As the college football season is kicking off today, the EverydayQB will be taking one game a week and breaking it down, giving you insights on the teams, what to look for during the game and a fun prediction as to who will win and what the score will be. But rather than giving you the basic rundown like ESPN or any other college football blog might do, the EverydayQB will be looking at each game from the eyes of the quarterbacks involved.

Each game breakdown will take the angle on what each QB needs to do to help their team be successful and how their night will fare.

This week’s game is the season opener, the Oregon Ducks vs. Boise State Broncos. Both teams need a win to start off their season right. Boise State stands more to gain from a victory, needing all of the ‘big wins’ they can get to make a bid for a BCS bowl and Oregon needs to start off on the right foot. Oregon is ranked 14th and Boise State 16 and lots of eyes will be on the two QBs for these teams, Jeremiah Masoli and Kellen Moore. Here’s a look at what each QB must do to lead their team to victory.

Jeremiah Masoli (Ducks): Masoli needs to have a lights out night in his first game of the season. He is an explosive runner and becoming more and more of an efficient passer. With former offensive coordinator Chip Kelly now the head coach, the offense won’t miss a beat. The key for Masoli will be to not get off to a slow start and allow the momentum of playing away and the smurf turf to create a feeling of trying to play catch up. The U of O defense will support Masoli and give him time to find the groove. Look for Masoli to complete some short passes early to get into a rhythm before the Ducks take to the ground.

Kellen Moore (Broncos): Moore is a sophomore starting in what is heralded as one of the biggest Bronco games in school history. Moore has a better advantage starting at home, where the surroundings are familiar and the fans friendly. However, Oregon mixes up their defenses often and will be throwing a lot early at Moore to rattle him. Moore’s success will depend on his ability to read the defense and adjust to what the Duck defense throws at him.

This is a game you won’t want to miss. Boise State went undefeated last year and is very difficult to beat at home. Oregon is in full stride and ready to begin their run for a Rose Bowl berth. Look for a lot of points and some great play by both of these quarterbacks.

EverydayQB pick: Oregon 38, Boise State 34.

As we stand on the brink of what is sure to be another exciting college football season, I’m realizing again how much I love the game of college football. There is no other sport where every game is so important, every play so critical to the success of the team, than in college football. Sometimes a national championship is decided in one fateful turn of events.

The Pac-10 is sometimes heralded as one of the strongest leagues in NCAA football, and sometimes completely overlooked as a west coast reject. This year however, the Pac-10 is sure to make waves, with 3 teams that will be potent and tough to play and every other team that kind of team that could jump up and bite you if you’re not careful.

Just for fun, and for blog fodder, here is the Everyday QB’s Pac-10 standings predictions.

10th. Washinton State (0-9) Coach: Paul Wulff (2nd year): Sorry Cougars, I like you guys, but someone had to be picked last. The Cougars were a poor team last year and don’t seem to be improving much again this year.

9th. Arizona State (3-6) Coach: Dennis Erickson (3rd year) Erickson is doing what he does best, rebuilding. But it will take a stronger defense and a better running game to be able to compete this year and the Sun Devils aren’t quite there.

8th. Washington (2-7) Coach: Steve Sarkisian (1st year) The Huskies will pick up 2 wins this year, which is 2 more than they got last year. An entirely new coaching staff will hopefully provide hope for the Huskies in the future.

7th. Arizona (3-6) Coach: Mike Stoops (6th year) While their offense is much improved and very deadly, the schedule is too difficult for Arizona to make much progress this year. Their record will not reflect how good they are, but so goes it in the difficult Pac-10

T-5th. UCLA (4-5) Coach: Rick Neuheisel (2nd year) With a ton of questions on offense, the defense for the Bruins will need to step up and keep their team in the game.

T-5th. Stanford (4-5) Coach: Jim Harbaugh (3rd year) The Cardinals have a tough running back in Toby Gerhart and will be a force to be reckoned with in the league.

4th. Oregon State (5-4) Coach: Mike Riley (9th year) The Rodgers brothers will provide the fuel for the high octane beaver offense. Though they lost quite a few players from last year, Riley is a great coach and will keep the Beavers hovering near the top. Unfortunately, the defense will hold them back just a little, but you can never count the Beavers out.

