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2009-2010 College Football Bowl Game Television Schedule

Tue, 22 Dec 2009 18:09:51 -0500

Despite what you may hear from skeptics, there's no better season in all of sports than college football bowl season and the complete television schedule for the bowl games is right here on Fanblogs, brought to you by BangTheBook.com.

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Date/Time/TV	Bowl	Site	Matchup
Saturday Dec. 19 2 :30 pm ET ESPN	New Mexico Bowl Bowl Tickets Flights + Hotels Odds & Picks	Albuquerque, NM University Stadium	Wyoming vs. Fresno State
Saturday Dec. 19 8:00 pm ET ESPN	St. Petersburg Bowl Bowl Tickets Flights + Hotels Odds & Picks	St. Petersburg, FL Tropicana Field	Rutgers vs. Central Florida
Sunday Dec. 20 8:00 pm ET ESPN	R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl Bowl Tickets Flights + Hotels Odds & Picks	New Orleans, LA Louisiana Superdome	Southern Miss vs. Middle Tenn St
Tuesday Dec. 22 8:00 pm ET ESPN	MAACO Bowl Las Vegas Bowl Tickets Flights + Hotels Odds & Picks	Las Vegas, NV Sam Boyd Stadium	BYU vs. Oregon State
Wednesday Dec. 23 8:00 pm ET ESPN	San Diego County Credit Union Poinsettia Bowl Bowl Tickets Flights + Hotels Odds & Picks	San Diego, CA Qualcomm Stadium	Utah vs. Cal
Thursday Dec. 24 8:00 pm ET ESPN	Sheraton Hawai'i Bowl Bowl Tickets Flights + Hotels Odds & Picks	Honolulu, HI Aloha Stadium	SMU vs. Nevada
Saturday Dec. 26 4:30 pm ET ESPN	Meineke Car Care Bowl Bowl Tickets Flights + Hotels Odds & Picks	Charlotte, NC Bank of America Stadium	North Carolina vs. Pitt
Saturday Dec. 26 5 :00 pm ET ESPN	Little Caesars Pizza Bowl Bowl Tickets Flights + Hotels Odds & Picks	Detroit, MI Ford Field	Ohio U vs. Marshall
Saturday Dec. 26 8:00 pm ET ESPN	Emerald Bowl Bowl Tickets Flights + Hotels Odds & Picks	San Francisco, CA AT&T Park	Boston College vs. USC
Sunday Dec. 27 8:15 pm ET ESPN	Gaylord Hotels Music City Bowl Bowl Tickets Flights + Hotels Odds & Picks	Nashville, TN LP Field	Clemson vs. Kentucky
Monday Dec. 28 5:00 pm ET ESPN	AdvoCare V100 Independence Bowl Bowl Tickets Flights + Hotels Odds & Picks	Shreveport, LA Independence Stadium	Texas A&M vs. Georgia
Tuesday Dec. 29 4:30 pm ET ESPN	EagleBank Bowl Bowl Tickets Flights + Hotels Odds & Picks	Washington, DC RFK Stadium	Temple vs. UCLA
Tuesday Dec. 29 8:00 pm ET ESPN	Champs Sports Bowl Bowl Tickets Flights + Hotels Odds & Picks	Orlando, FL Florida Citrus Bowl Stadium	Miami vs. Wisconsin
Wednesday Dec. 30 4:30 pm ET ESPN	Roady's Humanitarian Bowl Bowl Tickets Flights + Hotels Odds & Picks	Boise, ID Bronco Stadium	Bowling Green vs. Idaho
Wednesday Dec. 30 8:00 pm ET ESPN	Pacific Life Holiday Bowl Bowl Tickets Flights + Hotels Odds & Picks	San Diego, CA Qualcomm Stadium	Nebraska vs. Arizona
