Troy Trojans Football

I couldn't have asked for a better start to bowl season going 4-0 against the spread in Saturday's games.

We had our first chat in a few weeks yesterday and while we were few in numbers we weren't short on fun and I think we were even able to sway a few who were late on board to the good side, especially in the last two games of the day. While we can't expect to go 34-0 for the entire bowl season, it hasn't ever stopped us from trying before.

Jordan has posted his second set of picks and while I haven't read them I do know that the game we agreed on yesterday we were once again right on the mark. While he may not have had the start to bowl season he was looking for his record this year speaks for itself so when he starts to get hot again, look out.

For those of you waiting for the free newsletter, I didn't send one out this week.  I covered the limited amount of games we were working with on the blog and while I could have written a book about all of the developments going on with the site, I figured I would spare you as you are going to see them and hear all about them soon enough, it's really exciting stuff.

There also wasn't any kind of breaking news, if you have questions about upcoming games that I haven't gotten to yet, feel free to hit the forum and ask away. I will be sending out a newsletter this week.

In any event, we have a game tonight and I definitely have come up with a pick so let me get to it.

R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl, The Super Dome, New Orleans, LA

Troy (8-4) Vs. Southern Miss (6-6)

Sunday, Dec. 21, 2008, 8:15 p.m. EST; The Line: Southern Miss +4 1/2

Overview

A little bit of trivia: I met Jordan when I was talking about Troy football. For a lot of people out there, they think Troy football is something odd to be discussing, but many of you out there know that it's something that's actually right in our wheelhouse. I watch so many games over the course of the year, I see plenty of Sun Belt Conference action and have been on Troy more than just this season.

I have talked about Troy so much this season as not a week went by that we didn't pick a game involving Troy, except for their off weeks. I am big admirers not just of the anytime, anyone, anyplace attitude that Troy brings, I am an even bigger fan when these teams let the other team know (usually on the road) that they aren't anyone's doormat, and I believe Troy has reached that point.

Troy went 8-4 this season, but all of its losses were on the road and three of them came to Ohio State, Oklahoma State, and LSU; there's no shame in that. Troy's other loss came at Louisiana-Monroe by a point in a game the Trojans should have won easily if not for being absolutely decimated by injuries.

I didn't have high expectations for Southern Miss and, while I'm a little surprised to see it in a bowl, in a day when 6-6 gets you in I'm not sure if it met or exceeded my expectations. The Golden Eagles had a miserable start to their season and looked to be headed for a "learning experience," as they were 2-6 with four games left to play.

While that was to be expected from a team with a new head coach and a freshman quarterback, talent isn't something Southern Miss is short on. Freshman wide receiver DeAndre Brown isn't just one of the best freshmen in the country, he is one of the best overall players in the country, and if you haven't had a chance to see him play you surely won't miss him on the field tonight—he stands 6'6" but plays even bigger.

See Mitch's college football bowl pick against the spread.

R&L Carriers New Orleans Bowl

Troy Trojans vs. Southern Mississippi Golden Eagles

December 21, 2008

8:00 pm ET

Louisiana Superdome - New Orleans, LA

Spread: Troy -4.5

How they got here...

Troy easily won the Sunbelt Conference going 8-4 on the season.  This will be Troy’s second appearance in the New Orleans Bowl in three years.

Southern Miss fought back from a 2-6 record to win their final four games and became bowl eligible at 6-6.  This will be USM’s third appearance in the New Orleans Bowl in five years.

Statistically speaking...

Troy is looking for their twenty-fifth win in three seasons, and an impressive win will bolster their status as a pre-season pick to win the Sun Belt in 2009.  First year head coach Larry Fedora is looking to grab his first bowl victory at USM as he attempts to return the Golden Eagles to their former glory as the premier team in Conference USA.  A win against Troy would be a great springboard toward achieving that goal.

Troy wins if...

Their defense can stop dual-threat quarterback Austin Davis and standout running back Damion Fletcher.  Levi Brown should have an easy time moving the ball in his no-huddle spread offense, but the key to victory will be keeping the USM offense off the field and out of the end zone.

Southern Miss wins if...

Their defensive backs can keep up with the fast tempo of Troy’s offense.  They absolutely have to keep the pressure on Levi Brown, who does not throw as well when hurried.  Austin Davis and Damion Fletcher have to move the chains and wear down the Troy defense. 

B/R Expert Picks...

Ben Weixlmann:  Troy 

Lisa Horne:  Troy

Georgia Dawg:  Troy

David Wunderlich:  Troy 

Michael Cline:  Troy

Trey Bradley:  Troy

MiamiMitch:  Troy

Justin Goar:  Troy

Brian Scott:  Troy

This years R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl features two teams that have won the New Orleans Bowl in recent years. The Southern Miss Eagles won this bowl game in 2004 and in 2005. While the Troy Trojans won this bowl game in 2006 over Rice. Now these two teams meet in the 7th annual New Orleans Bowl. The Eagles of Southern Miss enter with a record of 6-6 and the Trojans enter with an 8-4 record.

The Troy Trojans enter this bowl game having won two straight games over Louisiana-Lafayette and Arkansas State both of which were blowouts. The Trojans started the season off with two straight wins before losing to Ohio State and Oklahoma State.