3rd. Cal (7-2) Coach: Jeff Tedford (8th year) Here’s where things get tricky. Any of the top 3 Pac-10 teams could slide into one of these slots, if California could steal one at Autzen from the Ducks or beat USC in October.

T-1st (loses the tiebreaker with USC). Oregon (8-1) Coach: Chip Kelly (1st year) Masoli and the Ducks will be on fire this fall and will make a great run at the Pac-10 title. Chip Kelly is inheriting a great squad and one that is conditioned to win. The Ducks have Cal, USC and Oregon State all at home in Autzen Stadium, one of the toughest places to play. USC will be just a little too much for Oregon, however, and will nudge them out for the title.

T-1st (wins tiebreaker with Oregon). USC (8-1) Coach: Pete Carroll (9th year)
USC will not miss a beat, even with the loss of Sanchez. Freshmen quarterback Matt Barkley might start, but the Trojan defense will keep him in the games while he gets his feet wet. USC seems always prone to a hiccup at least once a year, which will come against their in-state rivals, Cal, this year.

What do you think about the Pac-10 this year? Who will win a Rose Bowl ticket? Let us know your thoughts below.

As football season fast approaches, a rite of passage is being experienced by many high school football players across the country: Daily Doubles. Daily doubles can be one of the most grueling sports experiences in all of youth sports and there are many different strategies in overcoming the heat and the exhaustion that can occur during the often two weeks of practice. Here are some of the best ways to survive the grueling two weeks.

1. Hydrate, Hydrate, Hydrate: Drinking water and staying hydrated is one of the most important parts of staying safe and at top performance level. Gone are the days when players were required to take salt pills and drinking water was a sign of weakness. Always keep a water bottle close by and take a water break every time the coach gives you one. If you experience light headedness or a headache (from dehydration, not from tackling) make sure you pump the fluids even more.

2. Ice Baths: As painful as they may sound, ice baths after practice will rejuvenate your muscles faster than any other form of rest. An icebath on your legs will have them feeling fresh in time for the next practice.

3. Mental toughness: Part of the intensity of daily doubles is the endless hours of practice and need to combine physical work with mental focus. Eating healthy and getting adequate amounts of sleep give you the opportunity to be mentally sharp through those grueling drills, while staying alert enough to learn new plays and skills.

So as we experience the final sunny days of summer before fall is in full view, remember those young men who are earning their rite of passage through the sweat and work of dreaded daily doubles.

Yesterday my wife and I had our 19 week ultrasound of our twins! It was an exciting two hour event, the best movie I’ve ever seen. I’ll admit, my neck got a little sore watching the screen for that long, but my athletic training and concentration go me through.

During the extensive ultrasound, it was fascinating to see all of the different parts of our kids that the technician was taking pictures of. We were able to see the hearts and the stomachs, the lungs and the brain, the spine and, of course, little hands and feet. I marveled at the amazing way they are being formed inside of my wife’s stomach. I am still blown away by the idea that they are growing inside of her, and will someday soon be the bundles of joy that will change our lives forever.

During the ultrasound we found out that one of those bundles of joy is a boy and one is a girl! We are thrilled to have ‘one of each’ and be able to dress them up and experience all of the joys of having both genders to raise.

Of course, my first dream of them was seeing the high school version of my son running out onto the football field with my daughter cheerleading on the sidelines. I suppose that is a long ways off, but it was a good dream.

I realized however, yesterday, when seeing every inch of them in the ultrasound, that it doesn’t really matter if they play sports or are on the math team. My only hope and dream for them as a parent is that they have the chance to experience this world and live life to its fullest. That’s all that really matters and I can’t wait to watch them grow.

While football is arguably the greatest team sport there is, there are other sports that have important team components. As we closely approach the ‘Dog Days of August’ for the major league baseball season, ESPN’s top ten has highlight after highlight of amazing plays by amazing players.

But last night’s number one top play was a play by a teammate that saved his fellow player. There is no faster and greater jump from despair to elation that when you make an error or bad play, only to be saved in the next instant by your teammate.