Thursday Dec. 31 2:00 pm ET NFL Network	Texas Bowl Bowl Tickets Flights + Hotels Odds & Picks	Houston, TX Reliant Stadium	Missouri vs. Navy
Thursday Dec. 31 Time TBA ESPN	Bell Helicopter Armed Forces Bowl Bowl Tickets Flights + Hotels Odds & Picks	Fort Worth, TX Amon G. Carter Stadium	Air Force vs. Houston
Thursday Dec. 31 12:00 pm ET CBS	Brut Sun Bowl Bowl Tickets Flights + Hotels Odds & Picks	El Paso, TX Sun Bowl Stadium	Stanford vs. Oklahoma
Thursday Dec. 31 5:30 pm ET NFL Network	Insight Bowl Bowl Tickets Flights + Hotels Odds & Picks	Tempe, AZ Sun Devil Stadium	Minnesota vs. Iowa State
Thursday Dec. 31 7:30 pm ET ESPN	Chick-fil-A Bowl Bowl Tickets Flights + Hotels Odds & Picks	Atlanta, GA Georgia Dome	Virginia Tech vs. Tennessee
Friday Jan. 1 11:00 am ET ESPN	Outback Bowl Bowl Tickets Flights + Hotels Odds & Picks	Tampa, FL Raymond James Stadium	Auburn vs. Northwestern
Friday Jan. 1 1:00 pm ET CBS	Konica Minolta Gator Bowl Bowl Tickets Flights + Hotels Odds & Picks	Jacksonville, FL Jacksonville Municipal Stadium	FSU vs. West Virginia
Friday Jan. 1 1:00 pm ET ABC	Capital One Bowl Bowl Tickets Flights + Hotels Odds & Picks	Orlando, FL Florida Citrus Bowl Stadium	Penn State vs. LSU
Friday Jan. 1 5:00 pm ET ABC	Rose Bowl presented by Citi Bowl Tickets Flights + Hotels Odds & Picks	Pasadena, CA Rose Bowl	Ohio State vs. Oregon
Friday Jan. 1 8:30 pm ET FOX	Allstate Sugar Bowl Bowl Tickets Flights + Hotels Odds & Picks	New Orleans, LA Superdome	Florida vs. Cincinnati
Saturday Jan. 2 12:00 pm ET ESPN2	International Bowl Bowl Tickets Flights + Hotels Odds & Picks	Toronto, Canada Rogers Centre	South Florida vs. Northern Illinois
Saturday Jan. 2 2 :00 pm ET ESPN	PapaJohns.com Bowl Bowl Tickets Flights + Hotels Odds & Picks	Birmingham, AL Legion Field	Connecticut vs. South Carolina
Saturday Jan. 2 2:00 pm ET FOX	AT&T Cotton Bowl Classic Bowl Tickets Flights + Hotels Odds & Picks	Arlington, TX Cowboys Stadium	Oklahoma State vs. Ole Miss
Saturday Jan. 2 5:30 pm ET ESPN	AutoZone Liberty Bowl Bowl Tickets Flights + Hotels Odds & Picks	Memphis, TN Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium	East Carolina vs. Arkansas
Saturday Jan. 2 9 :00 pm ET ESPN	Valero Alamo Bowl Bowl Tickets Flights + Hotels Odds & Picks	San Antonio, TX Alamodome	Michigan State vs. Texas Tech
Monday Jan. 4 8:00 pm ET FOX	Tostitos Fiesta Bowl Bowl Tickets Flights + Hotels Odds & Picks	Glendale, AZ University of Phoenix Stadium	TCU vs. Boise State
Tuesday Jan. 5 8:00 pm ET FOX	FedEx Orange Bowl Bowl Tickets Flights + Hotels Odds & Picks	Miami, FL Dolphin Stadium	Georgia Tech vs. Iowa
Wednesday Jan. 6 7 :00 pm ET ESPN	GMAC Bowl Bowl Tickets Flights + Hotels Odds & Picks	Mobile, AL Ladd Peebles Stadium	Troy vs. Central Michigan
Thursday Jan. 7 8:00 pm ET ABC	BCS National Championship Game Bowl Tickets Flights + Hotels Odds & Picks	Pasadena, CA Rose Bowl	Alabama vs. Texas