They went on to then win three straight games before getting knocked off in a 31-30 loss to conference rival Louisiana-Monroe. They would then blow a big second half lead to No. 20 LSU and lose a game they should have won. The Trojans now enter this bowl game facing a tough challenge in the potent Southern Miss offense.

The Southern Miss Eagles started off the year 2-2 with losses to Auburn and Marshall. The Eagles then ended up losing four straight games following the Marshall loss and had to win out to qualify for a bowl game. They did exactly that. The Eagles ended up winning their last four games with the closest win being an 11 point victory.

Both squads feature potent offenses but I would have to lead toward Southern Miss in terms of having a better all around offense. The Eagles feature freshman quarterback Austin Davis who has performed like an experienced signal caller for the Eagles. Davis has thrown for 2852 yards, 21 TD's and eight Int's.

They also have a good rushing attack led by junior tailback Damion Fletcher who has rushed for 1235 yards and nine TD's. But the offensive firepower doesn't stop there for the Eagles. They also feature a great freshman wide receiver in DeAndre Brown. Brown was highly recruited out of high school and he has lived up to the hype. The 6'6 Brown has 66 cathes, 1108 yards receiving and 12 TD catches.

The Troy offense isn't too bad either as they score 33.3 points per game on offense. They are led by quarterback Levi Brown who has 1775 yards passing and 14 TD's through the air. They are not limited to the passing game though. They have running back DuJuan Harris who has 1025 yards rushing and 11 TD's on the ground.

Now, time for my prediction. I think that Southern Miss has been on a roll as of late by winning four straight games. One factor that I think will be key in this ball game is the sometimes over aggresive play calling by Troy because they have thrown the ball 45 times or more three times this year including a game where Levi Brown threw 70 passes.

In the end I think that Austin Davis will out-duel Levi Brown and pick apart the Troy defense. Troy doesn't have a great cover corner like former Trojan, now NFLer Leodis McKelvin to man up on the 6'6" Brown.

Final Prediction: Southern Miss is able to force turnovers and score off of those turnovers. The combination of Austin Davis and DeAndre Brown will be too much for Troy.

Final Score: Southern Miss 31, Troy 21

Free Betting Pick: USC vs. UCLA u47.5 (-110) - Saturday December 6th ‘08 4:30p
Click Here for Winning College Football Picks

The USC Trojans have allowed 10 points or less in six of their eight Pac-10 games this season, and we do not expect the pathetic UCLA Bruins offense to reach double-digits here.

It should also be noted, however, that the USC offense is averaging 37.1 points in conference, and they may not quite be on top of their game here knowing that they now have virtually no chance of playing in the BCS Championship Game. It would not be at all surprising if this game resembles the meeting between these clubs last season, when the Trojans won just 24-7.

Now make no mistake, the Bruins are terrible this season. That said, their defense has actually played very well the last two games. Yes, holding Washington to seven points does not mean much, but they followed up that effort by incredibly limiting Arizona State to only 127 total yards of offense last week.

It is fairly amazing that they lost that game 34-9, but consider that they did not allow a single offensive touchdown, as the four Sun Devils touchdowns came on three interception returns and a fumble return! Also, UCLA will no doubt be the more motivated team this weak, so we feel an inspired defense can keep this final score quasi-respectable if they could match their efforts of the last two contests.

Thus, the end result should be a much lower scoring game than many people expect.

College Football Free Pick: USC, UCLA Under 47.5 (-110) - Courtesy of LT Profits

TROY V. OHIO STATE
September 20, 2008
Ohio Stadium

AMUSE BOUCH

What the Interweb is saying: Previews abound for the Buckeyes’ (lesser) epic tilt with Troy. Here a few: 11W, Ozone, Bucknuts (I am sure there is one somewhere on that cluttered site), ESPN, Yahoo, yadda, yadda, yadda. Absorb the knowledge.

Whom I talked with: Earlier this summer we had the pleasure of corresponding with Barry McKnight, the award-winning play-by-play guy for the Trojans, and Drew Champlin, sports columnist covering the Trojans for the Dothan Eagle. There are not two more knowledgeable people about Troy football save for head coach Larry Blakeney. Find the interview here.

GAMEPLAN

OSU Run Offense v. Troy
I am going to start of with this: Ohio State will rush for at least 250 yards tomorrow, and I would not be surprised if they hit 200 by halftime.

Troy gets a lot of credit for facing major teams, and they should, but it should also be noted that they rarely prevent those teams for putting up astronomical offensive numbers.

The Trojans actually took out Oklahoma State at home last season (41-23), but in their three road contests against Arkansas, Florida, and Georgia, they gave up 149 points. Yikes! This is a chance for a new-look Ohio State offense to get some confidence.

In my opinion, Pryor is going to see the bulk of the action. If the coaches do not think Boeckman is good enough to play full-time and lead the team to victory what makes them think only playing half of the plays will turn out any better?

Tressel and Co. will cling to any glimmer of hope delivered by Pryor and leave him in. Those glimmers will come wrapped as 20 yards runs so smooth that Pryor appears to be in slow motion.

Last week, Herron and Pryor combined for 91 yards on 22 carries (4 ypc) against a stacked defense that knew Ohio State could not throw. I expect the ypc to increase by 50 percent tomorrow, at least while the first team is out there. If not, I think we all need to be worried.

