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Big Holiday Weekend for College Football

Tue, 06 Sep 2011 15:39:39 -0500

I'm sure that most of you in addition to being college football fans are also major NFL followers. I'm bandwagon at best and I admit to more than a passing fancy to have seen the lockout continue until next year. Yes, I know--no hate mail, please, and whatever you do, don't leave this thread with almost four ~~minutes~~ paragraphs left on the clock. With NFL preseason contestswinding down, that left the rare weekend of having college games played ad naseum Thursday through Sunday. And if that ain't a triumphant return, I don't know what is.

With all the hype of the Chick Fil A Kickoff Game and the Cowboys Classic showcasing nationally ranked SEC teams, I'm not so sure that the two games actually leading off the season Thursday night, Wisconsin-UNLV and Miss State-Memphis, weren't the ones that didn't grab the largest audience share. Yes, they were top-20 ranked teams playing nobodies, but both put on quite the show. I tuned into the State game for some scouting for Auburn this week and they looked like a finely-oiled machine, drumming the Tigers thoroughly. State did what they could to earn points for SEC-west TV game of the week for this Saturday, but the Tigers did not, hence the 11:20 AM kickoff this weekend down on the Plains.

And memo to Memphis: I know you play in C-USA, but if you open the season on a Thursday night with a national audience against a ranked team from the strongest conference in the nation agreeing to open on the road and you can't fill but two-thirds of your stadium, maybe it's time to focus on basketball. Either that or import other fans from the conference to give you all the asses in seats you can get. That was embarrassing.

And what about that game Friday night with Baylor and TCU? Already a BCS-buster has been busted. Thank you Bears, since Georgia didn't take care of business with the perennial other one. Do they play no defense in Texas or the Big ~~12 10~~-9? That was a pretty exciting game, I must admit. Maybe I need to take in Arena Football next?

All and all the SEC did well this weekend with their cupcakes (not you, LSU or Auburn) with only Georgia and Ole Miss losing to teams that play or played in conferences with the word west in them. Auburn's last minute miracle placed the spotlight firmly on the Dogs and Rebel-Bears--the former with a beat-down at the hands of Boise and the latter with a late 4th quarter face-plant against BYU.

And memo to Georgia: time to bury the gimmick uniforms once and for all. I know the Blackout worked for you once against Auburn, but by my reckoning, you're 1-3 in fashion statement contests and the last time I looked, this wasn't Paris or Milan. That was awful--Georgia with their futurama outfits and Boise with their throw-backs. You can't go to the future and back in time simultaneously--it could cause a college football black hole--one outside Miami, that is. Stick to the silver britches and leave the CFB haberdashery to Oregon. You see how well it works for them.

Oh, and Oregon. How close you are to disproving the whole notion of west-coast football superiority. You're the best from there of late but you're 0-2 against SEC teams your last two games, so the streak remains alive. I thought for sure you had revenge on your minds from January, but you were clobbered at the hands of another SEC defense. While I'm pretty sure you'll run through the PAC this year and still challenge for the BCS, you have to think that RB Lamichael James, the Heisman runner-up from last season, is out already this year. Forty-nine yards against Auburn in the BCS title game and fifty-four Saturday night against LSU? Meh, just as well. I think they've already crowned Andrew Luck of Stanford anyway.

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Traditional Fanblogs Post-Season Playoff Address

Tue, 08 Mar 2011 16:59:38 -0500

Man, nothing takes your mind off BCS-bitching like having your team work within the system (without shooting the bastards) and winning it all. Okay, except for maybe having to then defend your national championship winning team from every out of left field attack that comes down the road. That really takes your mind off of the BCS and, more importantly, the playoffs. Remember those? Hey, don't take your eye off the ball or I'll have you running stadium stairs by the end of this post.

As is custom here, we discuss the fate of a FBS playoff right after the season ends, with the results of the latest BCS equation having just recently been played out for all to see and analyze. It's bad manners to discuss the subject during the season, as those who might be superstitious may believe, and no one really cares right before the season, as most fans think it's their team's year and no playoff will be necessary for them. No, immediately following the season is the perfect time for moaning about how unfair the whole system is, but admittedly, we have heard nary a peep out of the east side of the state of Alabama this go around.

