College Football Schedules

The best team will again be Alabama, who return a lot of talent from the team that won the national championship a year ago. They will have AJ McCaron, who could be one of the leaders in the race to win the Heisman Trophy. He is experienced, and has explosive playmakers (such as TJ Yeldon) around him to take the pressure off. They will also have a great defense, as Nick Saban always seems to recruit great players for that side of the ball.

Another fun team to watch will be Texas A&M, as they return Heisman winner Johnny Manziel, aka Johnny Football. He is the best dual threat quarterback in the country, and he can hurt you just as much with his legs as with his arm. He is the biggest reason why the Aggies were the only team to knock off Alabama last year, and that will be a great game once again. You will not want to miss watching Manziel play.

Oregon is always very fun to watch, even though Chip Kelly has left to coach the Philadelphia Eagles. With guys like D'Anthony Thomas, their offense should remain very explosive. They will be put up a ton of points under Mark Herzlich, with the question remaining their defense. Stanford will be a great team as well out of the Pac-12, and those two look to battle it out for the conference title and possibly a BCS title game berth. They are that good, and their game will be a must-watch.

LSU always seems to be in contention for the title, and they will be again even with a lot of losses. Les Miles is a great recruiter, and they always seem to rebuild. They will likely be very physical again, and ready to rebound from a disappointing year. Notre Dame will be one of the most watched teams in the country, as they look to bounce back from their title game loss. They return a lot of great talent defensively. Their biggest key will be the maturation of QB Everett Golson. He had a lot of great moments as a freshman, and will need to continue that strong play in his sophomore year.

There are always lots of great storylines in college football, and this season will be no exception. From the rise of the the powerhouse of Alabama, to all the other teams trying to bring them down, there will be no shortage of great games to watch for on the schedule. Is college football here yet?

College Football Bowl Games

The college football regular season has ended, which means it is time for the postseason. Of course, in FBS football, this does not mean a playoff, which is what everyone wants.

It means College Football Bowl Games. There are a lot of good ones out there, but other than the national title game, the best one looks like the Fiesta Bowl, which has Oregon taking on Kansas State.

Both teams will enter the game with one loss. Oregon fell to Stanford, while Kansas State lost to Baylor. They are both 11-1, 8-1 in their respective conferences. Oregon is coached by Chip Kelly, who is expected to become an NFL head coach next season. They play a fast-paced, run-oriented offense that has been the darling of college football the past few years. They are the most explosive offense in college football and can score from anywhere on the field.

Kansas State's head coach is Bill Snyder, who is in his 70s and already retired once. If they win, they will need a big game from Collin Klein, who was a Heisman finalist. He is a dual threat QB in the mold of Tim Tebow. He is a power runner, and can throw just well enough to keep defenses honest.

It should be a fascinating by two teams that employ a spread offense, but they will look a lot different than each other. I think Oregon will win a high scoring game, but it will be one of the most exciting college football games of the season.

Which is better: Big East or Mountain West?

It is a little known secret in college football... even though the Big East is considered a major conference and its winner receives a BCS bid, the Mountain West, a supposed mid-major conference, is better. This has been debatable in recent years, but in 2009 it seems pretty clear that the Mountain West is a stronger football conference.

At the top of the Mountain West is Brigham Young. BYU is now a top 10 team after knocking off national championship contender Oklahoma. They should have a very decent chance to run the table, in which case they would almost certainly receive an at-large BCS berth and possibly have a chance to play for the national championship. Their QB Max Hall is one of the most explosive in all of college football.
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Next is Utah, which went undefeated last season and is currently ranked inside the top 20. Year after year they are one of the most consistent programs in the country. After pounding Alabama in a BCS bowl last season, they are a team and program that everyone needs to take notice of, because it does not appear to be going away anytime soon. Then there is TCU, who is also a top 20 program and thinks they have a chance to go to a BCS game. They knocked off ACC opponent Virginia on the road in their first game, and look to have one of the best defenses in the country. They won 11 games last year and have established themselves as a great program.

In the Big East, there are no national championship contenders and there would not even be any BCS contenders most likely if it were not for the automatic bid. Cincinnati looks like the best team in the conference, and is the only one ranked as of this writing. Brian Kelly is one of the best coaches in the business and has an explosive offense with QB Tony Pike and WR Marcus Gilyard. They blew out Rutgers in their first game to establish themselves as contenders to win the Big East again.

Elsewhere, West Virginia is talented but doesn't appear to be as good as they were in the prime with Rich Rodriguez. Pittsburgh is talented but they still haven't won much of note under the coaching of Dave Wanstedt. Louisville has dropped off as a program after the departure of Bobby Petrino. South Florida has had a nice run but they don't appear to be much better than an average team. Their is a lot of mediocrity within the conference.

Add it all up, and the Mountain West is the stronger conference, even though most people won't want to admit. With the vaunted trio of BYU, Utah, and TCU at the top of the conference, we could be hearing from them come January, when it is very possible at least one of those teams with get an at-large berth in a BCS game. If they do, hopefully the opponent will be a little more prepared than Alabama was last season.

Lloyd Carr Goes Out a Winner. Plus NHL, Outdoors Style

In what many people must think is a big upset, the Michigan Wolverines defeated Tim Tebow and the Florida Gators in the Capital One Bowl. Chad Henne had a career day, throwing for 373 yards and 3 TDs, while Adrian Arrington caught 2 of them.

The Michigan defense pressured the Heisman winner all day, knocking him down repeatedly. While Tebow did throw for three scores, the last drive was representative of what was happening all day for the Florida offense. Scrambling around, Tebow was forced to heave up a pass that landed incomplete and ended the game and the season for the Gators.