Speaking of anxiety, it accompanies any mention of the offensive line these days. Now, LG Steve Rehring is out (with another undisclosed injury, no less!), and it sounds like Browning may move to his spot, with Shugarts stepping in at RT. Will this translate into new energy and focus or will the youth cause the timing to be (even) worse?

Most interesting will be Pryor’s scrambles and playmaking ability. Troy has sufficient talent at defensive end to get pressure and watching Pryor improvise will be informative.

OSU Pass Offense v. Troy
By virtue of the above description, I do not anticipate a heavy dose of passing. You will see bubble screens and swing passes, but those are glorified toss sweeps. Get used to this one:

That’s the run-pass option and it should soon become Pryor bread-and-butter. With his speed, this play can be deadly as a linebacker is forced to commit, ala the option, and then tackle Pryor in the open field.

One of the nice parts of this play is that sets up the deep ball across the field later in the game (right side above). Incidentally, it may actually get the tight ends involved in the offense again. (Don’t hold you breath.)

There will be some obligatory deep balls from Pryor but they will be on sideline routes, and the down and distance will most likely be second-and-four. Any third-and-long situations will almost certainly be answered with the above-diagramed pass-run option play.

Troy has some good defenders, namely Boris Lee and Bear Woods, but they lost CB Leondis McKelvin, who was the 11th pick in the draft. Suffice it to say, the back four is a little weaker this season.

Troy Run Offense v. OSU
Sophomore DuJuan Harris will get the majority of the carries when it is handed off, but QB Jamie Hampton will run it given the opportunity.

Troy’s spread will mean that the OSU defense will be sporting the nickel almost entirely. Because the Trojans throw so quickly I would think that the safeties can creep up and disrupt the running game.

Troy Pass Offense v. OSU
This offense is similar, but most likely better, than Ohio’s and we all watched OU’s back-up quarterback give the Buckeyes fits. I actually thought the defensive line played well against OU, but they just could not get their hands on Jackson.

Look for the defensive line to get some push, and the defensive ends to crash inside more to force Hampton outside instead of creating a lane up the middle. I think the defensive line will register a few more sacks this weekend after coming very close on multiple occasions against the Bobcats.

As mentioned, Troy dinks and dunks it down the field. Most of those dinks go to Jerrel Jernigan and Kennard Burton. This type of passing game leads to a high completion percentage (66 percent) but a horrible third-down conversion rate (9-for-29, 31 percent).

Getting one negative play per drive (sack, penalty, no-gain rush, or defended pass) is usually enough to derail a Trojan march. If the Buckeyes have a good tackling day, it will be difficult for Troy to sustain drives.

Special Teams
Let’s start with the positive. Ohio State did a nice job covering punts and kickoffs against USC and the kickoff return game only okay, considering they bobbled a couple.

We have seen Ray Small be productive on punt returns so that appears to be in good hands barring a turnover.

The Ohio State kicking game is another story. Trapasso is having the same year he always has, solid, if not great, averaging 41 ypp. You will have to excuse if I have relatively little faith in the field goal team.

On the bright side, Troy has two brand new kickers that may be susceptible to mistakes or nerves in front of 105,000 fans.

OTHER STUFF

Motivational Picture:

Larry Blakeney (right) after beating the other OSU in 2007.

Imbue yourself with unearned confidence if:
¬ Terrelle Pryor starts
¬ Ohio State’s front four gets pressure on Hampton
¬ The game is not close at halftime

Despair unnecessarily because of amateur athletics if:
¬ The offensive lines penalties persist in the red zone
¬ Terrelle Pryor has less than 30 yards rushing at the half
¬ Boeckman ever runs the option again

Irrelevant Stat of the Week: Under Tressel, the Buckeyes are 14-2 in games following a loss, but those two losses are captured in one three-game losing streak in 2004. “So, basically what you are saying is that unless Ohio State has a three-game losing streak they are undefeated after losses?” “Uh, yeah.” Lame.

Irrelevant Annoyance of the Week: It is Troy University. Not Troy State University. It used to be, but the school changed the name almost five years before most of you even heard of the school. I bet the crack crew at BTN blows this about five times.

Three possibilities for me to look stupid:
1. The Buckeyes get zero sacks
2. The Buckeyes pass for 200+ yards
3. Troy has a special teams touchdown

The laws of the universe and blog ownership require me to predict: Ohio State 36, Troy 15

[/HT: mgoblog]

When we started emailing sources to interview for this series, we wanted to get as close to the team as we could.  As you can imagine, this is tough for Big Ten teams and USC.  But for Troy, we got super lucky: We were able to track down two of the best persons possible.

Drew Champlin is a sports journalist covering the Trojans for the Dothan Eagle, and Barry McKnight is the award-winning play-by-play guy for the Trojans.  Check out Drew’s blog here and Barry’s site here.  Both guys were very generous with their time, and you will learn more about Troy than you ever though possible.

As far as Troy is concerned, this is a battle-tested program led by one of the best coaches you have never heard of.  They have played over a dozen ranked opponents, including Florida, Nebraska, Georgia, Florida State, and LSU.   They are not strangers to the big stage.  More than one of those teams was lucky to escape, and Missouri and Oklahoma State went down hard.

