Pashos (to Browns), DL Kentwan Balmer (to Seahawks), CB Dre' Bly (to Lions), CB Walt Harris (not tendered), S Mark Roman (not tendered), K Ricky Schmitt (to Titans)
QB: Time is running out for Smith, who is in the final season of his reworked rookie deal and has made it clear he wants to finish what he started in San Francisco. The 26-year-old put up solid numbers over 11 games a season ago, throwing for 2,350 yards and a career-high 18 touchdowns with 12 interceptions. Smith also showed that his shoulder is healthy, now he just has to prove he can win. He has another top overall draft pick behind him in David Carr, who has played in just 15 games over the past three seasons after his five-year run as Houston's starter came to an end. The 2002 draft pick will get a chance to resurrect his career should Smith fail. Sophomore Nate Davis is looking at another developmental year as the No. 3 QB.
RB: Frank Gore (1,120 rushing yards, 13 total TD) is the heartbeat of the Niners' offense. The bulk of the work goes through him as evidenced by his 229 carries and 52 receptions a season ago. Gore did miss a pair of games last year with an ankle injury so San Francisco will try once again to be careful with how much they use him, but his value is tough to replace on the field. Glen Coffee's sudden retirement at the age of 23 left a hole behind Gore, and the 49ers filled it by signing former Pro Bowler Brian Westbrook. The shifty Villanova product was limited to just eight games last year due to concussions, but the former Walter Payton Award winner has still amassed over 7,000 yards from scrimmage in his career and 39 touchdowns. Rookie sixth-rounder Anthony Dixon, at 233 pounds, offers a change of pace to Westbrook off the bench, and can spell Gore in short yardage situations. Moran Norris returns as the fullback.
WR/TE: Michael Crabtree didn't make his debut with the 49ers last year as a rookie until the end of October due to a lengthy holdout, and ended with 48 catches and two touchdowns. The 10th overall pick should take a big step forward this year with a full offseason under his belt. Smith would be smart to rely heavily on Crabtree as well as tight end Vernon Davis, who set career- highs across the board last year with 78 catches, 965 yards and 13 touchdowns. The 2006 first-round pick is finally living up to expectations under Singletary, who has had a positive influence on his tight end. Third-year wideout Josh Morgan (52 receptions, 3 TD) will start opposite Crabtree and has developed nicely for the 49ers. The 49ers acquired Ted Ginn Jr. (38 receptions, 1 TD) from the Dolphins to serve as a deep threat, while Jason Hill, Kyle Williams and Dominique Zeigler will all battle for roster spots. Delanie Walker will see time on the field in two-tight end sets.
OL: The 49ers hope they have added two long-term pieces in Davis and Iupati to go along with left tackle Joe Staley, a 2007 first-round draft pick who is signed through 2017. San Francisco moved up two spots to grab Davis, who will try to take over the starting right tackle spot from Adam Snyder, while Iupati aims to line up next to Staley at guard. A broken leg suffered by center Eric Heitmann on Aug. 9 will sideline the starter for at least six weeks and David Baas and Tony Wragge will compete to replace him. Right guard Chilo Rachal has shown some inconsistency since being taken in the second round of the 2008 draft and will need to improve this year. If he does, the 49ers will have a very good and young line to work with.
DL: While Gore is the workhorse of the offense, Justin Smith is the animal on the other side of the ball. The right end has notched 128 tackles and 13 sacks in his two years with the 49ers following seven productive seasons with the Bengals, and enters the season with an impressive streak of 139 straight starts. Isaac Sopoaga (29 tackles, 1 sack) is the other end, and he no longer has to worry about former 2008 first-round pick Kentwan Balmer, who was dealt to Seattle during training camp after two disappointing seasons and an unexcused absence during camp. With Balmer gone, Ray McDonald becomes the primary backup. Aubrayo Franklin (36 tackles, 2 sacks) is the nose tackle of this 3-4 set, though the 29-year-old has yet to sign his $7 million tender as of press time. However, the club expects to have him in the fold before the regular season starts. Ricky Jean-Francois took reps with the first team during mini-camp in Franklin's absence.