The 2009 college football season will be capped by exciting college football bowl games, including the 2009 Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California, the 2009 Fiesta Bowl in Phoenix, Arizona, the 2009 Sugar Bowl in New Orleans, Louisiana, the 2009 Orange Bowl in Miami, Florida and the 2009 BCS National Championship Game in Pasadena, CA.

The best college football teams from the major conferences, including the Big10 conference, Big 12 conference, Pac 10 conference, ACC conference, Big East conference, SEC conference, and Mountain West conference will face off in college football bowl games throughout December and into January.

If you're looking for updated matchups, odds, insights, betting lines and online wagering for the college football bowl games, please be sure to try BangTheBook.com.

Comment on 2009-2010 College Football Bowl Game Television Schedule...

BCS Standings - Week 8 - Oct. 18, 2009

Sun, 18 Oct 2009 16:06:55 -0500

The initial BCS Standings for games played through October 17, 2009.

Rank	Team	Harris Poll		USA TODAY		Computer Rank		BCS average

1	Florida	1	0.9832	1	0.9925	1	0.990	0.988566756

2	Alabama	2	0.9600	2	0.9478	2	0.950	0.952598870

3	Texas	3	0.9337	3	0.9397	6	0.800	0.891115076

4	Boise State	5	0.8032	5	0.7817	5	0.840	0.808284270

5	Cincinnati	6	0.7625	6	0.7485	4	0.850	0.786976906

6	Iowa	7	0.7175	8	0.7031	3	0.940	0.786864902

7	USC	4	0.8400	4	0.8386	11	0.630	0.769548023

8	TCU	8	0.7070	7	0.7247	8	0.710	0.713921102

9	LSU	9	0.7004	10	0.6746	7	0.750	0.708309049

10	Miami, Fla.	10	0.6653	9	0.6766	13	0.540	0.627291109

11	Oregon	12	0.5533	14	0.5214	9	0.680	0.584896422

12	Georgia Tech	13	0.5225	13	0.5281	10	0.660	0.570197245

13	Penn State	11	0.5684	11	0.6061	17	0.320	0.498174249

14	Virginia Tech	15	0.4484	15	0.4556	12	0.580	0.494671424

15	Oklahoma State	14	0.5039	12	0.5390	21	0.170	0.404280900

16	BYU	16	0.4246	16	0.3912	25	0.080	0.298582615

17	Houston	18	0.2926	18	0.2854	18	0.220	0.266018436

18	Utah	19	0.2200	20	0.2034	14	0.330	0.251129944

19	Ohio State	17	0.3288	17	0.3261	32	0.010	0.221624542

20	Pittsburgh	20	0.1912	19	0.2224	20	0.190	0.201200317

21	Wisconsin	38	0.0063	31	0.0176	14	0.330	0.117980969

22	Arizona	37	0.0067	40	0.0047	14	0.330	0.113804143

23	West Virginia	23	0.0965	22	0.1275	24	0.110	0.111316285

24	South Carolina	26	0.0758	23	0.0963	22	0.140	0.104020220

25	Kansas	21	0.1414	21	0.1505	33	0.000	0.097303994

As my good friend Ben would say, there's a significant gap between Alabama at #2 and Texas at #3. The Horns are not helped at all by their computer standing; however, significant opportunities exist for UT to improve their standing by the weight of the remaining schedule (including a game with BCS #15 Okie State). If the Longhorns can hold serve for the balance of the year, an unbeaten Texas team could punch their ticket for the National Championship Game against the winner of the SEC title game.

Further down, it's difficult to see any substantial lift to Boise State (in other words, the Broncos will *not* be playing for the title). On the other hand, Iowa still has a nice slate that could help boost the Hawkeyes, but there's no question that they need some help above them, including losses by all but one of the teams ranked ahead of them (plus some significant wins by Ohio State to bring up the Big 10's status with the computers).

ALL THAT SAID... it's BCS week one and that means a lot can (and will) change.

Comment on BCS Standings - Week 8 - Oct. 18, 2009...

Washington drops future games with BYU

Tue, 06 Oct 2009 18:36:49 -0500

Not sure if this is a sign of where BYU football is or where Washington football is, but - either way - the Huskies have opted out of two future games against the Cougars, according to the Salt Lake Tribune.

The two schools were originally scheduled to play in Seattle in 2011 and at BYU in 2012. Next season, Washington will travel to Provo for a return game from the contest played in Husky Stadium on Sept. 6, 2008. The Cougars have a 3-4 record in previous meetings versus Washington, including a 28-27 victory in 2008.

I think it's a shame that the Huskies won't be playing two more against BYU. This has all the makings of a pretty balanced series. That said... BYU now has two open dates to go out and land a quality BCS opponent.

Game on!

Comment on Washington drops future games with BYU...