Granted I'm a Michigan fan, but speaking as a college football fan in general, I'm very happy to see Coach Carr go out with a win. While he didn't have his best year this year, hopefully he will be remembered as a class act and a coach who truly cared about his players not just in football terms, but as people also.

In the other big story of the day, the Pittsburgh Penguins and Buffalo Sabres tangled in Ralph Wilson Stadium. The second outdoor game in NHL history was hockey at its finest, a chilly snowy day that I'm sure reminded many players and fans alike of when they used to play on the pond. Watching NHL players play even when snow was covering the ice and affecting the puck made me realize just how skilled these players were. The face of the NHL, Sidney Crosby, had an assist on a Colby Armstrong goal just 21 seconds into the game, and also scored the game winning goal in the shootout.

The NHL is planning a game to take place indoors at Ford Field along with a college hockey game to prep for the Frozen Four which will be in Detroit in 2010.

College Football BCS Bowl Predictions

Rose Bowl: Illinois vs. USC
It's a nice story with how Ron Zook has quickly changed around the fortunes of the Illini program. That he has gotten them into the Rose Bowl in such a short amount of time is commendable. However, they're not nearly at the talent level of USC overall. They have some playmakers offensively (Juice Williams, Rashard Mendendhall), and they'll need these guys to be very good to keep this one close. However, the overall talent disparity will be a bit too much here.
USC 35, Illinois 14

Sugar Bowl: Hawaii vs. Georgia
Obviously, this one is going to be getting comparisons to the Boise/Oklahoma game from a year ago. Hawaii is the exciting, undefeated, unconventional Mid-Major, while Georgia is the more predictable power conference team. The predictions may be apt. Last year, Oklahoma was deeper, more talented, and favored to win. This year, Georgia is deeper and more talented. Here is the thing though... if Boise St. played Oklahoma 10 times, Oklahoma probably would have won 8 or 9 of those games. I think the same this year. Hawaii can win if they very well, but I'm not betting on it.
Georgia 38, Hawaii 28

Fiesta Bowl: Oklahoma vs. West Virginia
This is an interesting matchup between teams with different styles. The speed of West Virginia is something that the Sooners have not had to contend with this year. However, I think the Sooners defense will be good enough to slow them down, especially with the uncertainty with the Mountaineer's coaching.
Oklahoma 27, West Virginia 24

Orange Bowl: Virginia Tech vs. Kansas
To be perfectly honest, this game doesn't excite me all that much. Kansas is a great story to be sure, but realistically, they probably didn't deserve a BCS spot over Missouri. Virginia Tech won a bad ACC. I think Virginia Tech is the favorite, but Kansas is a bit underrated in terms of the firepower that they do have offensively. I'll take them in a mild upset.
Kansas 27, Virginia Tech 21

Championship Game: LSU vs. Ohio St.
Yawn. Another Title game appearance for Jim Tressel. What a fantastic coach he is. I thought this was a rebuilding year for the Buckeyes? Still though, it's hard to see them matching up with the speed and talent level of LSU. On both sides of the ball, I see LSU as being a faster and stronger. Maybe not quite a drubbing like last year's Title game, but I see the same result - an SEC team beating OSU.
LSU 34, Ohio St. 20

What are your picks?

Heisman Trophy Prediction

Well, it's time for my rankings to be posted.

They are also up on Stiles Points, which has a nice rundown of a few bloggers picks, including mine (obviously), The Big Picture, Money Shot, Wasting Company Time, and of course the picks of Stiles himself. Really good stuff and interesting to see how the voting turned out.

Anyway, here are my top 5:

1. Tim Tebow - He's only a sophomore and his team is not in the national title hunt... two strikes against him. But the numbers are just too good to ignore. He's got a mind-boggling 51 total TDs (29 passing, 22 rushing) and nearly 4000 total yards (3132 passing, 838 rushing). Oh, and he erased any doubt that there might have been about his throwing ability, as he has completed 68.5% of his passes. The numbers are just too good for him not to be my Heisman pick.

2. Chase Daniel - He had led Missouri into the National Title Hunt (I am writing this before the Oklahoma/Missouri game). Who would have thought that would happen before the season began? He's been an extremely efficient and effective passer... nearly 4000 yards through the year, 33 TD, 9 INT, and he has completed over 70% of his passes. Not bad.

3. Darren McFadden - Perhaps the most talented player in college football. The Razorbacks have struggled at times this year, but through no fault of McFadden. He has rushed for over 1700 yards (nearly 6 YPC) and run for 15 TDs. Oh, and just for good measure he's also thrown for 4 TD passes.

4. Dennis Dixon - What could have been! If he hadn't gotten hurt then Oregon might be playing for the national title and Dixon might be the Heisman winner. Unfortunately, that did not happen, but I can't put Dixon lower than 4th. He was fantastic all year long as a dual-threat QB. The running was there as it always has been (583 yards, 9 TD), but he also became an efficient thrower, with 20 TDs, 4 INT, and completing over 2/3 of his passes.

5. Todd Reesing - If Kansas had beat Missouri he'd have a solid shot at the Heisman, but as it is he should still get some recognition for an outstanding year. In leading the resurgence of Kansas he threw for over 3200 yards, and had a fantastic 32/6 TD/INT ratio.

Who's your pick?

Handicapping the Heisman

Hello everyone out there in Blog land. Twins is swamped lately with homework and the like, so in his place I'm writing a little guest post. If you're a regular to this blog or to The Sports Flow, you've probably seen my (hopefully) excellent comments on their blogs. I've tried my hand at a couple of blogs, but apparently a regular gig isn't my thing. But anyways I digress. This year's college football season has been topsy turvy all around, and this has obviously impacted the Heisman race. Since I'm all about uneven numbers, I'm going to do a top 6 list.