1. Where does this year’s Troy team rank in the last five years?

Drew Champlin: I’d say third, behind last year and the 2006 team.  The 2005 team was bad, and the 2004 team was good defensively, but bad offensively.  There are just a few unproven spots, mostly at quarterback, but players feel good about that spot.  Still, it’s going to be hard to top what the last two teams did, but not impossible.

Barry McKnight: The talent, top to bottom, is the best it’s been in the last five years without a doubt.  The skill position talent is third, behind the last two years’ teams, but, overall, this team is more talented than any I’ve seen, and I’m going on my seventh year.

2. Position of strength/weakness?

BM: The strongest area is, thankfully, the area I think any team would want to be strongest, and that’s on the offensive and defensive lines.  Big, strong, and experienced.  Depth is a slight concern there, though.

The weakest link is at CB, where Troy lost the 11th pick in the NFL Draft (Leodis McKelvin, to the Bills), and the nation’s leader in interceptions (Elbert Mack).  The replacements are still unclear and untested.

DC: The position of strength is on the lines, especially the offensive line, where all starters and backups return.  Right tackle Dion Small is one of the best in the conference, and center Danny Franks and left tackle Chris Jamison are pretty good as well.  The defensive ends—Kenny Mainor, Brandon Lang, and Cameron Sheffield, plus newcomer Mario Addison—are experienced and fast, though Lang is coming off a knee injury.

As far as weaknesses, people look at quarterback, but I don’t see it like that.  I tell people that if Troy has decent cornerbacks, then they’ll be fine, and I’ve been reassured of that by people close to the program.  Leodis McKelvin was a first-round draft pick, and Elbert Mack led the nation in interceptions last year.

This year, it will likely be two junior college transfers starting there because Trevor Ford and Chris Bowens didn’t do much in spring ball to prove their worth.

3. Best/worst-case scenario for this season?

DC: Best is 11-1 with an unbeaten conference run, another win at Oklahoma State, and a big upset at either LSU or Ohio State, though a more likely 9-3 season and conference title would still be good.  Worst case would be finishing in the middle of the pack in the conference race and going 5-7 or 4-8.

I see three easy wins in Alcorn State, North Texas, and Florida International.  Troy should be better than UL-Lafayette, Middle Tennessee, and Arkansas State, but they could easily lose those games.  UL-Monroe and Florida Atlantic are toss-ups to me right now.

BM: The best case: 10-2 with a non-conference BCS win (most probably at Oklahoma State).  Worst case: 7-5 and two league losses.  A bowl team either way!

4. Who is Troy’s best player?

BM: I’ll answer that this way.  Best player to count on to be in your corner late in a drive in The Horseshoe with scarlet screams pouring down on you: OT Dion Small.  He’s quick, strong, and never seems to make a mistake.

Best player to wow you with sheer ability: WR Jerrel Jernigan.  Maybe the most talent of any wideout that’s ever played in the Sun Belt Conference.  Georgia couldn’t cover him last year, and then he got hurt.  Just a sophomore!

DC: Junior linebacker Boris Lee, without a doubt.  He put up great numbers last year, playing under 200 pounds and battling tonsil/adenoid problems all season to where he could barely eat.  He had surgery after the season and is now around 230.  He could be the best player in the conference.

5. Predict their conference finish.

DC: My preseason picks column had them tied for second with FAU, with UL-Monroe winning the league, so I’ll stick with that right now.

BM: I’d love to say first, but not with an untested QB and RB.  Second place behind FAU, who plays Troy on a Tuesday at their home field.

6. Troy has played a lot of traditional powers over the last several years and played many of them well, including a blowout victory over Oklahoma State and a narrow loss to Georgia last year.   What has made them so competitive?

BM: I think it all comes down to the same thing your real estate agent tells you: location, location, location!  Troy, AL, is in southeastern Alabama and can throw a net over a 120-mile radius (Alabama, northwest Florida, and southeastern Georgia) and can fill their roster with tremendous athletes who—for whatever reason—Auburn and Alabama and Florida State and Georgia overlook.

Plus, Troy actively recruits the JC ranks to fill needs and takes some chances that BCS schools won’t on recruits.  Also, Larry Blakeney is the best non-BCS coach in the nation.

DC: Their starters can compete with the bigger programs, and some of them were originally signed by bigger programs or overlooked by them because of lower test scores and Troy got them.  A lot of it is coaching—Larry Blakeney isn’t too shabby at what he does, and he’s always getting in great assistants who seem to leave every other year for higher-profile jobs.

7. Even with all their big games against SEC and Big 12 opponents, do you still think BCS Conference opponents overlook the Trojans?

DC: Not anymore, but they still want to hold back on showing some stuff to future conference opponents.

BM: Heavens, I hope so.  The spread scheme on offense is a great equalizer of talent disparities, and the coaches never tire of playing up the David vs. Goliath theme with the players, so what it usually comes down to is making plays within the framework of the gameplan, hoping to have a chance at the end, and making the BCS opponents doubt themselves at crunch time, because there’s not usually any self-doubt on the Trojan sidelines.

8. The Trojans lost a ton of offensive skilled players.  With a bunch of new starters, what can Ohio State fans expect on Sep. 20?