USC, Texas scheduling game with flying cars?

Thu, 24 Sep 2009 12:58:24 -0500

Think back ten years....

Pluto was still a planet. An unknown named Lance Armstrong was in the Tour de France and Sega was still producing video games. Boris Yeltsin was the president of Russia and the world was panicked by the Y2K problem. TigerEducated was dancing to "Mambo Number 5" and American Beauty was in theaters. You were using dial-up internet, and Florida State football was still relevant.

Seems like a long time ago, doesn't it?

Now imagine ten years into the future.... I don't know about you but I'm thinking... flying cars?

But not the folks in Austin. No, sir. The Longhorns are thinking... home-and-home series with USC.

The Austin American-Stateman reports that the Longhorns are in negotiations with Southern Cal for a shot to pair the two schools in 2019 and 2020 for the first time since the 2006 BCS title game. USC has confirmed the talks.

"USC is talking to a lot of schools — including Texas — about future football scheduling," USC spokesman Tim Tessalone told the Statesman. "Nothing has been decided or finalized."

Hey... I'm all for this game. I would hope it could be done sooner - you know, before there's teleportation - but as long as they still have football tailgating in the twenty twenties... I'm in.

Comment on USC, Texas scheduling game with flying cars?...

Nation's longest FBS winning streak ends

Sat, 19 Sep 2009 22:22:15 -0500

The longest winning streak in the nation, 16 games from 2007-2009, ended with a 31-24 road loss to Oregon. Their 18 game streak in 2003-2005 is the longest in their history and it was tied with a streak in the 20's for the second longest. Utah's nation leading 9 game road winning streak also ended. Utah still has their nation leading 8 game (6 in consecutive years) bowl winning streak.

Florida now has the longest winning streak at 10 games.

Prior to this week it appeared that a MWC team could make a BCS berth with a loss. After this week that is not so promising. More on that latter this week when I continue my series "MWC: Put up or shut up."

The game was close to the very end, though Oregon had the lead since taking a 14-7 lead in the first. Utah gave up way too many yards on kick returns, including a punt return on their first punt of the game. Utah's offense also look problematic, verifying concerns revealed in the first two games are worse than one could have hoped.

When Utah's last streak ended they had a serious lack of talent and their motivation folded. They stumbled to a win the next week before dropping 3 in a row. I don't expect this to happen again this year, but I also don't think they have the offensive weapons it will take to win the MWC. 9-3 should be in reach and a chance to extend their bowl winning streak, maybe in the Poinsettia Bowl.

Oregon has regained some of the credibility lost in their opening game to Boise State, thought they will have to prove themselves in the PAC 10.

Good game Mayor, now excuse me while I begin trying to forget/justify this weekend. The whole weekend. Every game.

Comment on Nation's longest FBS winning streak ends...

simulated BCS Standings: Week 2

Mon, 14 Sep 2009 19:37:44 -0500

Our friend Samuel Chi at BCS Guru has published this weeks simulated BCS standings. For a more detailed explanation of how the ranking is simulated follow the link provided.

For an explanation for why the computers are hating on Florida see his writeup for the current week.

Bold indicates the highest ranked teams from automatic qualifying(AQ) conferences, a strike represent additional teams from the SEC and Big 12. Teams vying for a final AQ awarded to the highest ranked team from a conference without an AQ if at least one makes the final top 12 are in italics. The remaining teams (including those in italics not selected) are fighting for the last remaining BCS openings. Gaps represent large differences in the BCS standigns.

1) USC 0.8727

2) Texas 0.7882
3) Alabama 0.7870
4) ~~Florida~~ 0.7540

5) ~~LSU~~ 0.6655
6) California 0.6460
7) Boise State 0.6097
8) Penn State 0.5992
9) BYU 0.5987

10) ~~Ole Miss~~ 0.5240

11) Ohio State 0.4332
12) ~~Oklahoma~~ 0.4050
13) Georgia Tech 0.3727
14) TCU 0.3651
===BCS Eligibility Line===
15) Utah 0.3505
16) Virginia Tech 0.3500

17) ~~Oklahoma State~~ 0.2552
18) North Carolina 0.2460
19) ~~Nebraska~~ 0.2176
20) Cincinnati 0.1979
===Watch Line===
21) Houston 0.1880
22) ~~Georgia~~ 0.1697
23) Miami(FL) 0.1467
24) ~~Missouri~~ 0.1375
25) Pittsburgh 0.1284

As usual the Big 12 and SEC dominate the standings with 5 teams each, many near the top.