6. Chase Daniel, QB, Missouri

Right now Daniel has a lot of hype, and with big wins over Kansas and either Oklahoma or Texas in the Big 12 championship game, Daniel can certainly shoot up to the top of the list. Daniel has thrown for 3,590 yards and 30 touchdowns with just 9 picks. As good as Daniel's stats are, I have a tough time putting him higher on the list when he isn't even the most talented player on his own team, that being Freshman wideout Jeremy Maclin

5. Darren McFadden, RB, Arkansas

Many people's preseason #1, McFadden is probably the best pro prospect in college football. 5th in the nation in rushing, McFadden has shared time with Felix Jones all year. He does have 12 touchdowns but McFadden has been hurt-fairly or not- by Arkansas losing 4 games this year. Only rushing for 43 yards against Auburn and 61 against Florida International probably didn't help either

4. Aqib Talib, CB, Kansas

I know what youre thinking: a cornerback? Yes a cornerback. In fact, Talib should probably be even higher. Check out these stats: 4 touchdowns, 10.8 yards per catch, 8 interceptions, 1 sack. Not bad right? Well those arent Talib's stats. They belong to 1997 Heisman Trophy Winner Charles Woodson. Talib's are even better. Talib has 22.8 yards per catch, with 4 touchdowns, plus an interception return for a touchdown, which Woodson didn't have. Talib only has 3 picks this year, because no quarterback in his right mind will throw the ball his way. Talib dominates the game more- yes more- than Charles Woodson did in his Heisman season.

3. Dennis Dixon, QB, Oregon

Without his knee problems this season Dixon would probably be #1 on the list. Dixon's run pass ability is something to be marveled at, and the way he leads the Ducks spread offense makes him one of the great players to watch. Ironically, one of his best passing games came in the Ducks first loss, to Cal back on September 29th. Only one game has been a truly poor rushing game for Dixon, when he ran for just 8 yards against Stanford, but he threw for 374 in that game. Sadly, with Dixon's injury combining with the Ducks' exclusion from the BCS title race he will fall short of the Heisman.

2. Todd Reesing, QB, Kansas

Undoubtedly the darkhorse of the chase. Why in the world has no one talked about Todd Reesing? The Sophomore from Austin, Texas has thrown for under 3,000 yards, but he has 33 touchdowns compared to just 4 picks, good for a 156 rating. Kansas leads the nation in turnover ratio, and Reesing is a huge part of that. Just 5'11", Reesing's escapability has proven to be a valuable asset, although he only has 1 rushing touchdown on the season. He was hobbled by a sore ankle in the Iowa State game but still led the Jayhawks to a 45-7 win. With two more wins, Reesing could vault himself into serious Heisman consideration.

1. Tim Tebow, QB, Florida

A Freshman or Sophomore has never won the Heisman. Both of my top two are Sophomores. Why? Well for starters, Tebow is the only player in 1-A (No I will not call it the FBS) history to both rush and throw for 20 scores in a season. He also just moved passed, among others, Shaun Alexander on the career SEC rushing TD's list. It remains to be seen how Tebow projects as a professional, but he leads the defending champs in both rushing and passing. He's thrown more picks than Reesing, but only 2 more, and they have nearly the same amount of yards. Combine that with the pass/run threat that Tebow possesses and he is 2007's best college football player.

Someone you should know: Rashard Mendenhall

If most people were asked who the best RB in the Big 10 is, they might say Michael Hart. Or Chris Wells. Or PJ Hill. But how many people would say Rashard Mendenhall?

That's right, Rashard Mendenhall of Illinois, who might just be the best RB in the Big 10. If you haven't heard of him before, you probably aren't alone.

But taking a quick look at the numbers, this junior should probably be in the Heisman running right now. He is currently tied for 3rd in the NCAA (with Darren McFadden) in rushing yards, with 1314 so far this year. Even more impressive is that this has come on only 192 carries, giving him a disgusting 6.8 average. Oh, and he's also got 14 rushing touchdowns. He's also got 25 catches for 226 yards and a couple of TDs through the air.

His coming out party was when Illinois beat then #5 Wisconsin back in early October. All Mendenhall did in that game was get 19 carries for 160 yards and a couple of scores. He also caught 4 passes for 33 yards and 1 TD.

So Rashard Mendenhall is not a household name yet, but maybe he should be. He's probably got the talent to be. He is one of the main reasons why Ohio St. can't afford to look ahead to the game at The Big House in Michigan... because if they do, they might be going in there a 1-loss team.

Boston College beats Virginia Tech

For much of the last few weeks I have not been all that high on Boston College, calling them very overrated and not having beaten anyone. For 54 minutes on Thursday I thought this seemed rather accurate.

Then they decided to be awesome for the last 6 minutes or so and come back to beat Virginia Tech 14-10.

Matt Ryan has been shooting up a lot of draft boards this year, but I wasn't convinced yet that he was in the class of Brian Brohm and Andre Woodson as far as the draft was concerned. Well, all the questions were answered on the final 2 drives.

Seriously Matt Ryan was awesome on the final 2 drives. Unbelievable touch, great arm strength, perfect accuracy, good decision making, good mobility in the pocket... it was a thing of beauty. And the 2 TD passes... my goodness. The first one was just an extraordinary pass... he threw it to a spot, and it was perfectly placed just beyond the reach of the defender's hands, just barely giving the receiver enough time to get a foot in. It was beautiful.

Then the game-winner... Matt Ryan scrambled, but he kept his head up and looking downfield. That's more rare than you might think. And then rolling to his left, throwing across the field and across his body... awesome. Really, that's the best word to describe Matt Ryan on the final 2 drives. He was awesome. And this was all against a great defense in Virginia Tech.