BM: I’m not even sure what Troy fans can expect!  The “star” on offense is the scheme.  The spread attack was installed two years ago by Tony Franklin, who’s now at Auburn, and relies on quick, quick tempo and rhythm: getting into an offensive set fast so the defense can’t substitute situationally and gets winded, then getting the ball into the hands of the playmakers in space.

In a perfect scenario, you’ll see a sophomore QB (No. 7 Jamie Hampton, who Troy signed late after he committed to Purdue) who can run around a good bit, a sophomore RB (No. 32 DuJuan Harris) who’s fast and can catch it out of the backfield, and Jernigan (No. 3), who’ll stretch things out and can move after the catch.

DC: That will be Troy’s fourth game, so quarterback Jamie Hampton should be settled in.  He’ll already have been to LSU, and a lot of these guys have played in front of big crowds, so that won’t be a problem.  They’ll see a team that will fight to the end.

Troy’s biggest problem is that they find themselves a pot of gold early in the game against big teams but can’t seem to figure out how to cash it in.  That hurt them against Georgia last year and Florida State in 2006, when they got just three points off two early turnovers against UGA and three off three turnovers against FSU when they had a real chance to build a big lead early.

9. Troy’s defense took a big hit with a handful of players heading off to the NFL, including 11th overall pick Leodis McKelvin.  Is the defense going to hold them back this season?

DC: Only if the cornerbacks don’t develop and the defensive tackles don’t turn out to be productive.  Troy has three very experienced safeties in Tavares Williams, Sherrod Martin, and Terence Moore—Moore will play the nickel back this year—and the two top linebackers are juniors (they must both stay healthy though).

BM: Maybe the CBs (early) but, overall, the defense will be good.  The line is athletic (remember DeMarcus Ware of the Cowboys and Osi Umenyiora of the Giants were Troy Trojans) with a couple of great speed ends, Brandon Lang and Kenny Mainor.  There’s experience with linebacker Boris Lee and safety Sherrod Martin.

The corners are the weak spot, but everything else defensively is excellent. I’m not talking stop-the-Buckeyes-cold excellent, but really good.

10. Troy signs a lot of junior college players.  What do you think of this strategy?  Is it the best way for them to compete, or is it overused?

BM: Face it, Troy isn’t going to go head-to-head with Auburn and Alabama and Georgia and Florida State and win a lot of recruiting battles.  They have to look a little closer and take some more chances on kids, particularly JCs and prep school guys.

You can take a “project” as a freshman and develop him, and maybe he’ll be ready to contribute by his junior year, or you can take a physically mature, ready-for-prime-time juco and plug him right in.  It’s not a magic wand, and you can overuse the JC route (particularly if a couple of them are misses).

Here's the best way I can characterize it: You don’t want to build with them, but you can patch with them.

DC: I think it’s the best way to reload and compete for championships year after year in the Sun Belt.  That way, if a starter gets hurt, a JUCO can be plugged in if there’s one there, instead of a true freshman.  ULM did that this year, and with what they have coming back, it’s why I picked them to win the Sun Belt.

11. Finally, pretend you are an anonymous coach and give us a few quotes about Ohio State.

DC: “It’s going to be war out there.  There's no secret that they're the most physical team we'll play all year.  Those linebackers are the best we'll see, and that big back (Beanie Wells) is unmatched by anyone in our league.  I just hope we can counter some of our speed with the big punches in the gut we'll get from how physical of a team we are.”

BM: “College football people will go goose-pimply over their talent—for good reason—but the thing that I’ve noticed more than anything the last several years is how well they always seem to be prepared, defensively especially.

The common thread of logic about their linebackers, for instance, is that James Laurinaitis is a rough, physical guy.  Bobby Carpenter was physical and tough.  I understand that, but I also notice that those guys never seemed to be out of position, or confused, or fooled.  I think Tressel and his staff have a great reputation as recruiters but are underrated as game-day coach-'em-up guys.

Troy’s defense is fast and athletic, but not tremendously big.  If I was Jim Tressel, Beanie Wells carries it 35 times, 30 times between the tackles!”

I am proud to call myself a Troy Trojan. After coming into Division I-A in 2001, Troy has moved up within the ranks of the mid-majors.

Troy has shown a lot of progress over these seven years. In 2001, Troy surprised the SEC by beating the Mississippi State Bulldogs at their homecoming. Granted, MSU was not exactly a powerhouse at that time—but regardless, getting a win over an SEC team is a big deal. I mean, if you are scheduled as the Homecoming team, that doesn't speak highly of you.

For the next two years, Troy did struggle a little bit, joining a new conference and being one of the new kids on the block.

However, all that changed in 2004. Troy hosted Marshall at home—and beat them. Everyone was excited. Jump to 2005L Troy hosted the then-No. 17 Missouri Tigers and won against Heisman-candidate QB, Brad Smith. Troy also beat Marshall again that year, and came VERY close to winning against LSU in Death Valley!

Then came Troy's first bowl game, against Northern Illinois. The Trojans lost—but hey, at least they were in a bowl game. The next year, Troy dominanted in-conference play and won the Sun Belt Championship, beating MTSU on an onside kick. The Trojans went to the New Orleans Bowl and showed their stuff, beating Rice 41-17.

Then came the 2007 season. Troy hosted Oklahoma State—and won! Though they didn't go to a bowl game, the Trojans held their own against teams such as Georgia, Florida, and Arkansas.