Naturally, with me being an SEC fan, playoff talk sometimes falls on deaf ears, as we believe our conference schedule to be one de facto triple-elimination playoff onto itself. (drop more than two regular season conference games or the CCG and you are virtually guaranteed not to win the conference) Playoffs are what's needed for all those other conferences to sort their posers from the players. In other words, SEC fans may have their desire for a CFB playoff diminished because we believe the SEC champ to be a truly credible and deserving champion in their own right and everyone else is just playing for the right to meet us to play for all the marbles. And with our conference winner playing in the last five national championship games, apparently SEC fans aren't the only ones who think that. But playoff, schmayoff, southeasterners? No, not quite.

I truly believe that a playoff will be most beneficial to our sport when we finally get one, and to the SEC in particular. As we've discussed before, there are a few basic tenets that must exist in FBS college football for a playoff to have any chance of taking root. That's not to say that even those aren't subject to modification, revision or outright reversal. Some of my own thinking has done a 180 recently and we must always realize that CFB is constantly evolving--something so very epitomized in the Great Conference Land Grab of 2010.

Conference Championships Will Be the First Round of any Future Playoff: This is what I've been preaching for years now, and the light was finally seen by two of the old-guard BCS conferences in the biggest move to hit our sport in decades with the aforementioned Great Conference Land Grab of 2010, as the Big 10 and PAC 10 expanded--to the detriment of the Big 12 and possibly the rest of us. Expansion for those two wasn't as big a story as the defection of Nebraska and Colorado from the Big 12 (and the subsequent whoring out of itself by Texas, but that's another story).

Simply enveloping mid-majors like Utah wouldn't have ruffled any feathers, but with BCS conferences being redistricted, a panic almost ensued as the rest of the great powers looked to protect their turf in an attempt to form mega-conferences should the expansion have gone supernova. Wasn't that how World War I erupted? We may never know how close we came to essentially halving the number of BCS conferences into geographically-incorrect Pangea-esque blobs, but I think it's safe to say that expansion for the sake of having the conference championship game and it's requisite share of the limelight was finally realized in one great-big pigskin epiphany.

Perhaps we should consider ourselves lucky that the Big 12 was the only big casualty, and console ourselves that the net gain of only one CCG in FBS was probably worth it. With Texas flirting with any and all suitors in order to preserve itself the lion's share of revenue from the reborn remnants of the conference it more than anyone tore apart, those who believe in karma might see justice in their 5-7 season. Regardless, the Big 12 didn't have time to draft additional teams and it might behoove the big two teams in the Lone Star state to drop their snobbishness and consider allowing some of the old Southwestern conference stragglers and other proven state programs to form the reconstituted Big 12. A playoff might depend on that very scenario. However, the defection of TCU to the Big East says more about the perilous politics of Texas football than just about anything else and we might not want to hold our breath waiting for our Lone Star brethren.

Will our first playoff be a round-robin of strictly conference champions? It's hard to say because there's still such a lack of parity between the BCS conferences in any given year. One conference could have 2-3 teams that are capable of playing for and winning a national title, like the Big 10 last year. Maybe a playoff might grant at-large teams when a conference pares it's participants down to two schools--like the current BCS bowl rules allow. Otherwise, it might not be beyond the realm of possibility to have a conference like the SEC to have three schools in a 8-team playoff.

Polls Ain't Going Anywhere: Face it. Most of the complaints about the BCS are actually complaints about the polls, as the BCS just uses the data the polls provide. We're never going to have a true playoff, won on the field--like in the NFL. With 120 teams and counting, the polls will be around with us forever, to sift through and seed the teams properly, so get used to them. As a matter of fact, every time you complain about a poll, another one is born, to give us more choices and consistency in the results. Learn them, live them, love them. I'd be happy with a dozen polls in the BCS formula, but not stand-alone ones that crown their own champion. It could be like 1973 again.

The BCS is here to stay, too: In a strict interpretation, the BCS has been wildly successful in what it was designed to do--pair the two top-ranked teams in the nation in a bowl game that is essentially a 1-game playoff. Although a future playoff will be a little bit more complicated than the binary BCS code we're currently stuck with, the power of the BCS cannot be ignored and I do not believe it will be scrapped to be replaced by a different governing body. The name-recognition it currently enjoys, for better or for worse, makes it the ideal mechanism to remake itself into a rudimentary playoff when it is time.

