The college football season is right around the corner. As the season approaches, I will be breaking down the best players of each conference. Each article a new conference will be unveiled and the order will be alphabetical. The players will be ranked 1-10 (1 being the best). Note: This is before the start of the 2012 season, therefore players may get hurt and some will get better or worse. This is simply analyzing the best players in each conference, not which players will get drafted the highest in the 2013 NFL Draft.
1.Robbie Rouse-Running Back-Fresno State
Senior running back, Robbie Rouse, may be small in stature, but he is an enormous playmaker. At only 5’7, 190, Rouse can both sneak through the line and blow by linebackers or he can catch the sweep and turn the corner in an instance. A year ago, the pint-sized back carried the ball 329 times accounting for 1,549 yards and 13 touchdowns. Rouse also had 32 receptions and averaged 7.1 yards per catch. There were six games in 2011 where Rouse totaled over 120 rushing yards, two games where against powerhouse teams (Nebraska and Ole Miss). Rouse is simply electric, and he accounts for many of the points that his team puts up.
2.Brett Smith-Quarterback-Wyoming
The freshman quarterback busted on to the scene last year, throwing for 2,622 yards and 20 touchdowns while only being intercepted 11 times. Brett Smith is a 6’3, dual threat quarterback who rushed for 710 yards and 10 touchdowns, raising his total touchdown count to 30. The country boy from Salem, Oregon is a special player; after dominating the MWC in his freshman year, his coach quickly learned that this player could make something out of nothing. He is truly a pleasure to watch and he will get scarier for defenses if he continues to grow.
3.Shaquil Barrett-Middle Linebacker-Colorado State
It’s very easy for a middle linebacker to rack up the tackles, but it is astounding to know that Shaquil Barrett averaged 8.2 tackles a game as a first-year starter for CSU (transferred from Nebraska-Omaha). The Nebraska-Omaha transfer went up against New Mexico in his first Division I matchup; he finished with 3 tackles and half of a sack. From that point on, Barrett only improved to get better. At 6’2, 250, Barrett is an absolute house and coming from a family of wrestlers really helps him on the field; he is a mauler. Barrett finished his sophomore season with 99 tackles and is continuing to grow; his relentlessness is what makes him such a good defensive leader.
4.Matt Miller-Wide Receiver Boise State
Being on the Pre-Season Mountain West All-Conference team in only his sophomore year, Matt Miller has some big shoes to fill. Not only does he have high expectations as a receiver but he also has to help Boise State stay dominant after losing Kellen Moore and awaiting their move to the Big East. As a freshman, the 6’3 receiver caught 62 balls for 679 yards and found the endzone nine times. Miller failed to have a 100+ yard game last season but he racked up the receptions and was a sure-handed target for the Broncos. Miller will need to become more of a deep ball threat this season, but he will be Joe Southwick’s favorite receiver because Miller is a good route runner and he can get open.
5.Leon McFadden-Cornerback-San Diego State 
The corner out of Inglewood is the most valuable player on this Aztec team. At only 5’10, McFadden is scrappy and fantastic in man-to-man coverage. McFadden is a two-time Mountain West All-Conference Team member and is looking to make the team for a third time. When the feisty corner presses the WR they have virtually no chance to get by him and he is a savage in the run game. McFadden also received honors of being the Mountain West Defensive Player of the Year in 2011 after ranking 12th in the nation with passes defended (17) and recording 46 tackles (35 solo).
6.Ryan Katz-Quarterback-San Diego State
It seems as if Ryan Katz has been in the NCAA forever. After transferring from Oregon State, Katz will try to put the San Diego State Aztecs on the map in his senior season. The best asset that Katz has is in-game experience; not only has he been a starter before, but, he played in the PAC-12 which is a top conference. Katz also shows also displays the ability to make different throws and to move the pocket, which will be helpful behind a depleted Aztec line (lost 3 OL starters). At only 6’1, 210, Katz doesn’t have the strongest arm but he can make plays and could single-handedly win games for San Diego St. this year. One interesting matchup is Ryan Katz @ Boise State on November 3rd.
7.Derek Carr-Quarterback-Fresno State
Brother of David Carr, Derek is the second family member to take snaps at Fresno State. Although Carr does a lot of handing off to Robbie Rouse, the 6-foot-3 quarterback has a rapid release and is very quick through his progressions. Carr can throw accurately on the run and he can make plays with his feet. Rouse takes a lot of pressure off of Carr but the man can still make plays.
