Four finalists return to Buck Buchanan Award Watch List

NCAA Football Betting Lines

07/19/2010 - Philadelphia, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The race for the 2010 Buck Buchanan Award, sponsored by Fathead.com, kicked off Monday with The Sportsbook Betting Lines's announcement that four finalists from last season are part of a stellar 20- player Watch List for the Football Championship Subdivision's top individual honor.

In a twist, two of the returning finalists have brought a pair of teammates to the Watch List.

The Buchanan Award is in its 16th season and will be presented to the FCS' national defensive player of the year on Thursday, Jan. 6 in Frisco, Texas - the night before the national championship game. The 2009 winner was James Madison's Arthur Moats, a draft choice of the Buffalo Bills this year.

The top returning vote-getters are Eastern Washington senior linebacker J.C. Sherritt, who was the runner-up, and Grambling State senior defensive end Christian Anthony, who was fourth. The other returning finalists are Appalachian State senior strong safety Mark LeGree, who was fifth, and Richmond senior defensive tackle Martin Parker, who was 13th.

LeGree and Parker have some familiar company on the Watch List. Appalachian State also is represented by senior defensive end Jabari Fletcher and senior linebacker D.J. Smith. Richmond's trio of representatives includes senior linebacker Eric McBride and senior cornerback Justin Rogers.

Senior linebacker Terence Thomas of 2009 FCS champion Villanova joins the Watch List at its most-represented position. Samford senior Bryce Smith and Stephen F. Austin senior Jabara Williams are the other linebackers among the six.

Other defensive linemen are defensive tackle Kenrick Ellis of The Citadel and defensive ends Christian Clark of Sacramento State and Malcolm Taylor of Alcorn State. Each is a senior.

The Watch List includes six additional defensive backs. Three are cornerbacks - Southern Illinois senior Korey Lindsey, Eastern Kentucky junior Jeremy Caldwell and Montana junior Trumaine Johnson - while two are free safeties, Southern Illinois senior Mike McElroy and Southern senior Jason House. House led the FCS with 10 interceptions last season. Also included is a strong safety, Dayton senior James Vercammen.

Among the returning players to the Watch List, Sherritt led the FCS a year ago with 14.2 tackles per game for a total of 170, including 24 in a game against Weber State. Anthony did a bit of everything for Grambling State, totaling 76 tackles (including 55 solos), 15 tackles for losses, eight sacks, five interceptions, five forced fumbles and three fumble recoveries.

LeGree was a Buchanan finalist for the second straight year after he finished third in the 2009 voting. Last season, he had seven interceptions to lead the Southern Conference for a second straight year, and added six more pass breakups and 70 tackles. Parker made an impressive 75 tackles in the middle of Richmond's defensive line, including 15.5 for losses, while registering 10 quarterback hurries.

The Buchanan Award Watch List can undergo revision during the 2010 season, when updated lists are announced on Oct. 4 and 25. Ballots will be sent to a panel of approximately 200 sports information and media relations directors, broadcasters, writers and other dignitaries after the regular season on Nov. 22.

The Sportsbook Betting Lines also presents the Walter Payton and Eddie Robinson awards which are sponsored by Fathead. The Payton Award honors the FCS player of the year and the Robinson Award honors the FCS coach of the year. Those two awards, like the Buchanan, will be presented at the national awards banquet.

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Numerous College Basketball teams take final big step to March Madness betting

So, what turned on the lock spigot? Well, after what felt like weeks of teams treading water and slipping back into the bubble muck, a bunch of them finally decided to say "to heck with parity" and won games that should put them into the Big Dance.

Disagree with some of these? Then here's the challenge. Take all of the "should be ins" and make a legit case that each should be ahead of the team that's a lock. Then find 10 more teams that also should be placed in the bracket ahead of that lock team. Not so easy, is it?