The First Playoff We Get Will Be 4-6 Teams:More than likely four, as sufficient time must pass for CFB to grow at a desired pace and not diminish the product by over-doing it. Hey, March-Madness didn't start out at 64 teams, and those who think that the sport of football is ideally suited for a playoff where the national champion has to play and win six games--half the current regular season--are delusional. We'll start with one that has two or three games, possibly with two byes, and we may stick with that for years before expanding to a field of eight. Then we'll be there for decades or forever, whichever comes first. It took over 100 years to get to the forerunner of the BCS. Before that, it was just pot-luck.

The Playoff Must Follow the Money: Money is the lifeblood of any sport, and an eventual FBS playoff system of sufficient size will financially make the basketball tourney look like a booger in comparison. TV revenue will obviously guide the hand of the formation of the playoff and will begin in 2014 when the BCS broadcasting rights will be up for renewal. By then, everything will be on the negotiating table and I think we will finally see college presidents start to open up to the idea of a playoff.

Could we possibly see a move by a bigger player, such as ESPN/ABC, to wrap up the TV contract for a very long time? Raise your hand if you were thankful that the BCS had been moved from Fox and their predominately NFL, clueless-about -college-football crew over to ESPN who makes CFB feel more at home. Naturally, consolidating power in just one network could foster the implementation of an agenda, one that some fans feel is already there with some of the networks, and we'd all have to wonder about what was best for the sport and our conferences, with some whose contracts might rival a new BCS deal. Regardless of which of the major players wind up with the contracts, you can bet that the desire to possibly double-down by adding a playoff will be discussed in earnest.

The Bowls Don't Have to be Part of a Playoff:Except for the last round(s). Initially, it sounds nifty to try and work every no-name bowl to be the sponsor of one round of a mega-tournament, but the logistics of having teams travelling constantly to unfamiliar areas of the country to advance in the playoff just doesn't work for football. It would be like playing 2-4 bowls back-to-back, and would wreck havoc on fans' and schools' wallets, not to mention the players, whom the college presidents would protect from such a fool's errand.

Besides, we have two many loser bowls as it is. This past bowl season, with games swollen with TV revenue and palty attendance, it would be embarrassing for the sport to have the first round of 16 games played in the San Diego County Credit Union or Boise Humanitarian bowls or whatever the name de jeur was. Besides, all the bowls we need are already in place. The Sugar, Orange, Fiesta, and Rose could serve as venues for the semi-finals, with the rotating plus one for the championship game. The other bowls could operate as usual, with the earlier rounds of the bowls having been provided by conference title games and home football games for higher-seeded teams. Only a possible break-out by a bowl such as the Cotton or maybe the Chick Fil A bowl to ante up enough to qualify as a BCS venue could alter such a proposal.

So there are my continuing thoughts about the present situation and conventional wisdom of our eventual playoff. What are some of yours? How close will any of us be by the time the first one rolls out? I'm pretty sure we'll all still be here when the time comes.

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2010-2011 College Football Bowl Game Television Schedule