8.Chris Nwoke-Running Back-Colorado State
The Colorado native, Chris Nwoke is not only a power back, but also the Colorado State Rams work horse on offense. The 6’1, 215 pounder rushed for 1,130 yards, averaging 5.7 yards per carry and scored nine times. Downhill runner is assumed when you talk about a back of Nwoke’s size but this back runs with a mean; stumbling over Air Force defenders for a total of 262 yards and two touchdowns in 2011. Colorado State needs help in the passing game, but once they get a lead, they won’t give it up with Nwoke running the rock.
9.Blair Burns-DB-Wyoming
Wyoming is a team on the rise with all of their young talent and their defense is going to hold its own, starting with their sophomore cornerback, Blair Burns. Burns is a cover corner who is electric once he gets the ball in his hands. In 2011, Burns picked the ball off four times and deflected a bunch of passes. Burns also stuck his nose in against the Utah State rushing attack and wrangled up 9 tackles.
10.Paipai Falemalu-Defensive End-Hawaii
At 6’3 and only 260, Falemalu is an undersized, nimble rusher coming off of the edge. The senior from Honolulu was tied for second on his team with 4.5 sacks but he also hurried the quarterback seven times. Running with a high motor, Falemalu stays low to the ground, denying the offensive lineman of being able to generate leverage.
Just Missed:
Chris McNeill-Wide Receiver-Wyoming
Tyler Gaston-Defensive Tackle-UNLV
Alex Means-Middle Linebacker-Air Force
Joe Kellog-Offensive Guard-Boise State
Joe Southwick-Quarterback-Boise State
he could hit a jump shot. Laettner is remembered for his shot against Kentucky in the National Championship. It was a turnaround jumper with less that 2 seconds left to win the title. Laettner had little-to-no impact on the dream team and he is the forgotten one when this team was talked about. Laettner was great in college, don’t get me wrong, he was still deserving of the “amateur” spot on this team, but just think of who else could have been on it at this time…
In 1992 Shaquille O’neal was still at LSU. In college, Shaq was electric and monstrous and easily would have created a matchup nightmare for any country in the U.S.A.’s path. The future legends still would have had the majority of the playing time but Shaq could have relieved Barkley, Malone and Ewing on the blocks and would have not only brought personality and swag but strength and power. It would have been great to see Stockton throw alley-oops to the Shaqtus or watching him dunk on a whole team of Angolans.
St. Louis Rams
Honorable Mention-Indianapolis Colts
become a security-type receiver for Luck. With the Colts’ fourth selection (3rd round) they stayed on the offensive side of the ball and selected T.Y. Hilton (Florida International). Hilton is a slot receiver that can flat-out fly and create separation. Look for him to be used on bubble screens and a lot of crossing routes this year, he has big-play potential. The fifth round is where Ryan Grigson selected his first defensive player, Josh Chapman (DT/NT-Alabama). If Chapman had not missed the season due to a knee injury he could have gone in the first round. Chapman will help on the defensive line and take on blockers, allowing Mathis and Freeney to get to the quarterback. In the fifth round Vick Ballard would become the newest Colt. Ballard is a tough RB out of Miss. St. who will provide diversity to a Colts offense. He can run between the tackles and he can also go out and make some catches; he should be a nice compliment to Donald Brown. The Colts also chose LaVon Brazill (WR-Ohio) in the 6th and had three 7th round picks: Jusin Anderson (G-Georgia), Tim Fugger (DE- Vanderbilt) and Chandler Harnish (QB-Northern Illinois). After the draft the Colts also scrambled to get some of the top undrafted free agents. They made two key signings in Griff Whalen (WR-Stanford) and 
Washington) and still ended up getting the guy they wanted; Michael Brockers at #14. Not only did they get their guy, but they set themselves up to have a great nucleus of young talent with Bradford on offense and Brockers on defense along with MLB James Laurinaitis. Going into round two the Rams have 3 picks in the first 13 and look to assess the rest of their team’s holes (WR, OT & OLB). There is still top-tier talent left on the draft board, the Rams must be pleased with what they were able to pull of today.
