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| Wednesday, September 20 Updated: September 21, 9:29 AM ET I'm not anti-Nebraska, I'm just pro K-State By Lee Corso Special to ESPN.com |
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Lee Corso and the rest of the GameDay crew can't get to every campus this season, so ESPN.com has given fans another option: It's called "Lee-mail." Lee has an opinion on just about anything related to college football. So, go ahead and ask him a question. He'll give his thoughts on the subject. Here are this week's questions Corso picked to answer before he found his way to Eugene, Ore.:
Does Kansas State have a chance to get past Nebraska in the Big 12 championship and get into the Orange Bowl?
I picked K-State to beat Nebraska in the preseason because they have 16 seniors starting on both sides of the ball and they have Bill Snyder, a good, strong coach who's not afraid of Nebraska. Kansas State will beat Nebraska and go to Miami to take on Florida State in the Orange Bowl. That's my story and I'm sticking to it.
After seeing Mississippi State play, how do you think they measure up to the rest of the country?
Without a doubt, they are in the top 10. They are as good defensively as anyone in the country. I think they are as good as Florida State on defense, although my partner Kirk Herbstreit doesn't agree with me. Wayne Madkin can really run and scramble. I picked them in the preseason to be the SEC West champion, and I'm sticking to that one, too.
Can you explain why four of the nation's six most talented teams (Alabama, Texas, Miami and Michigan) have already lost? Do you think any of them can rally and get into the BCS championship?
I don't think any of them will get into the championship. They all have tough games coming up and are in tough conferences. The reason they lost is because there is more parity in college football than ever before. More schools have scholarships now, which spreads out the talent pool. In years past, schools like Bama and Michigan had all the scholarships and could stockpile the talent. All those teams will get to bowl games, but none to championship.
What do you think of the great start of N.C. State and Philip Rivers?
Philip Rivers is the most talented young freshman quarterbacks to come out of Alabama in years. The Wolfpack have a very talented offensive coordinator in Norm Chow, who used to be the offensive coordinator coach at BYU. He's the best hire Chuck Amato ever made.
Why in the world is Wisconsin still in the top 10?
They started off high and haven't lost. It doesn't make a difference if the games are close; if a team starts high and can stay in the win column, it's unlikely they will drop.
Will Iowa State finally get into a bowl game this year?
I don't think so. They are a very good team, and are much improved. But they play in one of the toughest conferences in football. They'd have to win six or seven games to get into a bowl, and that's tough to do when you play in the Big 12 with Nebraska, K-State and Texas.
Why is it you are always anti-Big Red at the beginning of the season, then you jump right back on the bandwagon at the end of the year when the Huskers are on their way to bringing home another national title?
I beg to differ. Two years ago, in front of 3,000 high school coaches at the Nebraska Coaches Association, I said Kansas State would beat Nebraska; and I was right. Last year, I thought Nebraska was the superior team. I like Nebraska. I think they are the classiest program in football. I just happen to think this year, as I did two years ago, that Kansas State is going to beat the Huskers.
How dangerous would Indiana be if they had a defense?
Extremely dangerous. If they had a defense, they'd be a very, very good football team. Antwaan Randle-El is one of the most talented quarterbacks in the country. I love the way he moves the ball. Cam Cameron is doing a good coaching job offensively. They blew a big game against Kentucky last week, which may hurt their chances of going to a bowl game. Once they get into conference play against the Big Ten, with their lack of defense ... whoa. Forget about it.
If Cedric Cobbs steps it up this year, do you think he'll end the season as a serious Heisman contender?
No. If there is a running back who contends for the Heisman, it'll be LaDainian Tomlinson of TCU. Tomlinson will get thousands of yards and will most likely visit New York City in December with the outstanding quarterback candidates -- Michael Vick, Chris Weinke and Drew Brees.
What are the chances of Woody Dantzler breaking the barrier of 2,000 passing yards and 1,000 rushing yards in one season? And why isn't he in the running for the Heisman?
His chances of breaking those records are very good. This kid is a great player. Give him another year under Tommy Bowden and he'll be even more sensational. I saw him last year against Virginia Tech, and he looked great then. Bowden molded Shaun King, and is doing another great job with Dantzler. He's a great quarterback coach. But Dantzler hasn't had enough playing time to be a serious Heisman contender.
Do you think West Virginia can upset the Hurricanes and if so, what will the win do for the Mountaineers?
I'm not so sure the Mountaineers can beat Miami. Miami is going to be too quick for them; they won't be able to match the Canes' speed. But I do think they can beat Notre Dame in Morgantown.
If TCU runs the table, but doesn't get into the BCS because of a weak schedule, what are the chances of voters giving LaDainian Tomlinson the Heisman as a "consolation" prize?
Forget the consolation prize. Tomlinson can get the Heisman if he has a great year, and if Chris Weinke, Drew Brees and Michael Vick don't play well. If any of those guys play well, the Heisman will undoubtedly go to a quarterback. And you're right; Texas Christian will run the table, but won't get into the BCS because of strength of schedule.
Fourth quarter, down by 4, final drive of the game. What current college quarterback do you want running the show?
Chris Weinke. No question. Weinke is the most talented, experienced quarterback out there. He's like a coach on the field. He makes the right reads, hits the right people. I'd rather have Weinke than anyone in the nation, including Michael Vick. Vick is a great player, but I'd rather have Weinke's experience.
How many more times is UCLA going to prove you wrong before you actually pick them to win a game?
Six more.
Why do you not believe in Notre Dame this year?
Because I didn't think they had the offense to play as well as they have been. The Irish surprised me with how well they played against Nebraska -- they should have won that ballgame -- and the Purdue game was a sensational win. You have to give them a lot of credit; they've come a long way and have been one of the surprise teams in the country along with UCLA. I still think they are going to have all kinds of problems against Michigan State away from home, but maybe they'll continue to surprise me.
What do you think of Oklahoma's chances of going to the Big 12 Championship game?
Slim and none.
What do you think is wrong with the Georgia 'Dawgs?
Quincy Carter had a bad day. It happens. A lot of guys have bad days; it doesn't mean there is something wrong with their team. You can't panic. You've got to keep your faith in Carter; he's still plenty good to keep them in a lot of games. He just had a bad day.
Are you going to quack for me on GameDay in Eugene this weekend?
You'll have to stay tuned to see what I do.
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