Tue, 07 Dec 2010 20:15:38 -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. 18 2:00 pm ET ESPN	New Mexico Bowl Bowl Tickets Flights + Hotels Odds & Picks	Albuquerque, NM University Stadium	BYU vs. UTEP
Saturday Dec. 18 5:30 pm ET ESPN	Roady's Humanitarian Bowl Bowl Tickets Flights + Hotels Odds & Picks	Boise, ID Bronco Stadium	Northern Illinois vs. Fresno St
Saturday Dec. 18 9:00 pm ET ESPN	R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl Bowl Tickets Flights + Hotels Odds & Picks	New Orleans, LA Louisiana Superdome	Ohio vs. Troy
Tuesday Dec. 21 8:00 pm ET ESPN	Beef O'Brady's Bowl Bowl Tickets Flights + Hotels Odds & Picks	St. Petersburg, FL Tropicana Field	Louisville vs. Southern Miss
Wednesday Dec. 22 8:00 pm ET ESPN	MAACO Bowl Las Vegas Bowl Tickets Flights + Hotels Odds & Picks	Las Vegas, NV Sam Boyd Stadium	Utah vs. Boise State
Thursday 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	San Diego St vs. Navy
Friday Dec. 24 8:00 pm ET ESPN	Sheraton Hawai'i Bowl Bowl Tickets Flights + Hotels Odds & Picks	Honolulu, HI Aloha Stadium	Hawaii vs. Tulsa
Sunday Dec. 26 8:30 pm ET ESPN	Little Caesars Pizza Bowl Bowl Tickets Flights + Hotels Odds & Picks	Detroit, MI Ford Field	Florida Intl vs. Toledo
Monday Dec. 27 5:00 pm ET ESPN	AdvoCare V100 Independence Bowl Bowl Tickets Flights + Hotels Odds & Picks	Shreveport, LA Independence Stadium	Air Force vs. Georgia Tech
Tuesday Dec. 28 6:30 pm ET ESPN	Champs Sports Bowl Bowl Tickets Flights + Hotels Odds & Picks	Orlando, FL Florida Citrus Bowl Stadium	West Virginia vs. NC State
Tuesday Dec. 28 10:00 pm ET ESPN	Insight Bowl Bowl Tickets Flights + Hotels Odds & Picks	Tempe, AZ Sun Devil Stadium	Missouri vs. Iowa
Wednesday Dec. 29 2:30 pm ET ESPN	Military Bowl Bowl Tickets Flights + Hotels Odds & Picks	Washington, DC RFK Stadium	East Carolina vs. Maryland
Wednesday Dec. 29 6:00 pm ET ESPN	Texas Bowl Bowl Tickets Flights + Hotels Odds & Picks	Houston, TX Reliant Stadium	Baylor vs. Illinois
Wednesday Dec. 29 9:15 pm ET ESPN	Valero Alamo Bowl Bowl Tickets Flights + Hotels Odds & Picks	San Antonio, TX Alamodome	Arizona vs. Oklahoma State
Thursday Dec. 30 12:00pm ET ESPN	Bell Helicopter Armed Forces Bowl Bowl Tickets Flights + Hotels Odds & Picks	Fort Worth, TX Amon G. Carter Stadium	Army vs. SMU
Thursday Dec. 30 3:15 pm ET ESPN	New Era Pinstripe Bowl Bowl Tickets Flights + Hotels Odds & Picks	New York, NY Yankee Stadium	Kansas St vs. Syracuse
Thursday Dec. 30 6:30 pm ET ESPN	Gaylord Hotels Music City Bowl Bowl Tickets Flights + Hotels Odds & Picks	Nashville, TN LP Field	North Carolina vs. Tennesee
Wednesday Dec. 30 10:00 pm ET ESPN	Pacific Life Holiday Bowl Bowl Tickets Flights + Hotels Odds & Picks	San Diego, CA Qualcomm Stadium	Nebraska vs. Washington
Friday Dec. 31 12:00 pm ET ESPN	Meineke Car Care Bowl Bowl Tickets Flights + Hotels Odds & Picks	Charlotte, NC Bank of America Stadium	South Florida vs. Clemson
Thursday Dec. 31 2:00 pm ET CBS	Brut Sun Bowl Bowl Tickets Flights + Hotels Odds & Picks	El Paso, TX Sun Bowl Stadium	Miami vs. Notre Dame
Friday Dec. 31 3:30 pm ET ESPN	AutoZone Liberty Bowl Bowl Tickets Flights + Hotels Odds & Picks	Memphis, TN Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium	UCF vs. Georgia
Thursday Dec. 31 7:30 pm ET ESPN	Chick-fil-A Bowl Bowl Tickets Flights + Hotels Odds & Picks	Atlanta, GA Georgia Dome	South Carolina vs. FSU
Saturday Jan. 1 12:00 pm ET ESPNU	TicketCity Bowl Bowl Tickets Flights + Hotels Odds & Picks	Dallas, TX Cotton BowlStadium	Northwestern vs. Texas Tech
Saturday Jan. 1 1:00 pm ET ESPN/ABC	Outback Bowl Bowl Tickets Flights + Hotels Odds & Picks	Tampa, FL Raymond James Stadium	Florida vs. Penn State
Saturday Jan. 1 1:00 pm ET ESPN/ABC	Capital One Bowl Bowl Tickets Flights + Hotels Odds & Picks	Orlando, FL Florida Citrus Bowl Stadium	Alabama vs. Michigan State
Saturday Jan. 1 1:30 pm ET ESPN2	Konica Minolta Gator Bowl Bowl Tickets Flights + Hotels Odds & Picks	Jacksonville, FL Jacksonville Municipal Stadium	Mississippi St vs. Michigan
Saturday Jan. 1 4:30 pm ET ABC	Rose Bowl presented by Citi Bowl Tickets Flights + Hotels Odds & Picks	Pasadena, CA Rose Bowl	TCU vs. Wisconsin
Saturday Jan. 1 8:30 pm ET ESPN	Tostitos Fiesta Bowl Bowl Tickets Flights + Hotels Odds & Picks	Glendale, AZ University of Phoenix Stadium	Oklahoma vs. Connecticut
Monday Jan. 3 8:00 pm ET ESPN	Orange Bowl Bowl Tickets Flights + Hotels Odds & Picks	Miami, FL Dolphin Stadium	Virginia Tech vs. Stanford
Tuesday Jan. 4 8:00 pm ET ESPN	Allstate Sugar Bowl Bowl Tickets Flights + Hotels Odds & Picks	New Orleans, LA Superdome	Ohio State vs. Arkansas
Thursday Jan. 6 8:00 pm ET ESPN	GoDaddy.com Bowl Bowl Tickets Flights + Hotels Odds & Picks	Mobile, AL Ladd Peebles Stadium	Middle Tenn St vs. Miami (OH)
Friday Jan. 7 8:00 pm ET FOX	AT&T Cotton Bowl Classic Bowl Tickets Flights + Hotels Odds & Picks	Arlington, TX Cowboys Stadium	LSU vs. Texas A&M
Saturday Jan. 8 12:00 pm ET ESPN	BBVA Compass Bowl Bowl Tickets Flights + Hotels Odds & Picks	Birmingham, AL Legion Field	Pitt vs. Kentucky
Saturday Jan. 9 9:00 pm ET ESPN	Kraft Fight Hunger Bowl Bowl Tickets Flights + Hotels Odds & Picks	San Francisco, CA AT&T Park	Nevada vs. Boston College
Monday Jan. 10 8:00 pm ET ESPN	BCS National Championship Game Bowl Tickets Flights + Hotels Odds & Picks	Glendale, AZ Univ. of Phoenix Stadium	Auburn vs. Oregon