Hightower-Alabama. Hightower will be lining up on the side of Brandon Spikes in their 3-4 scheme. Although Hightower is not great in pass coverage, he brings great leadership, instinct and work ethic. Belichick taps back into his Alabama pipeline and finds a hidden gem in this year’s draft.
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Seattle Mariners– 
Los Angeles Angels– Mark Trumbo struggles to get implemented/ keep his spot in the lineup (1B, 3B, DH, OF). He won’t even hit 19 home runs and he won’t be able to keep his average above .240. On a positive note, Kendrys Morales will stay healthy for the most part and knock out 26 home runs while C.J. Wilson gets a team-high 24 wins.
Texas Rangers– Mike Napoli ends up getting moved, again, at the trade deadline. Neftali Feliz has an impressive 13-8 record as a starter. Joe Nathan gets hurt (not bold) and Alexei Ogando becomes the closer getting 33+ saves.
Oakland Athletics– Yoenis Cespedes scorches 37 doubles and leads the team with 22 home runs and 89 RBI. Pitcher, Brandon McCarthy, makes the All-Star team and finished the season with 14 wins and a 2.96 ERA with a sub-1 WHIP. Manny Ramirez also takes the DH spot from Jonny Gomes after serving his 50-game suspension and he hits 13 dingers.
Detroit Tigers– Alex Avila struggles on offense while the rest of the Tigers do not. Austin Jackson finally proves that the Tigers made the right choice in trading Curtis Granderson for him and company. Jackson steals 34 bases and hits a career-high .294.
Cleveland Indians– Josh Tomlin leads this team in wins with only 12. Travis Hafner and Grady Sizemore miss over a combined 210 games. Ubaldo Jimenez still can’t find his groove in Cleveland.
Minnesota Twins– Bottom-dwellers of the AL Central and the league for that matter, which ends up being the worst division in the MLB. Mauer does play, and hits .318, but it doesn’t help the team. Ben Revere ends up taking Denard Span’s CF spot and steals 51 bases.
Kansas City Royals– Royals finish second in division with 88 wins. Eric Hosmer wins the AL MVP despite not making the playoffs. He bats: .330, 29 long-balls and 117 RBI. Mike Moustakas hits 26 home runs and Tim Collins makes the All-Star team as a setup man.
Chicago White Sox– Jake Peavy finally makes a comeback, dealing out a team-leading 14 wins. Matt Thornton finishes the season as the closer but not a good one and Konerko is the only player on the team to bat over .300.
Boston Red Sox (World Series Champs)– Mark Melancon was brought in to be a setup man but he ends up leading the club in saves (28). 
New York Yankees– Ivan Nova becomes the most consistent pitcher. Curtis “The Grandy Man” Granderson hits 
Toronto Blue Jays– 
Tampa Bay Rays– Ben Zobrist hits 24 home runs while snatching 26 bases and he will start games at 2B, 1B, LF, RF and DH. Desmond Jennings hits a shocking 26 HR and B.J. Upton gets traded to Houston.
Baltimore Orioles– Mark Reynolds moves to 1B, Brian Roberts comes back and Robert Andino plays most of the year at 3B. Jake Arietta wins only 9 games but has a 3.20 ERA. Adam Jones gets traded so Baltimore can stockpile on prospects… I don’t know why they want to though.
Arizona Diamondbacks (Lose in World Series)– Trevor Cahill shows he misses pitching at the Coliseum and gets rocked. Ian Kennedy doesn not have the same type of season as last year. 
San Francisco Giants– Freddy Sanchez hits only .263, no one on the team hits over 23 home runs and Lincecum has a 3.49 ERA. Brian Wilson is lights out this year but he will have no save opportunities, only gets 31 saves.
Colorado Rockies– Dexter Fowler becomes a superstar. Jamie Moyer gets 13 wins, Tulowitzki wins NL MVP and Jordan Pacheco hits 24 home runs from the hot corner. Helton and Giambi both announce they will retire at end of season, freeing up first base for 3B prospect Nolan Arenado who will move to 1B.
San Diego Padres– Carlos Quentin hits only 16 home runs. Cameron Maybin leads the team with 26 bombs and 38 steals. Edinson Volquez and Corey Luebke both tie with 15 wins but the Padres still struggle.
