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Chat Reel: SI's B.J. Schecter

Of Nittany Lions, dark horses and Heisman hopefuls

Posted: Friday August 13, 1999 07:53 AM

Schecter thinks that LaVar Arrington (above) "could easily start in the NFL right now". Jonathan Daniel/Allsport

Sports Illustrated writer-reporter B.J. Schecter chatted with CNN/SI.com users about the upcoming college football season. A transcript of the discussion follows:

CNNSI Moderator : Hello and welcome to college football chat with Sports Illustrated's B.J. Schecter. Thanks for joining us today to talk about college football, B.J. Let's get started with the questions.

Rob : What do you think of the two-QB rotation at Arizona? Will it work?

B.J. Schecter : It already has. Coach Dick Tomey hasn't found a true starter in either Ortege Jenkins or Keith Smith. Expect it to work even better this year, much like Ohio State platooned Joe Jermaine and Stanley Jackson in '96 and '97.

Damian: Is Joe Paterno just trying to keep LaVar's feet on the ground, or does Arrington really need to improve?

B.J. Schecter : Arrington could easily start in the NFL right now. Paterno knows that and is trying to keep the pro scouts away. That hasn't worked. But Paterno is merely trying to keep Arrington's head on this planet.

Jon: B.J.: I was curious how you thought N.C. State might do this season. Do you think they will beat Texas?

B.J. Schecter: The Wolfpack has a very slim shot at winning in Austin on Opening Night. Jamie Barnett is a better-than-average QB ... but Torry Holt is irreplaceable.

Diego: Mr. Schecter, can the Seminoles dominate college football this coming season?

B.J. Schecter: With their defense, yes. Chris Weinke isn't going to dazzle anyone. But the Seminoles' D, which is perennially one of the top units in the nation, figures to be just as strong this season.

Carter: What are your feelings about Georgia's Quincy Carter and the lack of experienced skill players to surround him on offense?

B.J. Schecter: Carter is so talented, he can win games by himself. Yes it's true Champ Bailey is gone, but you'll be hearing about some replacements that are just as talented.

Matt: What one game are you most looking forward to this season?

B.J. Schecter: Florida State at Florida, November 20 in Gainesville, Fla. This intra-state war figures to be as spirited as ever.

Mick: What do you think of the cover jinx theory, and when was the last time a NCAA Division 1 team led the nation wire to wire?

B.J. Schecter: I don't give much credence to that theory ... although if you ask me who's No. 1, I'd say Florida State (I was out-voted at the meeting). Wire to wire was Nebraska in 1996.

Rich: Is Ohio State overrated, with the loss of Germaine, Boston, Miller, Katzenmoyer, etc?

B.J. Schecter: If anything, they're underrated. At Ohio State, they're never devoid of stars. This year's team has a chance to do what Tennessee did last year -- win a championship the year after they were expected to do so.

Scott: Who are your top candidates for dark horse team of the year -- that is, teams not in the top 25 now, but who will be at the end of the year? Is there a team like Tulane which might cause the BCS some heartburn?

B.J. Schecter: Marshall and Louisville, for starters. Marshall has a chance to go undefeated and not finish in the top 10. And despite a weak schedule, Louisville returns the top QB in the country, operating in the nation's most proficient offense.

Guest66700: Will Notre Dame compete for a national championship?

B.J. Schecter: Not this century ... Clearly, Notre Dame overachieved last year. And with this year's schedule, the Irish will be hard-pressed to match last year's 9-3 record.

Matt: Do you think the Purdue Boilermakers can make any noise in the Big Ten this year -- or do you think the easy schedules from the last couple of years will catch up with them?

B.J. Schecter: There's no question Coach Joe Tiller has had a cakewalk in his first two seasons, but in Drew Brees, the Boilermakers have the best QB in the conference -- which means anything is possible.

Guest17620: Any chance Iowa will surprise this year?