But the big question is—where does Troy go from here?

We all know Auburn or Alabama will never play Troy, because they have too much to lose. I personally see Troy taking UAB's place as the third-most dominant football school in the state. But I think the highest conference Troy will ever join will be Conference USA. The SEC is too big and powerful.

Just be on the look out. One day, you may see Troy contending for a C-USA title—or maybe even the Big East! Who knows?

In a football world shrouded by the ever-thickening cloud of controversy and confusion that is the BCS, it’s hard to remember a time when teams weren’t playing for poll rankings and style points.

The BCS has clouded our vision, and the landscape of college football is so foggy that, in some cases, a team’s name affects where it lands in the polls more than its performance on the field.

Nowadays, a team must win with style in order to be recognized in the polls.

Margin of victory, strength of schedule, and key wins and losses are dealt into the hand that decides postseason destiny.

The days when simply scoring more points than the opponent was enough are clearly a thing of the past.

There are, however, days (usually during a bye week) when the people of the pigskin can afford to take a deep breath, lean back in their La-Z-Boys, and reflect on their team’s past.

Troy University’s past is an alluring one, complete with a rich postseason history.

The most recent chapter in that history was written just two years ago when the Trojans annihilated the Rice Owls in the New Orleans Bowl.

There is more glory to reflect on, however.

So sit back, relax, and travel with me down the long road of Trojan lore, paved by the likes of DeMarcus Ware, Osi Umenyiora, and the countless others who have worn the cardinal and black.

Travel back to a time before the BCS, before the Trojans were a part of the newly-named “Football Bowl Subdivision”.

The year is 1984, and the Troy State University Trojans are poised for a season of change under a certain Chan Gailey, who had taken over the program the previous season and led the Trojans to a 7-4 mark.

The ’84 campaign yielded the highest of rewards for the Trojans.

They ran through the regular season, compiling a 9-1 record. The only blemish was a 13-10 setback at the hands of the University of North Alabama.

Troy State advanced to the Division II National Championship, the Palm Bowl, played in McAllen, Texas, and played the North Dakota State University Bison.

Freshman quarterback Mike Turk, a preseason walk-on who was forced into the limelight early in the year due to a foot injury to starter Carey Christensen, remembers the Trojan mindset going into the title game.

“We lost one game that year, UNA beat us, and from that point on, we didn’t look back.”

We were excited,” Turk said. “We were focused and excited to be there, but we realized that if we didn’t win the game, it would be a disappointment.”

Senior offensive lineman Anthony “Buck” Hanson said the Trojans were ready for the challenge.

“We were very confident,” Hanson said.  “We had a super coaching staff and a lot of hungry players that were willing to lay it all on the line.”

The game proved to be a nail-biter, and it went down to the final snap.

Troy State trailed 17-15 late in the contest and, with 1:30 remaining, Carey Christensen returned to lead the Trojans on one final drive for the title.

Starting from its own 10-yard line, Troy eventually reached the NDSU 32.

With the clock running and the Trojans out of time-outs, freshman kicker Ted Clem and the rest of the field goal unit stampeded onto the field.

I’ll let Buck Hanson take you through the final play.

“We actually didn't have time to think it happened so fast.  We snapped the ball as the horn was literally sounding,” Hanson recalls.

“Ted Clem actually marked off the yards for the tee as he and the holder were running onto the field. I believe our kicking team ran on the field with 8 seconds and dropping.  After it was over we remembered doing that exact drill every week.”

“ Ironic, huh?”
 
Ironic indeed.

When all was said and done Clem’s kick was true, and the Troy State Trojans were the 1984 Division II National Champions, winning by a score of 18-17.

Mike Turk cited Troy’s post-game locker room as his favorite memory of the title game.

“ I was so proud of our seniors, they had been through so much, and the fact that they were there, I just remember that championship being for those guys,” said Turk.

Mike Turk went on to win another championship at Troy State, in 1987, capping off a stellar collegiate career.

He is now the head coach at Huntingdon College in Montgomery, Alabama.

Turk was elected to the Division II Football Hall of Fame, and was inducted on December 14, 2007 .

The 1984 title game and the events surrounding it held some strange coincidences for Buck Hanson.

“After winning a state championship in high school [at Enterprise High School in 1979] and a National championship in college I recall the similarities were bizarre.  I injured my knee in high school in last regular season game, but continued to play, we won 15-14 over Vestavia.  I separated my shoulder in the last regular season game but continued to play, we beat North Dakota State 18-17.”

Hanson graduated from Troy State and has now returned to Enterprise High where he serves as an assistant coach for the Wildcat football team.

The 1984 Troy Trojans didn’t need style points or polls to win a championship.

Troy didn’t have to worry about what other teams did, as long as they kept winning.

But that was a simpler time, and now the Trojans have moved on to play with the “big boys”.

With great power comes great responsibility, and the Trojans must continue to win -and win big-if they want any respect from the computers and/or the pollsters.

But, when the time comes to sit up in the recliner and return to the Age of the Polls, at least Troy fans can remember what it was like before the cloud of controversy rolled in. 

The Troy Trojans arrived in Jonesboro having lost three in a row and seven of their last nine games to the Arkansas State Indians, including a heartbreaking 33-26 loss last year that saw Arkansas score the game-winner with 0:13 to play.