Los Angeles Dodgers– Dee Gordon hits well over .300 but Andre Ethier becomes the team’s MVP. Ethier his .328 and knocks in 108 runs while Kemp struggles to hit 25 home runs and doesn’t even reach 100 RBI. Kershaw wins Cy Young by a landslide.
Houston Astros– Jordan Lyles leads the team in wins with 13 and Jordan Schafer robs 23 bases. Unfortunately, a bunch of prospects get called up too early and end up having terrible numbers.
Chicago Cubs– Anthony Rizzo is a disappointment, hitting less than five home runs. Marmol gets traded along with Matt Garza (separate deals), leaving Jeff Samardzija to have the best season as a Cubs pitcher in 2012.
Cincinnati Reds– Aroldis Chapman eventually becomes the closer and strikes out over 100 as a reliever. Votto has a bad year after signing a monster contract, 20 HR and bats only .289. Chris Heisey leads the team as a platoon OF with 27 HR.
Milwaukee Brewers– Mat Gamel provides some pop with Prince Fielder gone. Braun has another 30/30 season, K-Rod gets traded and George Kottaras becomes everyday starting catcher.
Pittsburgh Pirates– McCutchen becomes elite, hitting 31 home runs and getting 34 steals, he earns the highest WAR (Wins Above Replacement). Erik Bedard doesn’t even start 21 games and James McDonald gets 197 K’s.
St. Louis Cardinals– Jon Jay has a breakout season and Wainwright gets 18 wins. David Freese loses his spot in the lineup and Matt Holliday only hits 18 homers. Jason Motte blows a bunch of saves and Fernando Salas takes over.
New York Mets– Jason Bay is back and hits 22 home runs. David Wright knocks 19 out of the park before getting traded to the Chi-Sox in exchange for Gavin Floyd and Alexei Ramirez.
Atlanta Braves– Michael Bourn hits an abysmal .268 but still steals 59 bases and scores 99 runs. Jason Heyward stays healthy all season and knocks out 38 home runs and wins the Home Run Derby.
Miami Marlins– Hanley Ramirez is runner-up for the NL MVP Award, hitting 33 home runs and knocking in 114. Ricky Nolasco rings up 132 batters and gets 16 wins. Miami Marlins win the division. Oh yeah, Giancarlo (formerly Mike) Stanton leads the MLB with home runs, dropping 48.
Philadelphia Phillies– As Chase Utley comes back, Jimmy Rollins gets hurt, leaving Freddy Galvis in the lineup and moving him back to his natural shortstop position. Hunter Pence is the unsung hero and hits a quiet 30 home runs.
Washington Nationals– 
Adrian Gonzalez-Boston Red Sox
I’m assuming the front office of the Cubs will have a talk with him and he will keep improving his numbers. Great for dynasty leagues: only 21 years old and numbers improved in each of his first two seasons. Career averages: .304 BA, 16 SB, 54 RBI, 173 hits.
immediate interest, but Belichick likes drafting players out of stable environments and he is very close to Urban Meyer, who coached Tebow at the University of Florida. Another logical factor is that Josh McDaniels was Head Coach for the Denver Broncos when they drafted Tebow and McDaniels had a huge say in trading up for him. There could be some packages or crazy plays McDaniels has up is sleeve that he was never able to involve Tebow with in Denver. The Patriots are the most innovative team in the NFL and they could do amazing thing with Tebow’s talent. The factors going against Tebow are: Brady will never get taken off the field so Tebow can take a snap and the Patriots most likely won’t trade anything valuable for Tebow despite their surplus of draft picks. This is something to keep an eye on, however I don’t think it happens.
Jacksonville is a hurting franchise right now and they need all of there draft picks in order to have a fighting chance in this league. The only thing that is keeping this rumor alive is the fact that the National Football League is a business and owners are trying to sell tickets and merchandise; no one is bigger than Tim Tebow (and he is a Jax native). The Jaguars need to sell tickets and the Broncos desperately need a Qb to learn under Manning, the only thing that would make sense to me is Blaine Gabbert getting shipped to Denver for Tim Tebow and a fourth round pick. Gabbert has all of the tools and last year he was the youngest QB to start a game (21 years–old). It would make perfect sense from Denver’s side of the fence because if this doesn’t happen they NEED to draft a Quarterback to be Peyton’s apprentice or else they will be a bottom-dweller of the league once again in the near future.