LB: San Francisco's 44 sacks a season ago ranked as the club's best total since 1998, and 19.5 of those came from the primary starting linebacking group. Patrick Willis (152 tackles, 4 sacks) has emerged as one of the top defenders in football since the Niners grabbed the middle linebacker in the first round of the 2007 draft. He has led the league in tackles twice in his three seasons and has made the Pro Bowl in each season. Veteran Takeo Spikes (75 tackles, 4 sacks) benefits from Willis' energy and is a nice complement to the ballhawk. Manny Lawson (68 tackles) notched a career-best and team-leading 6.5 sacks last year and was spelled last year at the left side by Ahmad Brooks (21 tackles, 6 sacks) on third downs as a pass-rush specialist. Parys Haralson's sack total dipped from eight to five last year, and he hopes to bounce back this year. Travis LaBoy missed all of last year due to a foot injury before joining the 49ers this offseason as a free agent. He backs up on the outside, while Bowman will push for time in the middle.
DB: San Francisco's secondary is perhaps its thinnest unit even with the drafting of Mays, who the club hopes will take over for strong safety Michael Lewis sooner rather than later. Lewis was third on the team a season ago with 82 tackles despite suffering a number of concussions. Free safety Dashon Goldson (94 tackles, 4 INT) led the team in interceptions, developing into a consistent starter for the club. Cornerback Nate Clements (35 tackles, 1 INT) is also solid, but has just seven picks in three years since signing a monster deal with the Niners. Fellow corner Shawntae Spencer (53 tackles, 2 INT) started in all 16 games last year after missing most of 2008 with a knee injury. Both Karl Paymah and Will James were added this summer to offset the losses of Walt Harris and Dre' Bly, while Tarell Brown (40 tackles, 2 INT) enters his fourth season with the club.
SPECIAL TEAMS: While the offensive and defensive coordinators remain the same, the special teams unit gets a new field general in Kurt Schottenheimer, owner of over 30 years of coaching experience. He inherits a Pro Bowl punter in Andy Lee, who averaged 47.6 yards per punt last year, and the steady Joe Nedney, a 37-year-old who has hit on 86.8 percent of his field goal attempts in five years with the 49ers. Ginn takes over as the main kick returner after the departed Arnaz Battle averaged just 2.9 return yards per punt in 2009. Williams will also lend Ginn a hand in the return game. Long snapper Brian Jennings, a 2004 Pro Bowler, owns 10 years of experience at the position.
PROGNOSIS: Singletary was unable to deliver his promise of a playoff spot in his first year, but the head coach appears ready to do so in 2010. Not only that, but the Niners just might do so as division champs. Even with their struggles last year, San Fran went 5-1 versus its fellow NFC West residents and no other team in the division took major steps forward. Gore should have an excellent line in front of him, while Crabtree and Davis will only get better. As long as Alex Smith moves forward and not back, offense won't be an issue. Defensively, San Francisco has a good enough pass rush to overcome a subpar secondary, though Justin Smith and Willis staying healthy is a must. San Francisco's schedule isn't brutal -- road games against Denver (in London), Green Bay and San Diego could be tough -- as things appear to be lining up in the 49ers' favor to emerge as the top contender in the division.
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My fellow Americans, as tempting as it may be to don the coat and HD-ready tie in order to deliver this State of the Game address before the cameras, I know better. As Brad Paisley sings on his latest album, "I'm so much cooler online."
The ideas for this annual essay to kick off the MySportsbook.com college football betting preview flowed like frat-house beer, which is to say they were cheap and spilled all over the floor. The 2007 season will be better than 2007, if only because there will be more of it. A year ago, the NCAA Football Rules Committee made two rule changes in the interest of speeding up the game. These changes went over like Kobe burgers at a vegan banquet.
To its credit, the rules committee rectified its mistakes. This season the clock once again will start when a kickoff is received, rather than when it is kicked, and the clock will not start so quickly on a change of possession.
However, kickoffs have been moved back five yards, to the 30, which will force more returns. (Thus forcing the clock to run. Clever, huh?) Special teams might decide a lot of games, because coaching strategy will come straight out of another new Paisley lyric (almost), I'd like to check you for kicks.