The 2010 college football season will be capped by exciting college football bowl games, including the 2010 Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California, the 2010 Fiesta Bowl in Phoenix, Arizona, the 2010 Sugar Bowl in New Orleans, Louisiana, the 2010 Orange Bowl in Miami, Florida and the 2010 BCS National Championship Game in Glendale, AZ.

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.

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TCU accepts offer to join Big East

Mon, 29 Nov 2010 12:16:53 -0500

TCU has scheduled a press conference for this afternoon to announce that it has accepted an offer to join the Big East Conference.

As first reported on AOL Fanhouse, the Horned Frogs will leave the Mountain West to join the Big East in all sports, beginning July 1, 2012. The Frogs first season of Big East football would be the 2012-2013 season.

By some estimates, TCU will be located an average of 1,140 miles from the other Big East football league members.

The move comes amid estimates that the Mountain West will not gain automatic-qualification status in the BCS during the next evaluation window, due in large part to the departures of both BYU and Utah. According to BCS spokesman Bill Hancock, teams that leave a conference take their performance during the evaluation period with them to their new conferences.

In this decade, TCU has been a member of the WAC, Conference USA and MWC.

Additional reports indicate that the Big East has also extended an offer to Villanova to become the conference's tenth football member. The Dallas News reports that Villanova"seems to be dragging its feet about a decision", a move that would bring the school up from the FCS division to FBS. Villanovais currently a member of the Big East in nearly all other conference sports.

If Villanovadoes not join the Big East for football, then the University of Central Florida is expected to receive a formal invitation to join for the 2012-2013 season.