Do I think Boston College is one of the 2 best teams in the country? Probably not. But I'm a lot more likely to believe it now. And I am a lot more likely to believe in Matt Ryan's skills, both as a Heisman contender and at the next level.

College Football Power Rankings - 10/24

Once again, time for my top 10.

1. LSU - They got quite a scare, but I'll put them at #1, just barely. Still really talented defensively, and they are loaded offensively.

2. Ohio St. - Like BC and Arizona St., they haven't really beaten anyone too much of note. Unlike those teams, they've looked more impressive while doing it. The defense is dominating, and Chris Wells is really, really good.

3. USC - They're a lot lower in the actual polls, but I'm willing to give them a break for the loss because of all the talent. Well, they'll have a chance to show it this weekend, heading to Eugene to take on...

4. Oregon - Is this the best offense in the country? I'm starting to think it might be. Only once this year have they scored under 30 points, and that was in their 31-24 loss to California. They've had 48 points or more in 5 games so far this year. If you haven't watched Dennis Dixon and Jonathan Stewart play, you really need to.

5. Oklahoma - Yikes. Barely eeking out a victory against a very bad Iowa St. team. A tough game this week against the Aggies, but if they get past that the schedule sets up very nicely for them.

6. Florida - Still love the talent on this team. Tim Tebow is a legit Heisman candidate... what a playmaker. He leads the team in passing and rushing and has a combined 27 TD. Not too bad.

7. West Virginia - They seem to have gotten more on track offensively since the USF loss, which is good because the schedule is challenging the rest of the way.

8. Boston College - Maybe a little low, but I'm still not convinced... if they beat Virginia Tech on Thursday, then we can talk top 5.

9. South Florida - Tough loss but Rutgers is a good, well-coached team. They can't have a letdown this week against a suddenly rejuvenated Connecticut team.

10. Arizona St. - Their best win so far this year is at home against Oregon St. They're the Boston College of the West right now. Their next 2 games are against Cal and @ Oregon... if they pass those 2 tests, then we can talk top 5. Or maybe even top 3.

Your thoughts? What would you change?

It's good to be Boston College

At the start of the college football season, Boston College was unranked. After this weekend, they will most likely rank either 2 or 3 in the polls.

In between, they have won 7 games. 6 of those have come against FBS teams with a combined record of 16-23, and the other win was against FCS UMass. They played one ranked team, Georgia Tech, who was ranked 15th at the time. Georgia Tech is now 4-3. Besides that, they have beat Wake Forest, NC State, Army, UMass, Bowling Green, and Notre Dame. They've played 2 games away from home.

So yes, it's good to be Boston College right now. They've beat 1 ranked team (who is no longer ranked), have won 2 road games, and have beat exactly 2 FBS teams that currently have a winning record. And yet they will jump from being unranked to being in the top 2, thanks to all of the upsets.

In my last poll, I ranked them 10th. If I make my poll again this week, they probably won't be that higher. They have a great QB, but they haven't proven much. Obviously it's become an increasingly difficult thing in college football to consistently win every week, but still, is Boston College one of the 2 best teams in college football? I find that hard to believe.

I'm not sure what the point of this is, except to say that I still don't agree that just because a team is undefeated does not mean they should be higher in the polls than 1-loss teams. I'd rather rank teams based on how good I think they are, not based on the fact that they haven't lost so far against a relatively easy schedule. But that's just me.

If they beat Virginia Tech next week on the road, I'll be impressed. Until then, I firmly believe they could be one of the worst top 3 teams I can remember. Which isn't their fault. But it is another developing storyline in what has been a fascinating college football season so far.

College Football Power Rankings - 10/10

They're back! And better than ever. Maybe. I do my rankings a little differently... I try not to weigh too much things like whether a team had one fluky loss. That doesn't mean they're worse than teams who haven't played anyone yet. You'll see what I mean.

1. LSU - Obviously a no doubter after their comeback win against Florida. Great defense, playmakers on offense. Save a potential rematch with Florida in the SEC Title game, I think they've passed their stiffest test in the regular season.

2. California - Have to give them credit... I'm still impressed by the road win at Oregon. That's a great win. They have the offensive talent to run the table.

3. Ohio St. - They haven't really played anyone yet (depending on your thoughts on Purdue), but they've looked really good doing it. They've allowed 7.2 PPG this year. And Chris Wells is really, really good.

4. South Florida - They had a little trouble with FAU, but with wins against West Virginia and at Auburn, they get a pass. I can't realistically see them running the table, but they're a very solid team.

5. USC - Yes, it was a really, really bad loss. But USC is still a very good football team. This is a team that some (not me, but some) were calling one of the most talented teams ever before the season began. That doesn't change just because they looked really bad for one game. They're still going to be in the thick of things, I think.

6. Oklahoma - Very good win over a talented Texas team. Like USC, they hit a bump in the road, but they'll be fine. If they can get by Missouri at home, it looks like smooth sailing all the way to the Big 12 title game.

7. Oregon - One of the most talented offensive teams in the country. Not many QB-RB duos that are more explosive than Dennis Dixon and Jonathan Stewart. If they can take care of business against Washington and Washington St., they should head into a home battle with USC in 2 weeks playing for a top 5 ranking. Maybe even more.

8. Florida - They are out of the top 10 in both polls, and I just don't understand it. They go to LSU, the consensus #1 team in the country, and have them on the ropes before losing 28-24, and they're not one of the 10 best teams in the country? I disagree.

9. West Virginia - Like Oklahoma and USC, one loss is one loss. They're still a very dangerous football team.

10. South Carolina - Kentucky was really overrated, but they still beat the #8 team pretty solidly. I'm not crazy about them, but you can't argue with what they've done so far.