Currently three teams from outside the BCS AQ conferences have crossed the #14 ranking needed to become BCS eligible. Two have made it into the top 10. A total of five are present in the top 25. This all suggests that a robust push by the MWC, WAC and C-USA to earn their AQ is underway.

If BYU wins this week against FSU they should take the lead from Boise State and hold it until they lose a game.

California (or USC) and Ohio State (or Penn State) are the only obstacles blocking the BCS from being forced to take a second team from outside the six AQ conferences. Virginia Tech and North Carolina are on deck to fill any vacancies, despite the media bombardment directed at the ACC so far this year.

The ACC certainly is not looking to be as even across the board as it was last year. If they are, it will be serious trouble for them.

The Big East also advanced further into the standings with Cincinnati entering the watch list and Pittsburgh joining them in the top 25, reflecting a strong early performance against mostly outmatched opponents. This week should be a good barometer of how good the Big East really is. Have we all really forgotten 2006 and 2007 already?

Comment on simulated BCS Standings: Week 2...

2009 - Week 2 College Football Polls

Tue, 08 Sep 2009 15:10:24 -0500

College football polls for week two - games played through 9/7/2009.

AP College Football Poll
1. Florida (56) 1-0 1493 1
2. Texas (2) 1-0 1424 2
3. USC 1-0 1355 4
4. Alabama (2) 1-0 1331 5
5. Oklahoma St. 1-0 1201 9
6. Mississippi 1-0 1095 8
7. Penn St. 1-0 1082 9
8. Ohio St. 1-0 985 6
9. BYU 1-0 984 20
10. California 1-0 971 12
11. LSU 1-0 890 11
12. Boise St. 1-0 882 14
13. Oklahoma 0-1 782 3
14. Virginia Tech 0-1 652 7
15. Georgia Tech 1-0 630 15
16. TCU 0-0 523 17
17. Utah 1-0 404 19
18. Notre Dame 1-0 383 23
19. North Carolina 1-0 338 21
20. Miami (FL) 1-0 315 NR
21. Georgia 0-1 294 13
22. Nebraska 1-0 266 24
23. Cincinnati 1-0 248 NR
24. Kansas 1-0 196 25
25. Missouri 1-0 126 NR

Others Receiving Votes:
Oregon St. 113, Michigan St. 83, Pittsburgh 82, Texas Tech 53, Oregon 47, Clemson 40, Florida St. 39, West Virginia 32, Tennessee 30, Iowa 24, UCLA 18, Michigan 18, Baylor 17, Boston Coll. 14, Arizona 12, East Carolina 6, Auburn 4, Colorado St. 4, Air Force 4, South Carolina 3, Arkansas 3, Tulsa 1, Southern Miss 1, Houston 1, South Florida 1

USA Today Coaches Poll
1. Florida (56) 1-0 1472 1
2. Texas (2) 1-0 1407 2
3. USC (1) 1-0 1352 4
4. Alabama 1-0 1299 5
5. Penn St. 1-0 1145 8
6. Oklahoma St. 1-0 1114 11
7. Ohio St. 1-0 1106 6
8. Mississippi 1-0 1006 10
9. LSU 1-0 977 9
10. California 1-0 935 12
11. Boise St. 1-0 803 16
12. BYU 1-0 755 24
13. Georgia Tech 1-0 685 15
14. Oklahoma 0-1 682 3
15. Virginia Tech 0-1 633 7
16. TCU 0-0 543 17
17. Utah 1-0 503 18
18. Nebraska 1-0 360 22
19. North Carolina 1-0 358 20
20. Notre Dame 1-0 335 23
21. Georgia 0-1 304 13
22. Miami (FL) 1-0 276 NR
23. Cincinnati 1-0 187 NR
24. Oregon St. 1-0 169 25
25. Kansas 1-0 139 NR

Others Receiving Votes:
Michigan St. 133, Missouri 97, Iowa 70, Florida St. 62, Texas Tech 53, Oregon 50, Pittsburgh 26, Clemson 24, South Carolina 23, Tennessee 21, West Virginia 13, Auburn 13, South Florida 12, Kentucky 8, Arizona 5, Northwestern 4, Michigan 4, Boston Coll. 3, Arkansas 2, UCLA 2, Baylor 2, Tulsa 1, Colorado St. 1, Minnesota 1

CBS College Blogpoll

Comment on 2009 - Week 2 College Football Polls...