guard role rather than playing the 2, making Jamal Crawford a great fit in Minnesota. The T-wolves have some spotty shooters in Wayne Ellington and Wesley Johnson. Crawford could bring the ball up on offense as a backup point guard, create his own shot and also make clutch shots at the end when Kevin Love is double-teamed. Portland has made it known that Jamal Crawford is up for trade, but the price needs to be right; if the T-wolves make a trade I feel they would have to give up Ellington, and Anthony Tolliver AT LEAST. Portland also made it known that Gerald Wallace could be up for grabs, so maybe Wallace and PF/SF Michael Beasley could also be in the mix pending salary cap.
Ramon Sessions is also a possibility for the Lakers; he is a pass-first point guard and fills up the whole stat sheet. The Lakers need a guy that is willing to do the dirty work. Sessions would come cheaper, but Jennings might be the better fit. My prediction would be that Cleveland gives up Sessions and Antawn Jamison for Pau Gasol.
draft, a hopefully healthy Eric Gordon and Josh Smith. The Hawks need a big man badly, Horford has been out with a torn pectoral muscle all season and the Hawks need more production from the interior. Ivan Johnson has stepped up his game but he is not offensively gifted and 2nd round pick Keith Benson is not even on the active roster. Kaman has a variety of post moves he could utilize and he is a gritty player, he will get rebounds, blocks and has the ability to kick it out when the defense collapses. Atlanta should really take a look at Chris Kaman. One possibility could be Josh Smith for Chris Kaman, Carl Landry and a draft pick.
The draft is about a month and a half away and free agency does not start till next week, however, it is never a bad time for a mock. This draft does not include free agency signings and player’s stock could rise or drop due to college pro-days that will take place over the course of this month. It still looks like Andrew Luck will be the number one overall pick but there have been many changes and new players added since Mock Draft 1.0.
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Gronkowski aside Brady. Polite was picked up before the playoffs and he is great at stopping the blitz. With Gronk in the backfield he will be able to chip one of the pass rushers and then release to the flats. I also would not be surprised if the Patriots use some 3 TE sets with Nate Solder as one of the tight ends. In order for the Patriots to win this game it will have to be a shootout. If the Giants want to win this game they need to hit Tom Brady a lot. I feel the winner of this game will make a game-changing play. My gut tells me the Patriots could either get a pick six or the Giants will get a kick return touchdown. Both are unlikely, but then again, anything can happen in the Super Bowl.
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Hmmmm, I’m going to say this nicely, Bismack is a freak of nature. 6’9, 243, can run the floor, 7’6 wingspan and a raw talent. Bismack has a knack for defending and although he cannot shoot, he can still get the ball in the bucket. A center that can defend and run the floor is probably the most lethal guy in sports- behind a dual threat quarterback. The Congolese center has skill where it is hard to teach and it seems as if he is willing to learn. Michael Jordan has his hands full but is sold on this kid. Biyombo seemed to have been working on his offensive game in the offseason. Biyombo was the first player ever to record a triple-double in the Nike Hoops Summit. One thing this young talent does not lack is confidence, in a pre-draft interview Bismack said that one day he WILL lead the NBA in blocks and rebounds. Now that is a tall order to fill but you can’t blame the kid for being excited or wanted to be the best. However, there is a slim chance he won’t be able to play in the NBA his rookie season because he has one year left on his contract with his team in Spain. Biyombo is currently in negotiations with his team attempting to buyout his old contract. It will be a great disappointment if he doesn’t play this year because although he might not be locking down Dwight Howard or Andrew Bogut, he will still be competing every night and making a name for himself.
If Marshon Brooks can mirror what he did at Providence College offensively then the NBA better watch out.This kid does not know what a slump is, he is not afraid to shoot and he will get to the hoop at will. Brooks is lanky, quick, he can slash and he can score in any way imaginable. Brooks could very well be the Nets’ leading scorer but in order to get the respect from his coach and his teammates, he will need to defend and become more of an all around player. At Providence, Brooks always had the ball in his hands, that will not be the case in NJ and he will need to learn how to play without the ball.