OTHERS:

Boston College - It's good to be from BC right now. 3 weeks ago they were in the low-twenties. Then they beat Army, UMass, and Bowling Green at home, and suddenly they're the 4th best team in the country? (at least, according to the polls) Sorry, I don't buy it. I love Matt Ryan's game, but this is not the 4th best team in the country. Not even close.

Missouri - Great win against Nebraska... if they can go to OU and win this week, they might even be on track for the national title. Seems strange to think about.

Virginia Tech - They certainly have recovered nicely. Excellent win against Clemson.

Your thoughts? What would you change?

College Football Picks: Week 5

Looking at the schedule, looks like we have 2 really good games this week (one of them on Friday), and a lot of solid games. But enough with the intro... let's get to the picks!

(22) Alabama @ Florida St.
Bama is no longer undefeated, but Nick Saban still has them playing good football. However, they'll head into a tough environment in Tallahassee, though it looks to be another down year for the Seminoles. They may have changed the coaching staff, but the offense is still mediocre right now for FSU. Bobby Bowden would have never stood for this! (er, wait) Anyway, I'll take ALABAMA to add to FSU's misery in a close game.

Michigan St. @ (9) Wisconsin
Wisconsin has easily been the least impressive top 10 team this year, as they have struggled often with a schedule that has not exactly been the most daunting in the country. On the other side of the coin, the Spartans come in at 4-0 and riding a confidence high after dominating at Notre Dame (I don't care how bad they are, that's still got to be an exhilarating win for the players). I know Wisconsin plays well at home, and they're riding a 13 game winning streak, but I'm just not impressed with how they're playing. I'll take MICHIGAN ST. in an upset.

Kansas St. @ (7) Texas
Don't look now, but Kansas St. can cause some problems for Texas. They're solid defensively, and Josh Freeman is a pretty athletic QB. They also have a pretty solid rushing game. If they can control the clock and keep the Longhorn offense off the field, they'll have a great shot. I'm still taking TEXAS in this game, but it might be closer than you think.

(5) West Virginia @ (18) South Florida
Could this be the toughest game of the season for West Virginia? They've got road games against Rutgers and Cincy, as well as a home date with Louisville remaining, but USF could be the best team of that bunch. They went to Auburn and won a couple weeks ago, and stomped Butch Davis' North Carolina team a week ago. But West Virginia won't be taking South Florida lightly. Not only are the Bulls ranked, but they actually beat West Virginia in Morgantown last year, which adds another dynamic to this game. However, unlike last year, I don't think South Florida will be able to contain the West Virginia offense. I'll take WEST VIRGINIA in a high-scoring, very entertaining game.

(6) California @ (11) Oregon
The game of the week, between 2 very good teams and very good offenses out on the West Coast. Last year Cal dominated Oregon, but things might be a little different this time around. For one, I'm not sure anyone in the country is playing better than Dennis Dixon right now. He's been fantastic as a dual-threat QB. But you can't focus too much on him, because Jonathan Stewart is one of the 5 best RBs in the country. I think OREGON will be just a little too explosive for Cal to handle. Add in that Cal has looked a little sloppy lately, and I like Oregon in a shootout.

What are your picks?

Last Week: 4-1
Season: 12-3

College Football Power Rankings - 9/25

Not a whole lot of surprises at the top this week... for the most part, just about everything we expected to happen did. The only team from my top 13 from last week that lost was Penn St., and that wasn't entirely unexpected. Anyway, the rankings.

1. USC (1) - They once again were dominant offensively, beating Washington St. 47-14. OK, so Washington St. isn't really good, but a dominant win is always nice.

2. LSU (2) - They weren't dominant, but they were were good enough to beat a pesky South Carolina team. I know it was raining, but there has to be a little bit of concern about the passing game... Matt Flynn was just 8/19 for 70 yards. Though the solid trio of RBs made sure that wasn't going to cause any problems.

3. West Virginia (3) - Most polls that I have seen are putting the Mountaineers at 5, but I'm still big fans. They had a dominating effort against an OK East Carolina team. My boy Noel Devine finally got slowed down, but they had plenty of other options offensively to pick up the slack.

4. Oklahoma (5) - Another week, another beating. This time Tulsa was the opponent in a 62-21 romp. Also, after Miami beat Texas A&M on Thursday, it looks like Oklahoma's thorough beating of Miami may be a little more impressive than I thought.

5. Florida (4) - One week after looking so good in dismantling Tennessee, they squeak by Ole Miss. Thank goodness for Tim Tebow... 261 yards passing, 166 yards rushing, and 4 total TDs.

6. Texas (7) - Finally a dominant performance from this talented Texas offense.

7. California (6) - An impressive win over Arizona, just taking care of business. This week comes their biggest test so far of the season (yes, bigger than Tennessee), as they head to Oregon (who we might see a little later) in what should be a fantastic game.

8. Rutgers (8) - They had the week off.

9. Ohio St. (9) - In a year when the other Big 10 teams have been very inconsistent, the Buckeyes keep plugging along, this time notching a 58-7 win over Northwestern. Chris Wells needed only 12 carries to reach 100 yards in that game. The Buckeyes should have another cakewalk this week as they head to Minnesota.

10. Oregon (NR) - The offense continues to be extremely explosive, scoring 55 points on Stanford. There might not be a more entertaining duo to watch than Dennis Dixon and Jonathan Stewart for the Ducks.


JUST MISSED:

Wisconsin (10) - After another mediocre performance by the Badgers, they fall out of my top 10. They had a battle with Iowa at home, winning just 17-13. On the bright side, PJ Hill is picking up right where he left off, with 500+ yards and 7 TD after 4 games.

Boston College - Not exactly an inspiring performance against Army, but they got the job done.

Clemson - Nice win for Clemson against NC State, coached by Tom O'Brien. They were again led by Davis and Spiller, who each had over 100 yards and scored a TD.