Texas A&M inks home-and-home series with USC, Oregon

Fri, 04 Sep 2009 08:25:42 -0500

Texas A&M has announced two big home-and-home series with perennial Pac10 powers - USC and Oregon.

"I am happy to report we will be adding two west coast schools to our football schedule, the USC Trojans and the Oregon Ducks," Byrne said. "When you combine USC and Oregon with the non-conference games we have planned with Arkansas, SMU and others in the coming seasons, I think our future football schedules will be challenging and highly entertaining."
The Aggies are finalizing a series with USC for the 2015 and 2016 seasons. Meanwhile, A&M will make the trek to Eugene in September of 2018 and the Ducks will head to Kyle Field in September of 2019.

These are great inter-conference games and smart plays for all three teams, as a home date with A&M virtually guarantees a sellout for both USC and Oregon.

The new series marks A&M's first regular season games with a Pac10 opponent since 1992's Pigskin Classic win over Stanford.

Hat Tip: Ryan, who eats these games up like chocolate pudding

Comment on Texas A&M inks home-and-home series with USC, Oregon...

Hand shake leads to a punch to the face

Fri, 04 Sep 2009 01:36:04 -0500

A game that started off with a symbolic handshake to emphasis sportsmanship in a rematch of a controversially aggressive game last year. Boise State had knocked out Oregon's starting QB in a personal foul.

With the media pressure on this game, all eyes focused on this game to see if either was a BCS contender. Boise State brought an unexpected defense and won the day 19-8. The higher stakes replay of the Boise State-Utah series from 1997-98 was made complete.

After the game, as the teams were leaving the field one of the Boise State's Byron Hout appeared to taunt Oregon's LeGarrette Blount who then punched Hout in the face. Coaches and players from both sides immediately separated the players from each other and LeGarrette Blount, who had been suspended from some practices this off season due to behavior issues, was restrained from fans and escorted off the field by the police, and not calmly. I hope this was due to the coaches informing him his days as a duck are over. Heck, let him walk home from Boise State.

Or to jail for battery.

It is a shame that a talented player feels entitled to ruin a sport for those around him, foe and teammate. It would be a travesty to the sport if he ever takes the field again.

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USC Song Girl Tribute Video

Thu, 03 Sep 2009 16:43:57 -0500

Welcome to the college football season... brought to you by the USC Song Girls, America's most beloved cheerleaders:

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2009 Preseason BCS Standings (Simulated)

Mon, 31 Aug 2009 09:46:08 -0500

The legendary BCS Guru has his simulated preseason BCS standings posted for the 2009 season. With the Coaches poll on the books along with three computer polls already posted, it's never too early to dig deeper on the BCS implications.

The results? No big surprises, but a few interesting notes....

BCSGURU.COM Simulated BCS Preseason Standings
For the purpose of this preseason simulation, BCSGURU uses AP, Coaches, and three computer polls. Remember that AP poll is *not* a BCS component. This is a simulation.

1. Florida
2. Texas
3. Oklahoma
4. USC
5. Ohio State

BCSGuru already sees a lean for USC in the computer polls over Texas and Oklahoma. It will be interesting to keep an eye on this trend, especially when you factor the bump that the USC-Ohio State winner will get after week one.

Three non-AQ teams are lumped together in the simulated BCS, just as they are in the human polls. Boise State (#15), TCU (#16), and Utah (#17) all have an outside chance to make a run into an qualifier position.

Finally, Notre Dame is *not* getting any respect in the computer polls. The Irish average a #47 ranking, which means they will really need to prove it on the field this year. It seems unlikely that UND will crack the BCS top 15 without some really strong performances against what has the appearance of a soft (by UND standards) schedule this year.

For much, much more analysis, check out the entire preseason simulation at BCSGuru.com.

Comment on 2009 Preseason BCS Standings (Simulated)...