Josh Smith’s potential has been blocked by Joe Johnson and Jamal Crawford controlling the ball 90% of the time. Now that Jamal Crawford has made his exit look for Josh Smith to finally breakout. I feel he is the most underrated player in the league and that he could be a top five player. Smith is gifted in all aspects of the game, he was first recognized as the insanely athletic dunker who took the Slam Dunk contest title from Jason Richardson in 2005. Smith is among the leagues best highflyers and shot blockers, look for him to put up crazy numbers now that he will finally be touching the ball because Joe Johnson is starting to decline and the team will need another scorer.
Perkins. At last year’s trade deadline, the Thunder dealt Jeff Green for Kendrick Perkins and Nate Robinson. This was a head-scratching trade because the Thunder were an athletic team who liked to run the floor and Perkins does not fit that role. It seemed to have hurt Oklahoma City in the playoffs even though they were still a pretty good team. In the offseason Kendrick Perkins lost a ton of weight, however, he is not a finesse player so we will need to see if he kept his tenacity and strength in the paint. Not only do we need to see if Kendrick Perkins fits the team, we also need to see Russell Westbrook mature. This is Kevin Durant’s franchise, therefore, Kevin Durant should be taking the final shots. Westbrook was a shooting guard at UCLA, but now that he is a PG he needs to learn to dish the rock, it doesn’t help the team when you run up court and pull up for a shot with 19 seconds still on the shot clock. Westbrook needs to relax and realize he has role players that can put up point like James Harden, Serge Ibaka and newly acquired Lazar Hayward who should make a name for himself this season. I expect the Thunder to be a top two seed in the Western Conference, they will work out the kinks from last season and they should win around 40-45 games (remember it’s only a 66 game season). They have 3 potential All-NBA defenders (I-blocka, Perk and Thabo Sefolosha) and they will have a top 3 scorer this season in Durantula. The Thunder will be a feared team for any opponent this season.
Boston fans should soon forget this baseball with the Bruins season right around the corner and the Patriots being 2-1. It is never too early to start talking about next years Sox season though. This off season will be very interesting for Boston (as it is every year). Boston has some monstrous contracts but they also have expiring contracts coming up in the next 2 offseasons (Papelbon, Drew, Scutaro, Matsuzaka and Ortiz). Boston is also going to be looking for a new skipper. The only two options I see for the Sox would be Demarlo Hale and Tony La Russa. La Russa could be a gamble, it is unknown if he will pickup the option for a final season in St. Louis or he could possible end up becoming the Chicago Cubs manager. If Pujols ends up signing with the Cubs (seems like the only option for Pujols besides staying in STL) it is very possible that La Russa follows.
The Bo-Sox need a starting pitcher because some of our recent signings have been devastating. Clay Buchholz and Daisuke Matsuzaka cannot seem to stay healthy. Even when Matsuzaka is healthy he and Lackey has not been what we had expected them to be. It seems like it will be another one or two years before Pawtucket prospects Felix Doubront and Kyle Weiland will be able to be effective in the MLB. Potential starters for the Sox could be: Bruce Chen, Joel Pineiro who would both be cheap and short-term or they could go all out and try to sign C.J. Wilson. It looks like Wilson will be out of Texas after this season, there are only two teams that have already showed interest in him and those two teams are the Washington Nationals and the New York Yankees. Boston could jump into this free agent bidding process either because they want him because they want him, or to jack up his price and make the Yankees overpay him.
It seems that for the past two years set-up man Daniel Bard has been labeled the closer of the future for the Red Sox. He might have to re-earn that title because he was horrible in the later part of the season for the Red Sox. Bard posted a 2-9 record and had five blown saves. However, Bard did have 34 holds, but it seemed that when we needed him to come up big late in the season he would just walk batters that you can’t afford to walk and then he would give up crucial runs. Daniel Bard could be potential trade bait because he is: young, throws steam and he has shown that he can be effective in a big market but he needs to show that he has that “clutch” gene. The Red Sox could get a bunch of prospects if they choose to trade Bard and Reddick. Or they could trade Bard and a player like Drew to free up some money. Whether Bard is or is not on the Red Sox roster I firmly believe the Sox try very hard to bring in free agent Heath Bell. Bell has mentioned that he wants to go to a contender and the Sox should be just that next year; another year older, another year together and a whole lot to prove.
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AlexFarnworth 