What changes would you make to my rankings?

College Football Picks: Week 4

Another week, another edition!

Iowa @ (9) Wisconsin
I don't even really feel good about predicting this game, but there aren't that many really good games this weekend. So I'll stick this in there, and not surprisingly, WISCONSIN is the pick. Dropping down to #10 in my power rankings should be motivation for them!

(21) Kentucky @ Arkansas
This is an interesting matchup as Kentucky has one of the best QBs in the country (in Andre Woodson), and Arkansas has perhaps the best RB combo in the country (with Darren McFadden and Felix Jones). Kentucky is the ranked team and coming off of a huge win, but I like ARKANSAS, especially at home. McFadden has some skills.

(10) Penn St. @ Michigan
This is one of the most intriguing games of the weekend. Michigan looked 100x better last week than they did in the first couple of weeks (granted, it was against Notre Dame), while Penn St. has breezed through so far. Which Michigan team will show up? I'll go with the mini-upset and say the good Michigan team... MICHIGAN rides Michael Hart to a nice start in the Big 10.

(22) Georgia @ (16) Alabama
What Nick Saban has done in his short time has been very impressive. I was a bit surprised to see them jump all the way to 16 in this poll, but it was a nice win over Arkansas. Still, I'm a big fan of Matthew Stafford and Mark Richt... I'll go out on a limb and take GEORGIA on the road.

(12) South Carolina @ (2) LSU
The game of the week as far as rankings are concerned, but I'm not sure South Carolina is in LSU's class just yet. I expect LSU to be much too fast defensively, and good enough offensively to win fairly easily. If Steve Spurrier can pull a rabbit out of his hat, well, I'll have even more respect for him as a coach. But I don't see it.

Last Week: 3-2
Season: 8-2

College Football Power Rankings

I'm sort of studying for an Accounting test right now, so I might be a little brief (which could be a good thing, as brevity is the soul of wit!), but here is my top 10. Last week's ranking will be in parenthesis.

1. USC (1) - Well, if there were any doubts after a lackluster opener against Idaho, they sure got answered Saturday night. Just a dominating performance against a good Nebraska team, with the game in Lincoln to boot. Very impressive.

2. LSU (2) - They benched their starting QB and #1 WR, and then went out and beat Middle Tennessee St. 44-0. The best defense in the country.

3. West Virginia (3) - The Noel Devine watch continues... 5 carries, 136 yards. As he gets worked into the offense more and more they are just going to be even more explosive. 353 rushing yards against Maryland.

4. Florida (4) - Besides USC, the most impressive team in the country on Saturday. All year long I have said I thought their offense was going to be great and they would again challenge in the SEC, but I don't think I even knew how good they could be. They have so many playmakers... they can attack you so many different ways offensively. The Florida/LSU game in a few weeks should be amazing.

5. Oklahoma (5) - 54-3 win over Utah St. Ho hum. Sam Bradford now has 11 TD and 1 INT after 3 games.

The top 5 don't change this week... in my mind, these 5 have separated themselves at this point in the season. Things can and obviously will change, but I have been most impressed by these 5 teams.

6. California (6) - Like so many of the top teams in the country, they just attack you so many ways. Justin Forsett is thriving, and the passing game is explosive with Desean Jackson. Their matchup at Oregon in 2 weeks should be a dandy.

7. Texas (7) - A 3-point win against UCF? They gave up nearly 200 yards rushing against the Golden Knights... they might be able to do that and win now, but they have to be able to stop the run in the Big 12, especially with Oklahoma on the schedule.

8. Rutgers (9) - They just continue to impress and take care of what they need to. Sure, it was only Norfolk St. that they crushed (which they should), but looking at teams like Wisconsin, sometimes these easy wins are more impressive than they seem.

9. Ohio St. (NR) - OK, they finally get a coveted spot in my top 10. Very impressive win over a solid Washington team. Chris Wells is quickly becoming one of the top backs in the Big 10.

10. Wisconsin (8) - Letting The Citadel hang around? Wisconsin is 3-0, but it's hard to say that they've been real impressive in those 3 wins. Another mediocre game like that and they could lose... or at the very least drop out of my top 10.

JUST MISSED:

Penn St. - Big 10 bashing has been pretty strong this year (and maybe for good reason), but right now they have 3 of the top 11 or 12 teams in the country.

Boston College - Very impressive win at Georgia Tech. 435 yards for Matt Ryan... Colt Brennan who?

Oregon - We'll see in a couple of weeks if they're really as good as they looked during the Michigan game.

For another solid set of rankings check out The Sports Flow.

Do you agree or disagree with mine? What would you change?

College Football Power Rankings and Picks

I'm just going to combine these into 1 this week... hope you don't mind!

First, my top 10:

1. USC - Still my #1... but if they have another mediocre performance (which they'll lose if that happens), LSU has looked mighty impressive so far. Insomniac's Lounge has LSU at #1.

2. LSU - As mentioned above, LSU has been pretty darn impressive. I didn't think Va. Tech would be able to stay too close to them, but I didn't think LSU would be able to dominate that much. This doesn't even really need to be said but their defense is awesome.

3. West Virginia - One bad half isn't going to make me drop them that much... they might have the most explosive offense in the country. Freshman Noel Devine through 2 games: 12 carries, 120 yards, 3 TD. Get him the ball!

4. Florida - I still love their offense. They've got the players for the system, and Urban Meyer is OK as a coach! Thought it will be interesting this week as they finally play a decent team, taking on the Tennessee Volunteers.

5. Oklahoma - They have been mighty impressive so far, but jumping to #3 in some polls is a little much for me. Great win, but Miami isn't that good. They should be able to coast fairly unscathed into the Texas game in early October.