Now you can smell like JoPa, Les Miles

Sun, 09 Aug 2009 19:04:38 -0500

Can't get enough of the Penn State Nittany Lions? Does your committment to LSU more than skin deep? Your ship has come in.

Masik Collegiate Fragrances now offers you the opportunity to capture the essence of your team... and spritz a little along your neckline. What do they smell like? Well, the New York Times asked alums to pick their school's scent in a blind test & to describe their university's fragrance.

MEGHAN DAY, Class of 2003, Penn State

Blind sniff test: Incorrectly identified U.N.C.; found Penn State scent "distinctly L.S.U."
Personal memory triggers: "Cow manure, beer, barbecue and tailgating smells. I'm not sure I'd want to spray that on my body."

KELLEY GIROD, Class of 2004, L.S.U.

Blind sniff test: Correctly identified L.S.U. "It's the richest, most decadent scent. It reminds me of a sort of Southern, very L.S.U. elegance."
Personal memory triggers: "An old bookbinding smell, really musty, but somehow warm and comforting. Like, you could imagine sitting there for hours of lectures comfortably. But scents won’t bring me back to a moment and I don't want them to. I mean, who wants to walk around and smell like their grandma's mashed potatoes? That's what memories are for, not fragrances."

Masik is already selling UNC, LSU and Penn State, with Florida, Georgia, Bama, Tennessee and Auburn coming later this year.

And I know what you're thinking? Can I smell like a Cock or a Beaver? Alas... South Carolina and Oregon State aren't represented... yet.

Personally, I'd like to see a West Virginia cologne ("Ode de Couch") or perhaps Stanford ("Pine Tree Perfume"). What about you?

Comment on Now *you* can smell like JoPa, Les Miles...

Grading the contenders non-con schedules

Fri, 07 Aug 2009 17:06:51 -0500

Eric Sorenson, who seems to have quite the little man crush on Florida head coach Urban Meyer, details the non-conference schedules of the consensus contenders for CBS Sportsline.

The results? Well... pretty interesting, unless you're a Texas, Penn State, Florida, or Ole Miss fan. But - then again - if you're a Texas, Penn State, Florida, or Ole Miss fan, you probably already know that your non-con sucks this year.

Some highlights:

Florida: D+
Sept. 5: vs. Charleston Southern, F
Sept. 12: vs. Troy, D+
Nov. 21: vs. Florida International, D-
Nov. 28: vs. Florida State, B-

Oklahoma: C+
Sept. 5: vs. BYU (In Arlington, Texas), B
Sept. 12: vs. Idaho State, F
Sept. 19: vs. Tulsa, C
Oct. 3: at Miami, B

Texas: D-
Sept. 5: vs. UL-Monroe, F
Sept. 12: at Wyoming, D
Sept. 26: vs. UTEP, D+
Nov. 7: vs. UCF, D

Ohio State: C
Sept. 5: vs. Navy, C-
Sept. 12: vs. USC, A+
Sept. 19: vs. Toledo (at Cleveland), D
Oct. 31: vs. New Mexico St., D

Alabama: C
Sept. 5: vs. Virginia Tech (at Atlanta), A
Sept. 12: vs. Florida International, D-
Sept. 19: vs. North Texas, D
Nov. 21: vs. Chattanooga, F

Virginia Tech: B
Sept. 5: vs. Alabama (at Atlanta), A
Sept. 12: vs. Marshall, D
Sept. 19: vs. Nebraska, B+
Nov. 5: at East Carolina, B-

Florida State: B-
Sept. 12: vs. Jacksonville State, F
Sept. 19: at BYU, B
Sept. 26: vs. South Florida, C+
Nov. 28: at Florida, A

LSU: D
Sept. 5: at Washington, D
Sept. 19: vs. Louisiana-Lafayette, D-
Oct. 31: vs. Tulane, D-
Nov. 14: Louisiana Tech, D

Utah: D+
Sept. 3: vs. Utah State, D-
Sept. 12: at San Jose State, D
Sept. 19: at Oregon, B+
Sept. 26: vs. Louisville, D+

Just a side note: Why the hell is FSU considered a contender this year? Heh....

Check out the full grades at CBS Sportsline.

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2009 Preseason USA Today Coaches Poll

Fri, 07 Aug 2009 14:41:35 -0500

The 2009 USA Today Coaches Football Poll, released August 7, 2009.

