Independents small in numbers, large in impact
07/25/2007 08:41 AM
By: Marc Lawrence
Only three schools make up the list of Division I-A independents on the college gridiron, but that doesn't lessen the impact they could have on the 2007 BCS scene.
Like last year, just three teams make up the Division I-A Independents, yet all three have a unique bearing on the outcome of the BCS National Championship game for 2007. Rest assured, without a conference affiliation, this self-governing triumvirate holds plenty of veto power when it comes to dashing the dreams of many BCS Championship Game aspirants.
Independents small in numbers, large in impact
Here is one handicapper’s take on the Independents for 2007. Returning starters are listed alongside each team’s name (returning QB’s designated with an *). Enjoy!
ARMY (OFF - *6 / DEF - 6)
Team Theme: Bobby Trapped
No, he won’t retire a four-star general, but Bobby Ross gave his all before stepping down as commander-in-chief of the Army football team this year. He inherited a group that was 0-13 when he took over in 2004 and turned them into a competitive unit.
Enter Stan Brock, who was an offensive lineman with the New Orleans Saints for 13 years and offensive line coach of the Cadets the past three seasons. New coaches and slow starts generally go hand-in-hand. It doesn’t help that Army is 4-31 SU in its first five games of the season over the past seven years, or that the Cadets have never won a season opener away from the banks of the Hudson in their 122-year football history.
PLAY AGAINST: vs. Akron (9/1)
NAVY (OFF - 7 / DEF - 2)
Team Theme: Pure F****** Magic
You can only marvel at the job done by Paul Johnson. Brought in five years ago to stop the bleeding, he’s been a human tourniquet. Four straight bowl appearances -- with four different quarterbacks -- wrapped around five consecutive Commander-In-Chief trophies (9-1 SU in military battles winning by average margin of 26.8 PPG) has Johnson’s number on every Admiral’s speed dial. FYI: no team has ever captured six straight CIC crowns.
After losing 14 home games in a row the Middies have won 17 of their last 21 on their home base. One common thread running through the Peacoats is nine of the 11 assistant coaches have been aboard ship throughout Johnson’s tenure. As they like to say in Annapolis, it’s PFM.
PLAY ON: vs. Rutgers (9/7)
NOTRE DAME (OFF - 3 / DEF - 5)
Team Theme: A Weis Old Owl
Charlie Weis is a sharp cookie. Despite having arguably marginal teams, he’s been able to secure BCS bowl games each of his first two seasons with the Irish (both resounding losses). That’s because he takes care of business against teams he should (15-0 versus sub .750 opposition), and hangs around against those that matter (4-6 SU & 3-6-1 ATS versus .750 or greater foes). Hence, he was 0-3 against Top 15 teams and 10-0 against all others last season.
He was sharp enough to hire Corwin Brown, former DB and coach with the Jets, as his new defensive coordinator. With Brady Quinn now a Brownie, he realizes he’ll need to start winning games the old fashioned way...with a defense.
PLAY ON: as dog vs. Michigan (9/15)
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