6. Texas - Nice win for the Longhorns last week against a solid TCU team. Colt McCoy continued to struggle, but with some of the talent around him (Limas Sweed, Jamaal Charles, etc) I'm guessing he will snap out of it soon. Like Oklahoma, Texas should go into their game undefeated barring something very unexpected.

7. California - Struggled a bit last week, but I saw too much that I liked against Tennessee to knock them down any.

8. Wisconsin - Another team that wasn't overly impressive last week, as this game was very much in doubt all the way through. Although PJ Hill got on track with over 140 yards, so that is nice.

9. Rutgers - Maybe the best all-around team in the Big East, as their defense is better than West Virginia or Louisville's.

10. UCLA - Beat a solid BYU team... still a bit skeptical because of the coaching, but if things go well they could have an outside shot at competing for the Pac-10 Title.


JUST MISSED:

Louisville - 42 points to Middle Tennessee St? Are you kidding me?

Ohio St. - Give me one more week to be convinced. If they play well against Washington, they can probably enter my top 10.

Penn St. - A very solid team that will be a top contender for the Big 10 title... just don't like them quite enough yet to put them in the top 10.

Nebraska - Nice win over Wake, but I didn't think they played all the well. They were lucky to face an inexperienced QB. Now, if things go well against USC, then we'll talk.


MY PICKS:

(10) Ohio St. @ Washington
Washington should be flying high after a solid win over Boise St. last week. The schedule gets very tough, but they will be in a close one here. I'm not sold on the Buckeye offense yet, but I like that defense at home. I'll take OHIO ST. in a pretty close one.

(9) Louisville @ Kentucky
2 of the top 5 QBs in the nation square in what should be an offensive battle. Andre Woodson could really become a household name (if he isn't already) if he leads Kentucky to an upset win, but I don't quite see it. I like LOUISVILLE in a shootout.

(21) Boston College @ (15) Georgia Tech
Life after Calvin Johnson hasn't been so bad after all. With a balanced offense and solid defensive effort, GT has pummeled Notre Dame (still impressive) and Samford (OK, not that impressive). BC is coming off a struggle against NC State, though they did pull it out. I really like the senior QB Matt Ryan for Boston College, but I like the GEORGIA TECH running game a little more.

(22) Tennessee @ (5) Florida
Should be a great matchup between two solid SEC teams. Tennessee almost pulled off the upset this year, but I don't see it this year. Not in the Swamp. This will be their first real test of the year, but I like FLORIDA to prevail.

(1) USC @ (14) Nebraska
The game of the week. This is a chance for Nebraska to show they have finally taken things to the next level, and to get the signature win that's been missing under Bill Callahan. They have a great chance, playing at home, with Sam Keller getting more and more used to the offense, facing a USC team that looked rusty in its only game 2 weeks ago. Still, even with all of those advantages, I like USC. Just too much talent on the offensive side of the ball.


I wasn't able to get my picks up last week, but I did go 5-0 in week 1. What do you think of the rankings and do you disagree with any of my picks?

College Football Power Rankings, Week 1

I'm going to try to come up with my power rankings every week... no promises though. But anyway, here is my top 10 after the first week of action.

1. USC - Everyone thinks they're the most talented team, and there's no reason to change that after one week. A little sluggish, but a solid performance.

2. West Virginia - I liked them a lot before the season, and they didn't disappoint, scoring 62 points in a rout of Western Michigan. Slaton had 109 yards and 3 scores, Pat White had a total of 4 TDs, and freshman Noel Devine had a nice debut, with 7 carries, 44 yards, and a TD. Not bad.

3. LSU - The offense didn't look too sharp, but the defense sure did. The offense better be more polished this weekend, because they face another great defense in Virginia Tech.

4. Florida - This might be a little high because of everyone that they lost on defense, but I just think the offense will be really explosive. Urban Meyer finally has guys that really fit his system, and it showed against Western Kentucky. Tebow was nearly perfect, and the running game was effective. They'll be competing for the SEC title again.

5. Texas - 21-13 win over Arkansas St? Yikes. A lot has been said about Michigan losing to Appalacian St. (and deservedly so), but this would have been just as bad of a loss. At the very least, have to be a little concerned about the offense. 21 points? A mediocre performance by Colt McCoy? I know it was the first game and probably won't mean much in the long run, but that's ugly.

6. Wisconsin - The Badgers just went and took care of business against WaSt. In a rare occurrence for the Badgers, the passing game was ahead of the running game, as Tyler Donovan performed very well. PJ Hill only got 4 YPC, but he'll be OK.

7. Louisville - Yeah, the Louisville offense might be a bit explosive. Brohm might be the best QB in the country, they have a nice stable of RBs, and Harry Douglas and Mario Urrutia is about as good of a 1-2 combo as it gets.

8. Oklahoma - DeMarco Murray is a name you probably should know... the redshirt freshman ran for 87 yards and scored 5 TDs. Adrian Peterson who?

9. Virginia Tech - Well, they won. But not an awe-inspiring performance, but I guess that was to be expected given the emotions surrounding the game. Still, if the offense performs that poorly against LSU, they could get shut out.

10. California - Cal looked like the most explosive offense in the country on Saturday night. Longshore was very good, Forsett was great (Marshawn Lynch who?), and the WR looked really good, especially after the catch. Should be a good race in the Pac-10 this year.

JUST MISSED:

UCLA - Excellent defense, and if Ben Olson can play up to his talent, the offense might be pretty solid as well.

Rutgers - Ray Rice certainly showed he'll be pretty good even with Brian Leonard gone.

Ohio St. - I thought Ohio St. was supposed to the Big 10 team to take a step back, not Michigan?

Georgia - Matthew Stafford, remember the name. Dude is one of the best QBs in the SEC.