1. Florida (53)
2. Texas (4)
3. Oklahoma (1)
4. Southern California (1)
5. Alabama
6. Ohio State
7. Virginia Tech
8. Penn State
9. LSU
10. Mississippi
11. Oklahoma State
12. California
13. Georgia
14. Oregon
15. Georgia Tech
16. Boise State
17. TCU
18. Utah
19. Florida State
20. North Carolina
21. Iowa
22. Nebraska
23. Notre Dame
24. Brigham Young
25. Oregon State

Others receiving votes (with 2008 records):
Kansas (8-5) 138; Michigan State (9-4) 136; Texas Tech (11-2) 114; Cincinnati (11-3) 90; Pittsburgh (9-4) 64; West Virginia (9-4) 55; Rutgers (8-5) 51; Miami (Fla.) (7-6) 46; Missouri (10-4) 44; Illinois (5-7) 38; Clemson (7-6) 30; South Carolina (7-6) 18; UCLA (4-8) 14; Auburn (5-7) 12; Nevada (7-6) 11; South Florida (8-5) 11; Kentucky (7-6) 9; North Carolina State (6-7) 7; Arkansas (5-7) 6; Wisconsin (7-6) 6; Northwestern (9-4) 5; Southern Mississippi (7-6) 4; Wake Forest (8-5) 4; Arizona (8-5) 3; Boston College (9-5) 3; Central Michigan (8-5) 3; East Carolina (9-5) 3; Colorado (5-7) 2; Maryland (8-5) 2; Navy (8-5) 2; Tennessee (5-7) 2; Houston (8-5) 1; Michigan (3-9) 1; Minnesota (7-6) 1; Troy (8-5) 1.

I know what you're thinking? Where's the ritual preseason vote for Duke? I have no idea. Although South Carolina coach Steve Spurrier is voting this year in the coaches poll, he did not cast his annual vote for the Blue Devils. Perhaps the uproar of blaming his assistant for snubbing Tim Tebow hit a little too close to home.

And not to beat a dead horse, but I *hate* preseason polls. They are *not* accurate indicators of success. Case in point? Last year's preseason coaches poll failed to rank 14 of the 25 teams in final season coaches poll. That's right. The 2008 preseason coaches poll failed to rank 56% of the teams in the 2008 final poll.

So... if you like you're football indicators with a 44% accuracy, then - by all means - go nuts over this one.

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Who has the toughest football schedule in 2009?

Wed, 29 Jul 2009 12:22:19 -0500

College football guru Phil Steele has published his toughest schedules for 2009 in his annual College Football Preview.

Steele's methodology differs from the NCAA's own strength of schedule calculation in that it factors changes to the team for 2009. For example, Steele takes into account a variety of factors including number of starters returning per team, whereas the NCAA just looks at each team's record from 2008 and projects it into this coming season. The difference? historically, is that Steele's projections tend to be more accurate at this point in the season.

Without further ado....

PHIL STEELE'S 2009 TOUGHEST SCHEDULE RANKINGS

1. South Carolina 2. Florida St 3. Oklahoma 4. Mississippi St 5. Minnesota 6. Arkansas 7. Georgia 8. Virginia Tech 9. Tennessee 10. Michigan St

...

115. Ball St
116. Florida Atlantic
117. Boise St
118. Army
119. Ohio
120. Kent St

A couple of trends jump off the page right away:

First and foremost, the top ten is stacked with SEC East teams. Three big factors are at play here.
- The SEC returns an great percentage of starters almost across the board. There are a few key holes to fill, but no team is remotely close to starting from scratch.
- The SEC East scheduling in 2009 brings strong divisional matchups this season.
- And last but in no way least, the Florida Gators are hugely rated by Steele this season and six of the top ten teams have games scheduled against UF.

Secondly, if you're Boise State, you not only have to win every game but you need to play some scoreboard pinball in order to make into a BCS game. The Broncos aren't getting any help from their schedule this season.

Third, the WAC & MWC have broken the glass ceiling on the BCS, but don't expect the MAC to join the party any time soon. Seven of the ten weakest schedules are from the MAC. Ouch.

Finally, and this might be the most important item to remember, Phil Steele's rankings have been a good predictor but they don't factor into the BCS in any way. The BCS has its own strength of schedule component within the computer indexes.

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