This crazy play last night in the Pirate’s game goes to show that teammates in the right place at the right time can make a huge difference. Check out this link to see the #1 play.

A second string quarterback is one of the most difficult positions int he game of football. A backup quarterback has to work equally as hard and be just as prepared as the starting qb, yet may never see the field in the course of game. Furthermore, the backup quarterback must be ready at a moment’s notice to step in and take over.

There are lots of great stories of starting quarterbacks going down and backup qbs that come in and lead their teams to victory. There are others whose stories have not gone so well. I have been on both sides of those stories.

I can remember my freshmen year of college when the starting quarterback when down for the season and I had to come into the game and try and win it. I think my first collegiate pass probably sailed over the receivers head by 10 feet. But the same receiver, a veteran guy, ran up to me and looked at me and said, “Just do what you’ve been doing in practice and you’ll be fine”.

This brief statement made me realize that, while the heat of the battle in the middle of a game is more intense that a practice will ever be, I had been successful enough in practice to earn the backup role and was now capable of being successful and leading the team to a win. The receivers calm and encouraging words gave me confidence to play well the rest of the game, and we got the win.

You and I are always preparing for the big moments of our lives. The question is, when the big moment comes, when we’re ‘put into the game’ or ‘given our shot’ have we worked hard enough and prepared well enough to be able to succeed when it matters? Take a lesson from a career backup, you want to be ready when they call your name. Sharpen your skills and hone your abilities so that when its your chance, you reveal the teammate and leader that you have always been.

Sports are entertainment. They evoke the deepest truths of humanity in the form of game and athletic drama. The American Sports Industry has capitalized on sports as entertainment and markets and makes billions of dollars on athletes and sports as entertainment.

But the fine line between sports and entertainment can become a blurry one. And where is the line drawn when players want to get in on the entertainment side of sports?

Twitter is an up and coming social network that is taking the world by storm. The abbreviated version of Facebook allows people the opportunity to ‘tweet’ about what they are doing, links or pictures they want to share with others, and have furthered to progress of social network interfaces. Celebrities and others are using Twitter to get their name out in another way.

Chad ‘Ochocinco’ is an athlete that has used twitter to talk with fans and give them an insight into his life as a NFL athlete. In a recent interview, Ochocinco said that, as related to getting involved, “And when the season starts, it’s going to get even worse. I’m going to really make it fun. I’m using Twitter during games. I’m using Twitter during half time. I’m using it after games. I’m taking it to the next level.”

The NFL is not impressed with his statement. Cell phones are banned on sidelines for various reasons. So it will be interesting to see the choice that Ochocinco will make. Will he be more of a team guy on the field, and promote himself in between plays on Twitter?

We’re curious what you guys think? Is Twitter worth being fined?

As we continue the EverydayQB challenge, the weight loss may not be where I want it to be, but striving to develop a healthy and sustainable workout plan is still the pressing aim. As I’ve mentioned before, while growing up and during college football, I had the luxury of others and outside forces motivating me to stay healthy and to be in shape. Now that my days as a college athlete are over, the motivation is more difficult, more abstract. Yet just as important as working out to perform my best on the field is the need to be a healthy individual for the long haul. I’ve got a lot of life left to live and the patterns and plans I establish now will follow me through the rest of my life.

Many of you might be in similar positions: Wanting to have a solid and successful workout plan but not knowing where to get started. Here are four things that every plan should incorporate:

1. Consistency: Whatever plan you create, only a consistent and concentrated effort will produce results. Set a reasonable, consistent goal that can be achieved, whether that is the decision to work out for three days a week or four. The goal is to make your workout plan a habit of your weekly schedule. Consistency will provide the training that your body needs to begin adjusting to your new and healthy life.
2. Creativity: Your work out plan should have a variety of different lifts and exercises. You may have a few favorites that you enjoy doing each time you work out, but there are multiple ways to exercise the same muscles. Furthermore, the variations in exercises can work minor muscles that may be missed in other lifts. Creativity also provides a freshness to your workouts and prevents the feeling of being in a rut or stuck in the same routine.
3. Balance: Any time you’re lifting weights, balance should always be in the forefront of your mind. What I mean by balance is that if you spend 10 minutes working your chest, you should also spend 10 minutes working you upper back. 10 minutes on biceps, then 10 minutes on triceps. You get the idea. Balancing your workouts so that you work all of the necessary muscle groups for positive general health is important. Likewise, you should balance between Cardiovascular and Muscle toning exercises. For most people, a successful workout plan produces a balanced, healthy person, not a body builder with bulging biceps. Stay balanced in your workout.
4. Enjoyment: There may be days when going to the gym is that last thing on planet earth that you want to do, but the majority of the time you should enjoy your time at the gym. Exercise releases positive chemicals into your body and leaves you feeling energized and alive. Exercise with a buddy, take your iPod, do lifts and workouts that are enjoyable and make you feel good. You will work out on a more consistent basis if you enjoy your work outs.

Those are some basic tips to get you started on your workout plan. Summer is a great time to develop those healthy workout habits. Happy Exercising!

It seems to me like high school sports are becoming more and more like a business. Summers are consumed by American Legion Baseball, or Summer League Basketball, this football camp or that, a tennis tournament every weekend. I can remember the summers of high school, running from a baseball game to a basketball game, then to tennis practice and football drills, finally crawling into bed that night just to get up and do it again. Of feeling pressure from coaches to work with their team that summer, year round even. High School student athletes are working harder than every before on their game so that they can have a shot at a college scholarship. Often times, parents reinforce their kids drive to compete and perform day in and day out so that they can be the best player they can for the college scouts.

Many student athletes make the choice to give up playing multiple sports in order to concentrate on the sport they have the best chance to succeed in.

But do single sport players have a better chance of getting college scholarships that multi-sport athletes? Which makes a better person?

Let me put forward my bias at this point. All throughout growing up and throughout high school I played four sports. Each season brought a new sport, new challenges, new chances to improve my game in that particular sport. So, obviously, I’m a bit partial to the multi-sport side of this tough question. But there have been times when I’ve looked back on my sports careers and my college football career and wondered to myself, ‘If I would have given up every sport but football, would I have been a better quarterback? Would I have played somewhere else? Would I have had a shot at the league?’

I think many people look back on their sports experiences and wonder those things, and hindsight is always 20/20. But after I ask those questions, I think about all of the experiences I had playing baseball, basketball and tennis. I think about the relationships I built with teammates, the places we traveled, the epic contests I was a part of. I think about how those experiences shaped me into the person that I am today, how each sport trained different parts of my body and my mind to be a whole person, and how I will be able to pass on a love of each of those sports, and others, to my kids and other student athletes. I wouldn’t trade those other sports for a better football career, because, in the end; sports, school, religion, family life, is all about forming a better, more whole person. That should be the aim of parents and coaches, not a college scholarship. Because college and professional sports are an unrealistic goal for most, and at best, a short lived dream compared to the rest of life that is to be lived. I would hope that the parents of America would shape their kids to become better people first, before they become better athletes.

That’s how I feel. What do you think?

A few months ago I started the EverydayQB challenge of getting into shape and losing weight. About a month later, my wife and I found out we were pregnant! Two weeks later we found out we were having twins! This chain of events has led to one of the most exciting and life-changing times in our lives and we are thrilled.

It always seems, however, that when life-changing events occur, our patterns and goals must be altered and, for a time, can lapse. Such was the case with my eating and exercise goals. For the first few months, I felt like I was eating for two as well. Consequently, the whole weight loss thing has flown out the window. I found myself encouraging my wife to eat often, and then I was cleaning up after her, eating her leftovers.

What I am starting to realize is how to be a supportive husband without being the garbage disposal. I can safely say that I am ‘back on the wagon’ eating healthy each day and exercising regularly and am getting better at not having to finish my wife’s food. In the same way, now that her first trimester is over, her appetite is back and hopefully will continue to grow over the next six months.

Through this process, I am learning that even though life circumstances might change or events occur, we must stick with our goals and plans to maintain some sort of sanity and regularity in our lives.