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Big East votes to expand to 10 football members

Tue, 02 Nov 2010 20:23:38 -0500

And the conference shuffle begins anew.

The sixteen Big East conference presidents agreeing unanimously to expand from eight football members to ten football members.

Yahoo's Matt Hinton breaks down the potential candidates, including TCU, Houston, Memphis, and Central Florida.

Invitations to new members could be extended before this year's season concludes.

My two cents? Expansion is a bold, yet necessary move for the viability of the conference. Is dipping into MWC territory (TCU) the best idea? Probably not, but the Frogs are one of the more attractive schools on the conference's radar, given the school's football legacy, recent success, and potential recruiting exposure. There's no question that TCU would be a positive addition, but I still question whether the geography makes the Frogs a viable option long-term.

It will be interesting to watch this round of musical chairs, particularly with the Big 12 currently with ten members for the 2011 season. Will the Big 12 move to block the Big East, taking TCU or Houston before the Big East can? Will the two conferences petition to permit a championship game for leagues with only ten members? Will there be any Big East casualties among the current membership in order to create a more reasonable geographic split? And what is the trickle down? Will the Big 10 or SEC move again to expand to 16 teams? What will further changes in the WAC/MWC/CUSA mean to bowl contracts/other conferences/FCS teams?

Grab a seat... the music is about to stop again.

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Sunday Quick Hits: Escape and Advance Edition

Sun, 05 Sep 2010 07:06:58 -0500

A few thoughts and observations from this weekend's first few days. What are yours?

Is LSU a serious contender in the SEC this year? Based on last night's performance alone, I say no. LSU rolled in the 1st Quarter, but that was against a UNC defense that sat almost their entire starting lineup due to NCAA investigations. And -- once again -- LSU showed their paper tiger hallmarks by allowing the Tarheels to storm back at the end, despite missing their top two WRs and top RB. UNC's TJ Yates is a serviceable college QB, but it's hard to forget that he led the 108th rated offense last year. If this depleted UNC squad can rack up 400+ yards against LSU's best defense, then I shudder to think what Alabama is going to do to the Tigers. My early prediction? LSU has a new head coach in 2011.

Michigan has served notice to the Big 10 Conference - they have a new QB and the boy can play! Oh, wait... that was last year, before 4-0 UM crashed back to reality. I don't know what to make of QB Denard Robinson's game yesterday other than to the kid can definitely ball. Season openers in The Big House have been a little dicey lately for Big Blue, but the Wolverines looked salty much of the day against a well-regarded UConn squad. I'm not on the Michigan bandwagon (yet), but RichRod's triple-threat offense looks to be well on its way in Ann Arbor.

For much of the off-season, the Gator Haters have been pounding new Florida QB John Brantley with the nickname "Cantley", as in "can't measure up to Tebow". Brantley's first start as the UF quarterback was... well... memorable. Brantley single-handily made Miami (OH), who won just one game last year, look like Miami (The U). The QB led Urban Meyer's team to just 25 yards of offense through the first three quarters. The final scoreboard would show an unexpectedly close win, but the box score would include eight UF fumbles (almost all of which were snaps or QB exchanges with Brantley) and just 212 yards of total offense. Game balls have to go to the Florida defense and Redhawks mistakes. The Redhawks committed four turnovers of their own or may have knocked off the Gators. I don't know what Meyer is taking for his heart problems, but he better double up on it for what is bound to be a very intese week of practice before South Florida rolls into Gainesville next week.

TCU may not be the #6 team in the country, but I wouldn't want to have to play them. The Frogs played fast in their 30-24 win over #24 Oregon State. Despite losing their #1 rusher last season, TCU rolled up 278 rushing yards against the Beavers, showcasing surprising depth in the backfield. The Frogs ran from nearly every set and doubled up OSU's time-of-possession. QB Andy Dalton had two ridiculous throws that were picked by the Beavers on strong TCU drives, otherwise this game might have been a blowout. The Frogs ran the option with precision and threw the ball deep with effectiveness. Dalton isn't Terrell Pryor, but he is the leader in wins among active college QBs. With their toughest test now behind them, perhaps the biggest challenge for Gary Patterson is keeping the Frogs focused on their second straight BCS appearance.