Vengeance was to be sweet for the Trojans.

Troy posted a 27-0 win in front of 14,694 fans—the first time Arkansas State had been shut out as home since a 1992 game against Northern Illinois.

With the win, Troy is now 6-2 on the season and 5-0 in the Sun Belt. Arkansas State fell to 3-5 overall and 1-3 in the conference.

In a game expected to be a high-scoring affair, it was the Trojans' defense that stole the show, holding an offense that averaged 412 yards per contest to only 237.

Another surprise was that the touted Troy air attack gave way to their running game, with the Trojans collecting 200 yards on the ground and 168 through the air.

Omar Haugabook was the game's offensive MVP, leading both teams in passing (156) and rushing (94) yards. Haugabook added his seventh and eighth rushing touchdowns of the season, which leads the Sun Belt.

Also scoring for Troy was kicker Greg Whibbs, who tacked on a 40-yard field goal in the second quarter and a 45-yard field goal in the fourth.

Rounding out the scoring and starring on defense for the Trojans was linebacker Boris Lee, who recovered a fumble in the end zone for the final score of the game with 7:15 left in the fourth quarter.

Lee also led his team with seven tackles on the night.

The Trojans forced Arkansas State into 13 third-down situations and didn't allow a single conversion. The Indians took special care in avoiding Leodis McKelvin, the nation's leading punt returner, by angling every kick away from him.

McKelvin finished the game with only two punt returns for one yard. He did have a career night on defense, however, recording two interceptions and adding four tackles.

The Trojans are on the road again next week, and will face their third SEC foe of the year when they go "between the hedges" at Georgia on November 3rd.

The Arkansas State Indians can look forward to another home game next week when Florida International comes to town, also on November 3rd.

Fight songs, mascots, and bands. 

Signs that players touch, songs that fans sing, and trophies that teams fight over. 

Fog horns, cowbells, and war chants. 

Entrances into stadiums, pre-game tailgating, and age old rivalries. 

Retired numbers, helmet stickers, and student sections.

They're all traditions and they all make College Football great.  But everyone knows about Notre Dame's "touchdown Jesus".  Everyone knows about Ohio State's dotting of the "i".  Everyone knows about Florida's gator chomp, FSU's seminole chant, and Alabama's "roll tide" chant. 

Most have heard the stories behind Nebraska's blackshirts, Howard's Rock at Clemson, and Texas A&M's "Twelfth Man".  While watching collegiate games this year, I've wondered, "What about those traditions that aren't always in the media?".  

To begin to find an answer to that question, I turned to the ESPN College Football Encyclopedia.  I flipped through and found some of the most unique and interesting traditions that are in college football today.  I found that the most interesting traditions all had one aspect in common, dedication. 

Whether it be by fans, students, or the athletes themselves, the dedication to the tradition and to the school are what make it truly special and unique.  After doing a little extra research, I narrowed it down to the following list of the 10 most unique college football traditions:

10) We'll start off with a relatively simple one—Troy University's Trojan Walk.  Now, most schools have adopted some sort of "walk", allowing fans to become closer to the players and coaches.  It's exciting to see all the players together, without their pads on, walking into the stadium.  But, at Troy, there is a simple, yet unique twist; the players wear bow ties.  Apparently, Coach Larry Blakely started the tradition a few years ago, and it stuck.  This is one tradition that takes some very dedicated, and mentally strong players to wear bow ties, all while trying to get jacked up for the big game. 

9)  Most fans like to tailgate before their team's home game.  After the tailgating is finished, they walk to the stadium along with the thousands of other colorful fans.  At Tennessee and Washington, some fans opt not to follow this "routine".  Both schools' stadiums sit on the banks of water, and are the only two like it in the country.  Tennessee's Volunteer Navy has grown to over 200 boats that enjoy tailgating on the Tennessee River.  The story is that in 1962, former UT radio broadcaster, George Mooney, decided he would come to the game via his boat.  The tradition has grown ever since.  Washington's Husky Navy has boats come from all over the Seattle area on Lake Washington.  The fans dock up at Husky Stadium and enjoy their own unique tailgating experience.

8)  Arkansas State's Homecoming is truly unique to their school and football team.  You want to talk dedication; imagine having to beat a war drum for 24 hours before each year's homecoming football game.  That's what each true freshman football player does at sometime throughout the 24 hour time period.  They take turns signalling the biggest home football game of the year.

7)  Auburn has a few traditions that could be on this list.  In 1960, the students began the "pep rally-style entrance", called "Tiger Walk", which has since caught on at many different campuses.  They also roll Toomer's Corner with toilet paper after big victories.  Those are neat, but the tradition that makes this list is the pregame tradition best is explained as The War Eagle.  The story is told that an Auburn student brought an eagle back to the campus from the battle fields during the civil war.  During the 1892 season, the student brought his pet, now nick-named "Tiger", to a game.  Apparently, the eagle got loose, and began circling the stadium.  I'm not sure if that story is true, but I am certain of the tradition that is found at Jordan-Hare Stadium today.  Before each home game, Tiger, the eagle, is released from the upper deck and circles around the stadium, just as the story suggests.  As Tiger soars, the 87,000 fans yell, "Waaaaaaaaaa...r" having to re-catch their breath several times.  As Tiger swoops down and lands on the field, the crowd chants "EAGLE, HEY!", completing the chant "war eagle, hey!".  It is truly a spine tingling experience.  The fans have incorporated the cheer into every kickoff, and even have made a greeting out of it.  Walking around on gameday, you will most likely hear fans simply say "war eagle" to one another.  Still, nothing beats when Tiger is circling Jordan-Hare Stadium.

