Winning the Heisman Trophy, college football’s most prestigious award, requires a number of factors. In the past few years, the “Best Player in College Football” has transformed into “The Best Player on the Best Team.” Winning the award requires incredible individual performances, but also a great season by the player’s team. Without further ado, here are ten players to watch in 2007.

10. Percy Harvin. A sophomore has never won the Heisman Trophy and that probably won’t change this year. But Florida’s Harvin could find himself on the big stage in a year or two. His versatility helped Urban Meyer’s offense go to the next level in 2006. He can do it all, whether it’s running the ball, catching it or returning it. Harvin averaged over 11 yards for every touch he got.

9. Brandon Ore. Virginia Tech’s running back will be the primary weapon in helping VT get into a BCS bowl. Big performances against LSU, Miami and Florida State could find Ore getting some Heisman hype. VT is no stranger to Heisman hopefuls at running back. Kevin Jones and Lee Suggs both received plenty of attention and look for Ore to get the same.

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With the calendar getting ready to flip into August, we’re beginning the process of previewing the upcoming NFL and NCAA football seasons. In the next week or two, we’ll be previewing conferences all over the country, as well as previewing an NFL team every day. Today, we start with my preseason top ten. Next week, I’ll jump into Heisman Trophy contenders.

10. Rutgers Scarlet Knights. What a difference a few years make. This team has gone from national doormat to Big East title contenders. Greg Schiano simply knows what he’s doing. The quarterback scenario is a bit sketchy but running back Ray Rice, fresh off an 1800 yard performance with 20 touchdowns, is back. West Virginia will make a visit in late October before Rutgers finishes the season at Louisville.

9. Louisville Cardinals. There’s three potential teams that can run the table in the Big East. Louisville is one of those teams. Brian Brohm returns for his senior season and could wind up in New York City at the Heisman Trophy Presentation. Former coach Bobby Petrino is now attempting to right the ship in Atlanta but this team should be just fine without him. Like Rutgers or West Virginia, the Cardinals could finish 1st, 2nd or 3rd in the Big East.

8. California Golden Bears. Is Cal good enough to win the Pac-10? That’s the question on many west coast fans’ minds. They’ll certainly have the offensive firepower to give it a run. Nate Longshore, Justin Forsett, and DeSean Jackson form one of the top QB-RB-WR trios in the entire country. I don’t expect Marshawn Lynch’s absence to be a major downfall to this team because we know what Forsett can bring to the table. USC comes to Berkeley on November 10th and like last year, that game could decide the conference.

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With most NFL Training Camps getting underway this week, we thought it’d be appropriate to highlight ten players that everyone should keep an eye on in 2007. Some guys are looking to have big years with new teams, while others are flying under the radar. Without further ado, our top ten.

10. Vincent Jackson, WR San Diego Chargers: With Norv Turner now at the helm, it’s not far-fetched to think the league’s best offense can be even better in 2007. The offensive unit in San Diego seems to have it all: A young stud quarterback, a great offensive line, and oh yeah, one of the best running backs in NFL history. If the 6′5 Jackson can be the matchup nightmare he’s capable of being, this could be the Bolts’ year.

9. Jamal Lewis, RB Cleveland Browns: Lewis, the longtime Raven, is now lining up for the enemy. It’ll be up to Lewis to help a promising offense get over the top. If Lewis can effectively run between the tackles, it should make things easier for guys like Kellen Winslow Jr. and Braylon Edwards to do their thing. If Lewis is the hot garbage he was last year, life is going to be hell for either Charlie Frye or Brady Quinn.

8. Jay Cutler, QB Denver Broncos: The second-year quarterback seems to have everything going for him. He’s got a rocket arm and a quarterback guru in Mike Shanahan. After taking some lumps and making some strides last year, it’s now Cutler’s team in 2007. If he performs up to his high expectations, Denver should be able to give the Chargers a run in the AFC West.

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They say records are meant to be broken. We’re about to see one of the biggest records in all of sports fall. But in the world of baseball, that magical number of 755 pales in comparison to other more incredible works. Here’s what Rich and I think are the top ten records in all of baseball.

10. Stan Musial and Willie Mays’ 24 Consecutive All Star Games: Sure, fan voting helped both players in the twilight of their careers. But playing at a high level for a quarter of a century is difficult to do. That’s why we look up to Stan The Man and the Say Hey Kid as two of the best ever. In case you’re looking to compare it to modern players, Ken Griffey Jr. has appeared in 13 Midsummer Classics, while Barry Bonds has played in 14.

9. Orel Hershiser’s 59 Consecutive Scoreless Innings: It’s tough to top Hershiser’s 1988 season with the Dodgers, where he won the Cy Young Award, NLCS MVP, and World Series MVP. But in the midst of all that hardware, he put together the most dominant month in baseball history. Talk about clutch. Hershiser didn’t give up a run in the final month of the season and then gave up just five in October.

8. Hank Aaron’s 755 Homers: It’s hard to put a record this famous so low on the list. But consider this. When Barry Bonds passes Aaron, he’ll likely lose the record in five or six years to Alex Rodriguez. After A-Rod hangs it up, it’s not far-fetched to see Albert Pujols nipping at his heels. Give it ten years and Hammerin’ Hank might be 4th on the list. That’s a damn shame.

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10. Albert Haynesworth. The first entry in the Cheap Shot Hall of Shame goes to Titans defensive tackle Albert Haynesworth, who stomped on the face of a Dallas Cowboys player. Sometime during the play, Andre Gurode lost his helmet and paid the price.

9. Craig Bellamy. Much like a later entry on this list, Bellamy’s attack wasn’t directed towards an opponent but a teammate. Following a night on the town, a drunken Bellamy raged into teammate John Arne Riise’s room and attacked his legs with a golf club. The following week, he parodied the incident while celebrating a goal.

8. Zinedine Zidane. This could also qualify for one of the most badass send-offs in sports history. Zidane, an all-time great, was given a red card in the final of the 2006 World Cup. In the final match of his career, Zidane gave the entire world something to talk about.

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10. Mickey Mantle. In 1960, the Mick hit a ball that entered orbit. Playing at the old Tiger Stadium, Mantle hit a ball over the roof in right field. It’s estimated that the ball traveled 643 feet.

9. Reggie Jackson. Much like the 5th homer on the list, Jackson’s performance in game six of the 1977 World Series inspired a nickname: Mr. October. Jackson homered three consecutive times, each one on the first pitch of the at-bat. The last homer of the bunch went about 475 feet into dead center field. He hit five altogether in the series and won MVP honors.

8. Tino Martinez/Scott Brosius. There’s some moments in sports that are simply bigger than the game itself. These two homers are examples of that. Just six weeks after the attacks of September 11th, Martinez and Brosius hit two homers that even gave Yankees haters a reason to cheer. In consecutive nights, the Yankees tied the game with two out homers. To this day, the 2001 World Series is the best sporting event of my lifetime. Read the rest of this entry »