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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Big Ten Conference odds

Teams that should be in: Michigan State, Indiana
Work left to do: Illinois, Purdue, Michigan, Iowa

Behind the big two, the pecking order might be in a bit of flux. Has Michigan State passed Indiana after handling the Hoosiers in East Lansing? Where is Illinois in that mix? What looked like a four-big league last week could be morphing into five -- and even six is not unthinkable at this point if everything breaks right.

Should be in:

Michigan State [21-8 (8-6), RPI: 20, SOS: 15] The Spartans made it four-for-four on the homestand, a gigantic accomplishment that leaves them in extremely good shape. MSU is only 1-6 on the road and is at Michigan and at Wisconsin to close things out, meaning the date with the Wolverines on Tuesday looms very, very large. Beating Texas early will hold up well, as will the rout of Bradley and the win over BYU, but will 8-8 be enough? It very well could be, as the computer numbers are good, but why chance it?

Indiana [18-9 (8-6), RPI: 24, SOS: 32] Hmm ... good thing the last two are at Northwestern and home to Penn State, because IU might want to get both to feel completely safe after dropping its third in the last four, fading after halftime at Michigan State. Who knew the best nonconference win would be over Southern Illinois, which is a gift that keeps on giving for the Hoosiers. The win over Wisconsin also looks good on the mantel.

Work left to do:

Illinois [21-9 (9-6), RPI: 31, SOS: 25] A good performance at Penn State leaves the Illini in pretty good shape. Can they go to Iowa and take care of business to really look on their way? That's a huge game, as there is a possible cluster of teams that will end at 9-7. Illinois beat Bradley, but has lost to Xavier. A 9-7 mark and a semifinals trip in Chicago could be enough with the computer profile hanging in there, but it would be better not to mess around, clinching at least a tie for third.

Purdue [18-10 (7-7), RPI: 47, SOS: 28] Couldn't get it done at Iowa, but did win at Northwestern to put 9-7 squarely in sight. Where does that leave the Boilermakers, though? Even if they beat Minnesota and Northwestern at home, that won't help the computer numbers. Nonconference wins over Virginia, DePaul and Oklahoma are solid, but not spectacular. The Boilers very well might need an upset in the B10 quarters to have a legit claim.

Michigan [19-10 (7-7), RPI: 55, SOS: 53] Well, Michigan did what it needed to do, winning at Minnesota to take control of its fate. The Wolverines have Michigan State and an already-wrapped-up-the-league Ohio State at home to close, so the chances are there. Win both and we can talk. There is no marquee win yet in the profile, and the Wolverines were splattered in several games against name opponents. A mediocre computer profile fueled by a lack of road wins isn't helping, either.

Iowa [16-12 (8-6), RPI: 80, SOS: 64] For the sake of being complete, we'll add Iowa, this season's Stanford. It's plausible that the Hawkeyes could get to 10-6 (at Penn State, vs. Illinois left), but where does that leave them after a gruesome nonconference performance where the best win was over ... Toledo? Iowa State? Cornell?? If they get to 10-6, we can start to look at what they need to do in the B10 tourney, although my gut sense is that they would need to make the final and have knocked off Ohio State or Wisconsin on the way to have any real claim.

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Marlins could start season without No. 2 starter Johnson

JUPITER, Fla. -- The Foorida Marlins are preparing for the likelihood that right-hander
Josh Johnson won't be ready when the season starts April 2.

Grapefruit League action starts Wednesday, but Johnson, penciled in as the No. 2 starter, hasn't even thrown off a mound at full speed since September. He's experienced some soreness in his right forearm.

MySportsbook.com have the Marlins listed with baseball betting lines at +800 to win the NL East this season .

''You guys know the math. If he's not on the hill then he becomes an opening day roster issue,'' manager Fredi Gonzalez said Saturday. ''We're borderline now.''

Johnson, who finished 12-7 with a 3.10 ERA in 2007, was supposed to throw on flat ground Saturday. That was canceled when he woke up with pain.

He played catch on Wednesday with no pain but felt discomfort in a throwing session on Thursday. He's expected to try again Sunday.

''Like we always said from the very beginning, we're going to take it easy on him,'' Gonzalez said. ''He didn't feel right, so we shut him down. We're going to take it back to step one and see where we're at.''

Among the candidates to take Johnson's spot in the rotation are left-hander Chris George and right-handers Yusmeiro Petit and Jose Garcia.

Right-hander Sergio Mitre, who missed most of last season with arm and shoulder problems, also is behind.

With Johnson's status doubtful, Gonzalez said right-hander Ricky Nolasco will stay in the rotation and no longer will be considered a candidate for closer.

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