B.J. Schecter: None. Kahill Hill, their best player, has been suspended for the year.

DKRonSAT: You talked about Texas earlier ... will Simms play much this year? I have been to some practices and he looks like a man-child.

B.J. Schecter: That's the million-dollar question in Austin. Major Applewhite is keeping the position warm, but if he doesn't perform early, expect to see Simms by midseason.

Guest97653: How strong will the Big East Conference be this year?

B.J. Schecter: Weak ... Miami is a legitimate Top 25 team with Virginia Tech on the fringe. After that it's all downhill.

Guest66700: Who is the best defensive player in the country?

B.J. Schecter : LaVarr Arrington. He does things current NFL linebackers dream of doing.

DKRonSAT : What frosh do you look forward to see playing this year?

B.J. Schecter : Obviously Chris Simms, whom we just talked about. He was the No. 1 high school player in the country last year and Longhorn fans know there's a reason he chose Texas over Tennessee.

Bill : I would like to know how you feel about the BCS and Florida State's chances to win it this year.

B.J. Schecter : Really, the BCS and Florida State's chances don't have a heck of a lot to do with one another. If Florida State wins all their games, they'll be playing in the Sugar Bowl. As for the BCS ... I hate it. A college football playoff is really the only answer.

Guest16641 : Is there any way for teams like Miami (of Ohio) and Marshall to be respected even though they play in the MAC?

B.J. Schecter : Only to some extent. This year, the MAC will get a little more respect because Travis Prentice and Chad Pennington are Heisman candidates. But the biggest way for those teams to earn respect is to win their games with Northwestern and Clemson, respectively.

SI_Moderator : Speaking of Heisman candidates ...

Mack : Who do you see as the front-runner for the Heisman this year?

B.J. Schecter : This year's a little different because we have no clear-cut frontrunner at this juncture. A couple of names to watch: Ron Dayne, Peter Warrick, LaVar Arrington and the aforementioned Chad Pennington.

Ron : Can LSU recover, or is DiNardo gone?

B.J. Schecter : DiNardo will be gone if the Tigers don't win this year, but there's plenty of reason for optimism on the Baoyu with former baseball star Josh Booty taking snaps from under center.

Guest97653 : I'm a big fan of the USC Trojans. Any chance they'll be better? A strong USC team is good for college football.

B.J. Schecter : Carson Palmer has a year of the West Coast offense under his belt. The Trojans will be better than 8-5. Whether they beat UCLA is another story.

Lee : How long will it take Lou Holtz to turn things around for U of S.C.? How long do you think he'll be willing to hang in there without a winning team?

B.J. Schecter : It will take Holtz at least five years to enable the Gamecocks to compete in the SEC. Expect Lou to last only two or three years before he turns the reigns over to his son, Skip.

Guest16641 : What types of changes need to be made at Notre Dame for the program to get back to having strong teams like in the late 80's-early 90's?

B.J. Schecter : First of all, they need to start getting the players that are now signing with the Florida States, Texases and Nebraskas. Recruiting is the name of the game in this era of college football and the fact is, Notre Dame's talent pool has dwindled since the late '80s.

Guest96211 : Are you guys serious about Penn State as No. 1, or is there more than a little sentiment in the choice?

B.J. Schecter : I don't know about sentiment ... but personally, I think Florida State is the best team. This season is unique, though, you could pick any one of the top 10 teams and be justified.

Guest31049 : How can Tennessee be ranked No. 4 when they have almost the same team as last year if not better?

B.J. Schecter : Tennessee overachieved last year and had the fortune of some timely luck. That's not taking anything away from the Vols, but the losses of Al Wilson, Peerless Price and Shawn Bryson are the difference between No. 4 and No. 1.

Jeanne : Your pick for the Championship game?

B.J. Schecter : I'm going to say ... Ohio State against Florida State.

SI Moderator : That's all we have time for today. Thanks for joining us today to talk about college football, B.J. We hope to have you back soon.