Michigan - OK, it was a really bad loss. And Lloyd Carr should already have updated his resume, because I think he'll be gone provided Michigan doesn't run the table the rest of the way. But still, Appalacian St. is a pretty good team, maybe top 50 in all of college football. I still think Michigan will be pretty darn good this year by the time we're finished.

Hawaii - OK, I don't know if they deserve to be listed here, but I just need to mention Colt Brennan... I don't care who you're playing, when you go 34/40 for 416 yards and 6 TDs in the first half, you get my respect. Wow.

Your thoughts?

College Football Season Predictions

It's time for my semi-detailed look at the college football season, with some predictions.


ACC Atlantic Winner - Florida St.
ACC Coastal Winner - Virginia Tech
ACC Player of the Year - CJ Spiller

Comments: Virginia Tech looks like they should run away with the Coastal division, but the Atlantic is wide open, as anyone really has a chance to win that division. I went with the most proven commodity, FSU. For the Player of the Year race, even though Spiller is a sophomore, I just love his talent and think he will continue to shine.


Big 12 North Winner - Nebraska
Big 12 South Winner - Texas
Big 12 Player of the Year - Colt McCoy

Comments: I think Nebraska, with the addition of Sam Keller, should have a real nice year and be the favorites in the North. In the South, it should be a really interesting battle as usual between Texas and Oklahoma, but I'll go with the Longhorns on the strength of Colt McCoy, my pick for the POY.


Big East Winner - West Virginia
Big East Player of the Year - Steve Slaton

Comments: I have these dominated by the Mountaineers, but this should be one of the most fascinating conference races once again. Rutgers will be very good behind Ray Rice, but I don't think they'll quite be able to compete with West Virginia or Louisville. Their game on November 8th could very well decide who wins the Big East (and perhaps goes to the national title?), and I like West Virginia at home. As a sidenote, watch out for WVU freshman Noel Devine, who I think is just going to be awesome, and a great fit for that offense. Seriously, go watch one of his highlight videos.


Big Ten Winner - Michigan
Big Ten Player of the Year - PJ Hill

Comments: I love PJ Hill for Wisconsin, which is why he's my pick for the Player of the Year. However, I think Michigan will be just a little too explosive, which is why they're my pick to win the Big 10.


Pac-10 Winner - USC
Pac-10 Player of the Year - John David Booty

Comments: California might have the talent to compete with USC in the Pac-10 this year, but I think the Trojans are going to be just a little too good. Booty has tons of weapons at his disposal, he just has to not screw it up.


SEC East Winner - Florida
SEC West Winner - LSU
SEC Player of the Year - Darren McFadden

Comments: I know Florida is young and they will struggle defensively, but I think the offense will just take off. Elsewhere, LSU is probably the best team in the conference. Darren McFadden is the best RB in the country, so he gets the POY nod.


Heisman: I already went over this, but John David Booty is my pick for Heisman.

National Championship: USC vs. West Virginia
This might look like I'm blatantly copying The Sports Flow, but that is not the case. I think USC is probably the most talented team in the country, and they should fly through their schedule. West Virginia basically has 2 really tough games all year (Rutgers and Louisville) and both of them come at home.

Also, in a bit of a surprise, WEST VIRGINIA is my pick to win the national title. USC is deeper and maybe has more overall talent, but the offense speed that West Virginia has is unrivaled. Seriously, watch this video of Noel Devine:



This is absolutely filthy. He reminds me of a smaller Reggie Bush. Add that to Pat White, Steve Slaton, and Darius Reynaud, and the West Virginia offense should be just sick. That's why they're my pick to win the National Championship.

Who's your pick? Which of my picks do you disagree with?

College Football Week 1 Predictions

Like last year, I'm back for some game predictions. Again, like last year I will pick what I deem to be the 5 biggest games of the week, and then pick who I think will win them.

I'm kinda in a hurry tonight because I'm studying for a test, but here goes.

14 UCLA @ Stanford
The Bruins are ranked highly following a strong finish to last year (including the win over USC), and this looks to be the strongest team in the Karl Dorrell Era (which isn't exactly saying much). The offense should be pretty good as Ben Olson continues to mature, and the defense should be talented again. I like Jim Harbaugh, but UCLA should take care of business on the road.

Wake Forest @ Boston College
Wake Forest was one of the surprises of the College Football world last year after winning the ACC, but they'll have a hard time repeating that. One of the reasons why is because of Boston College, led by experienced QB Matt Ryan. He'll lead BOSTON COLLEGE to a home victory to start out the season.

Oklahoma St. @ 13 Georgia
This figures to be one of the more interesting matchups of the opening weekend. The Bulldogs are the highly-ranked team, but the Cowboys should have an explosive offense led by dual-threat QB Bobby Reid. I would not at all be surprised if Oklahoma St. pulls off the upset, but I'm taking GEORGIA, led by talented Matthew Stafford and powered by the home crowd.

19 Florida St. @ Clemson
The Bowden Bowl should be mighty interesting this year. Florida St. is looking to rebound from a down year, which saw Bobby Bowden shake up the coaching staff. If Drew Weatherford can become more consistent, the offense could be explosive, with weapons like Antoine Smith and Greg Carr. Even so, I'm taking the unranked CLEMSON Tigers, led by perhaps the best RB duo in the nation with James Davis and CJ Spiller.

15 Tennesee vs. 12 California
This game was a bit of a dud last year (especially for me, since I picked California), but should be competitive this time around, as both teams are ranked in the top 15 and have high expectations coming into the season. The Golden Bears need to get off to a better start (obviously), and I think they will. I look for the trio of Nate Longshore, Justin Forsett, and dangerous Desean Jackson to provide just enough offense to beat the Vols. CALIFORNIA is the pick for the 2nd straight year.

Agree? Disagree?