6)  As with Auburn, Texas A&M has a few long standing traditions.  I mentioned earlier The Twelfth Man, or the nickname for the fans at Kyle Field.  They are notorious for being a class act.  They stand for the whole game, never to leave, regardless of the score.  When they sing their war chant while swaying, the stadium repordedly shakes.  How do these fans make the stadium shake, just by swaying?  Texas A&M's Midnight Yell Practice is how.  It is what the title describes; they practice yelling to pump up the Twelfth Man.  Every night before a home game, the students meet at Kyle Field to yell and "rehearse" cheers.  When the yell practice is over, the lights go out, and all the Aggies kiss their dates.  If one is dateless, the tradition states that he lites his lighter in hopes of finding another dateless Aggie.  The dedication to the Midnight Yell Practice goes beyond just fraternizing before home games.  The TAMU faithful meet at The Grove every Thursday before an away game, and again the next day at the site of the away game.

5)  New Mexico State isn't a school that many would expect to land on any type of college football poll.  But their "A" Tradition is quite unique.  In 1920, students decided to gather rocks and hike up Tortugas Mountain to make a display to represent their school.  The finished product was a large white "A", which represents New Mexico State's mascot, the Aggies.  Every year, the students would hike back up the mountain to re-paint the "A".  The display came to have a mystique about it over the years.  In 1990, the football team had their worst losing streak in school history, at 27 games.  A handful of football players decided they would move some of the rocks out of the way.  The whole team ended up hiking up the mountain, restoring the storied tradition.  Wouldn't 'ya know it; the football team won their next game, beating Cal State Fullerton, and breaking the losing streak.

4)  Wisconsin is another school that has some pretty awesome traditions.  The two that I really like are "Jump Around" and Fifth Quarter.  Both involve the Badger Band.  Between the 3rd and 4th quarter of home football games at Camp Randall Stadium, the band plays "Jump Around", the 80's song originally written by House of Pain.  The students and fans jump up and down, just as the title of the song suggests.  Wisconsin administrators reportedly have had to get architects inspect Camp Randall, to make sure the stadium can handle the tradition, as the stadium is known to shake, even frightening some attendants.  Scientists have even used the tradition to conduct experiments, using seismographs to guage the vibrations that the fans cause.  Fifth Quarter is the UW tradition that follows each game, home or away.  The Badger Band plays excerpts from their half time show as well as Wisconsin fight songs.  Thousands of Badger fans have been known to stick around for half an hour, or so, to sing and dance with the band.

3)  The next tradition is one that involves the football team, and the football team only.  Coach Bobby Bowden started the tradition of Retiring Football Lockers at Florida State in 1988.  Other schools retire jersey numbers, which is pretty cool itself, but Bowden put a neat twist on the age old tradition.  If you are a student-athlete at FSU and want your football locker retired, you have to achieve some pretty lofty requirements.  Only Heisman winners, and/or two-time consensus All-Americans get the honor.  To date, a total of 8 Seminoles have had their locker retired.  The locker includes the player's worn jersey from their final home game, as well as the rest of his uniform.  I really like this tradition, because it embraces Florida State's success and speaks volumes about Bowden's motivational skills.

2)  Second on the list is of unique traditions is Georgia Tech.  Leave it to the Ramblin' Reck to come up with these.  It takes truly creative minds to carry on the traditions of George P. Burdell and the Rat Caps.  These two seperate traditions are part of folklore history at Tech.  George P. Burdell isn't actually a real person.  Rather, he is a fictional name that shows up on class rosters, registration forms, and grade reports dating back to 1927.  One student even got Burdell's name enrolled for 3,000 credit hours during one semester.  Legend has it that members of Georgia Tech's band have the Public Address announcer call for George P. Burdell at home and away games.  The Rat Caps are a tradition for GT freshmen only.  If the football team wins, freshmen write the score of the game on the side of their hats right-side-up; if the team loses, they write the score up-side-down.

1)  The Palouse Walk is a tradition between Idaho and Washington State.  Rather than have a bell or trophy on the line every time these two schools play, they have the Palouse Walk.  Only eight miles seperate the two schools, and the loser of the rivalry game walks the entire distance.  The editors of the two school newspapers (The Evergreen and The Argonaut) began the tradition, posing it as a friendly wager.  The tradition hasn't been strong recently, with the teams not playing each other as often as they once did.  This year's editor of The Argonaut (Idaho's student newspaper) recently sent a letter to the Vandal student body, as well as the editor of The Evergreen to renew the tradition, since the teams would be playing each other this year. (To read the entire letter, click here.)  The Cougars and Vandals played Saturday, with the 'Cougs winning 45-28.  The Palouse walk is scheduled to take place at 10 a.m. this Saturday, the 22nd.  Idaho students are encouraged to participate this year, as the 8 mile walk to Pullman, WA should take about 2 hours.  Now that is dedication.

Feel free to contribute other unique traditions; after all...college football wouldn't be the same without them.