If you want more evidence that these locks should be good to go, check out what our research department dug up. Since the NCAA Tournament went to 64 teams in 1985, only six teams from a "big six" conference have had a record of 10-6 or better in conference play and not been selected: Colorado (2004) and Nebraska (1999) from the Big 12, Boston College and Seton Hall (both 2003) from the Big East, Indiana (2005) from the Big Ten and UCLA, which somehow went 12-6 in the Pac-10 in 1988 and still missed out. (Note: Five teams went 11-7 and didn't get in, the latest being last season's Stanford team, which had a brutal nonconference run.)

Yes, 10 conference wins doesn't always mean what it used to because of unbalanced schedules, but this season, it should be plenty good in all but the extreme cases (see: Iowa).

In a way, this is a welcome development, because this is a bubble watch, not a lock watch. We can finally be done with teams like Maryland and Virginia Tech and start really bearing down on at-large battles such as Syracuse-West Virginia and Appalachian State-Georgia Tech.

Interestingly, all the shifting of teams into lock status appears to be more administrative than impactful. The number of remaining available at-larges didn't change one iota. The only difference is that teams on the bubble now have a clearer idea of which team(s) they are competing with for those precious bids.

The Bubble Breakdown
CONFERENCE LOCKS SHOULD BE INS AT-LARGES TAKEN
(assuming no auto bid outlier)
ACC Betting Odds 6 0 5
Big East Betting Odds 5 0 4
Big Ten Betting Odds 2 2 3
Big 12 Betting Odds 3 0 2
Pac-10 Betting Odds 5 1 5
SEC Betting Odds 4 0 3
MVC Betting Odds 1 1 1
MWC Betting Odds 2 1 2
TOTAL 28 5 25

As always, I've tried to be as inclusive as possible while only including teams that would have a reasonable chance of at least being discussed if this were Selection Sunday. If your team's not on here, there's probably a good reason (or three) -- start with the RPI and SOS numbers and work your way down.

(Please remember, per selection committee criteria, that records displayed are Division I only. Next update: Feb. 28)

If you have a legitimate grievance, or just like talking bubble, send an e-mail. Polite ones with fact-based arguments have a much better chance of receiving a response. I apologize in advance if I can't get back to all of you.

Atlantic Coast Conference

Work left to do: Clemson, Florida State, Georgia Tech

The ACC moves to six locks as BC, Va Tech and Virginia all got their 10th ACC wins, which should be more than enough this season, and Maryland rallied past North Carolina to get the final piece the Terps needed. After that? It could end there unless FSU, Ga Tech or Clemson picks things up in a hurry.

 

Work left to do:

Clemson [19-9 (5-9), RPI: 41, SOS: 42] The Tigers are closer to locking up the collapse of the year award (in a good battle with OK State) than they are to grabbing an at-large. Clemson's been very competitive, but there's no really positive way you can spin nine losses in 11 games. They now cannot get to .500 in ACC play and still must head to Virginia Tech in the season finale (after hosting Miami). Unless the Tigers win both and/or do some serious work in the ACC tourney, they very well could be left out. There are no great nonconference wins, but ODU, App State, Miss. State, South Carolina and Georgia are all respectable W's.

Florida State [18-11 (6-9), RPI: 48, SOS: 14] The Noles got thrashed at Maryland to run their losing streak to five, but then pounded NC State at home to set the table for what likely is an elimination game at Miami. You can at least make a case for the Seminoles at 7-9 in ACC play (and some work in the ACC tourney), but 6-10 is not going to cut it. Wins at Duke and over Florida will resonate, but the computer numbers remain questionable. Beyond Florida, FSU thrashed bubble buddy Providence, but there's not a ton beyond those two games that will help. They didn't show well in big-time opportunities against Pitt and Wisconsin (before the Florida win).

Georgia Tech [18-10 (6-8), RPI: 51, SOS: 46] The Jackets beat Wake on Wednesday but couldn't get it done at UVa on Saturday, which could be a crucial loss with UNC and BC (both at home) remaining and 8-8 almost a certain need for at-large consideration. A nonconference win over Memphis helps, but the RPI and SOS are not at-large quality right now; if you combine those with a sub-.500 ACC mark, that could spell NIT for GT.

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