Paisley sings with a twang, which is why he's appropriate for this college football season. The sun coming up over the 2007 college football betting lines season rises from the south. It's a Southern football world. As the Southeastern Conference begins its 75th year, the power shift is noticeable.
Eight-figure budgets, glamorous settings -- and that's just for the head coaches. The SEC has four coaches who have won national championships -- the greatest aggregation of coaching know-how since Eddie Robinson dined alone.
Steve Spurrier, Phil Fulmer, Nick Saban and Urban Meyer have given lie to the idea that a conference championship game is too daunting a hurdle on the road to No. 1. In six of the past 10 seasons, the national champions played and won a conference championship game -- three of the six (Tennessee, 1998; LSU, 2003; Florida, 2007) from the SEC.
There will be more of the same this season, if the preseason prognostications are correct. Six SEC teams are in the preseason coaches' poll, more than from any other conference. Only one conference has talent so deep that a team with 15 returning starters, including the best quarterback in the league, from an eight-win season is considered an afterthought. That may speak more to Kentucky's losing legacy than to the wisdom of the predictions, but there you have it. And seriously, keep an eye on Wildcats QB Andre' Woodson.
The reach of the South extends all the way to No. 1. Take a look at the team that is a consensus pick to win the national championship. The quarterback is from Shreveport. The best wide receiver is from Nashville. The top recruit is from New Orleans.
So what's the campus doing in Los Angeles? Hey, it is the University of Southern California.
USC lost two Pacific-10 Conference games a year ago, the first time that had happened in five seasons, and university officials withstood the urge to form blue-ribbon panels to unearth the cause of such a disaster. Instead, the Trojans gathered themselves and routed Michigan, 32-18, in the Rose Bowl.
USC's losses at Oregon State and at UCLA last year should have given pause to those who question the Pac-10's football prowess (such as, without naming names, L.M. from Baton Rouge). The league only got deeper this season; Dennis Erickson is taking over an Arizona State team that never quite got out of its own way under his predecessor, Dirk Koetter.
Erickson will resume his quest to become the first coach to win a national championship at two schools. Both he and Spurrier, now in his third season at South Carolina, returned to college football at schools with lower profiles than where they won their titles.
That isn't the case for the third coach looking for the national championship double. You may have missed this, but NASA reported the astronauts on the space shuttle last spring made contact with what can only be described as beings from another galaxy.
The leader of the aliens said, "We come in peace," followed by, "So how do you think Nick Saban will do at Alabama?"
The public is reacting to the new Crimson Tide coach as if he is the Barry Bonds of college football -- beloved at home for what his fans believe he is going to do, hated on the road for his intimidating attitude and for what his detractors believe he did (bend NCAA recruiting rules). I made this comparison from the dais at a charity dinner in Mobile, Ala., last month, and the chill that washed over me didn't come from the air conditioning.
Saban will attempt to prove that he can remake in Tuscaloosa what he built in Baton Rouge, much like another member of the national championship fraternity. Bobby Bowden is attempting to remake at Florida State what he built at, um, Florida State. Bowden rebuilt his offensive staff, bringing in four new coaches led by Saban's former offensive coordinator, Jimbo Fisher, to jump-start an offense that has been dead for a couple of years.
The Atlantic Coast Conference is expected to show new signs of life, too. That is said with no disrespect toward last season's champion, Wake Forest, which provided one of the best story lines of 2007. The Demon Deacons begin this season in their customary position, overshadowed by the Virginia Techs, Miamis and Florida States.
It's not that Wake will find it difficult to duplicate its success in 2007 as much as the feeling that success engendered. Surprising success is the narcotic of sport. It never feels quite so euphoric the next time. Big East commissioner Mike Tranghese has figured this out. He refers to 2007, when a league looked down upon by fans and foes alike took three undefeated teams into November, as "Cinderella."
The fairy tale may be over, but the Big East has four genuine Heisman Trophy candidates in Louisville quarterback Brian Brohm, West Virginia tailback Steve Slaton and quarterback Pat White, and Rutgers tailback Ray Rice. Rutgers, as did Wake Forest and, of course, Boise State, proved last season that the have-nots in college football occasionally have quite a lot.
The Broncos' rousing 43-42 overtime victory over Oklahoma in the Fiesta Bowl has raised the profile of all schools in conferences that don't get automatic BCS bids. This season, TCU and Hawaii are the preseason favorites to burst through the BCS doors and earn an at-large bid. The Warriors return 14 starters from an 11-3 team, including quarterback Colt Brennan.
Brennan not only broke the single-season record with 58 touchdown passes in 2007, but he also led Division I-A in passing efficiency (186.0). The senior is expected to contend for the Heisman Trophy, and neither his success nor the rise of his team should come as any surprise in the 2007 season.
After all, Hawaii is the southernmost team in the country.
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Many fans thought it was the best side in the nation by the end of last season. This year, the polls have built on Georgia's momentum and granted it the No. 1 preseason ranking, followed by Ohio State and USC. (The Associated Press has the Buckeyes at No. 2; USA Today took the Trojans.)
"To have people believing we have one of the best teams in the nation going into this thing, it's exciting for us," Bulldogs coach Mark Richt told the AP. "I don't think anything is guaranteed, but we certainly have put ourselves in position where at least the college football world thinks we're pretty good."
Georgia Bulldogs - 9.5 wins
There's no question they're good, but the Bulldogs have one of the toughest 12-game schedules in the nation, mostly because they play in the powerhouse Southeastern Conference. Away games at No. 15 Arizona State, No. 7 LSU and No. 10 Auburn loom large, with contests between the hedges versus No. 24 Alabama and No. 18 Tennessee as well as the World's Largest Cocktail Party in Jacksonville versus No.5 Florida.
Ohio State Buckeyes - 10 wins
Like the Bulldogs, the Buckeyes also have a number of tough road contests in 2008. After two scrimmages dressed up as real games versus Youngstown State and Ohio, it's off to face USC. Other tough away games include No.13 Wisconsin in October and No. 20 Illinois in November. Granted, it should be pretty easy sledding at the Horseshoe. In fact, the only ranked team that travels to Columbus is No. 22 Penn State, in October.
USC Trojans - 10.5 wins
A similarly light schedule awaits the Trojans of Southern California, which is why the oddsmakers' total is one win more and the over is currently commanding -150 odds. Pete Carroll's troops only play three ranked teams in 2008, and all of those games are at home. After what should be an easy trip to Virginia to start things off on Aug. 30, the Trojans get two weeks to prepare for Ohio State in Los Angeles. Their two other ranked opponents, No. 21 Oregon and No. 15 Arizona State, visit in consecutive weeks to start the month of October. After that, the competition eases up. Of course, this is the same highly-touted school that lost to Stanford in 2007 and Oregon State in 2006. And don't discount the fact that USC plays its biggest rivals, Notre Dame and UCLA, back-to-back to close out the regular season. On paper, the Trojans are far superior, but motivation will be high for the Irish and Bruins, especially if their historic foes are in national-title contention.
Odds to Win the Heisman Trophy
Tim Tebow, Florida - 7/2
He won it last year, so it's no surprise he's the favorite to do it again, making him just the second player to go back-to-back. Ohio State's Archie Griffin turned the trick in 1974 and 1975, and Tebow's coach, Urban Meyer, is pretty sure his star quarterback can match the Buckeyes legend.
"There has never been anyone quite like him," Meyer told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. "I am very lucky to be his coach."
Chris Wells, Ohio State - 5/1
The man they call "Beanie" was a star recruit out of high school, so it's not like nobody knew who the star tailback was before he rushed for 576 yards as a freshman in 2006 and 1,609 as a sophomore. But perhaps his finest moment came last year versus Michigan when he rumbled for 222 yards and two touchdowns in the Buckeyes' 14-3 victory over the hated Wolverines.
Knowshon Moreno, Georgia - 8/1
If the Bulldogs are to live up to expectations, they'll need a huge effort from their sophomore running back. This might be the last year of college ball for Moreno, who rushed for 1,334 yards and for 14 touchdowns as a freshman, while adding 253 receiving yards on 20 receptions, so expect big things for the man from Belford, N.J.
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