Note to Oklahoma: Perhaps this trend of playing Utah teams in the season opener is a bad idea. The Utah State Aggies nearly BYU'd the Sooners. But for some gutsy calls by Bob Stoops and some Sooner Magic, this one would have been another opening-day loss. Stoops promised that QB Landry Jones was "night and day" better than last year. I guess I didn't realize how bad Jones was *last year* because the improved Jones still keyed in on his primary receiver every play and went to him - whether he was open, covered, or headed to the mens' room. The defense gave up over 341 yards passing (421 total yards) to Utah State and surrendered eight plays of 20+ yards. OU faces a bigger challenge next week with Heisman-hopeful Christian Ponder and Florida State on the docket. This just in: FSU's offense is better than Utah's State's. Ponder played just two quarters in FSU's win, but had 4 touchdown passes and missed only two completions. FSU must be licking their tomahawk chops, right OU-Ron?

Show of hands: Who thought the days of Ole Miss losing to a FCS opponent were over when Houston Nutt rolled into town? Yeah? Me neither. J-State played with guts and deserved that OT thriller.

I know it was a win over Western Kentucky, but I think Nebraska might have a little something going with new freshman QB Taylor Martinez, a.k.a "T-Magic". T-Magic went 9-of-15 passing for 136 yards and no INTS and showed big speed on seven carries for 127 yards and three touchdowns, including a 46-yard run on the opening drive. It's early in the season, but watch out for the Huskers in the Big 12. If Texas and OU aren't going to play big this year, Nebraska is going to leave the league as defending champs.

Finally, what's going on at Notre Dame? I know it's the first game of the Brian Kelly experience, but the team seemed to be playing all-out for one another. Given Kelly's track record, it shouldn't be surprising, but if BK can harness the talent at UND, watch out. This team won't make the BCS in 2010, but look for the Irish to make a return in 2011 under Kelly.

That's it for me, boys. Whatchya got?

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You ask, college football coaches answer!

Sun, 29 Aug 2010 10:15:58 -0500

In what may be the last absolute fluff piece of the off-season (hey... I said of the OFF-season!), the Seattle Times completed a survey of 29 FBS coaches to find out what they *really* think.

A few highlights:

Most Admired Coach:
Mack Brown of Texas, followed by Ohio State's Jim Tressel, and Oklahoma's Bob Stoops and Penn State's Joe Paterno. (What?! No Urban Meyer!)

Least Admired Coach:
Although most politely deferred on this question, USC's Lane Kiffin got the most mentions, followed by Brian Kelly of Notre Dame, Nick Saban of Alabama and Mike Locksley of New Mexico. (What?! No Urban Meyer!)

What does the NCAA need to change?
Playoffs got a few mentions, but I was more than a little surprised to see some others, like adding a fifth year of eligibility, adding more spring practice times, allowing early signing day, and permitting pre-season games.

And finally, the most important question: Where's a good place to eat?

Metropolitan Grill, Seattle
City Hall Steakhouse, Scottsdale, Ariz. (two votes)
Del Frisco's in Dallas (two votes)
Dreamland Barbecue in Tuscaloosa, Ala
The Crab Trap in Fernandina Beach, Fla.
Joe's Stone Crab in Miami
Handsome Harry's in Naples, Fla.
Chicken and More in Spokane
The Precinct in Cincinnati
Pascal's Manale in New Orleans.

Wow. Two of my favorites and even a hometown spot make the list!

OK... now it's your turn... most admired coach, least admired coach, NCAA change, and out-of-town restaurant. GO!

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2010 USA Today Coaches Preseason Poll

Sun, 08 Aug 2010 15:30:18 -0500

2010 2010 USA Today Coaches Preseason Poll

Rank Team (first-place votes) 2009 record Points Final 2009 rank

1. Alabama (55) 14-0 1,469 1
2. Ohio State (4) 11-2 1,392 5
3. Florida 13-1 1,245 3
4. Texas 13-1 1,240 2
5. Boise State 14-0 1,215 4
6. Virginia Tech 10-3 1,052 10
7. TCU 12-1 1,051 6
8. Oklahoma 8-5 1,035 NR
9. Nebraska 10-4 1,001 14
10. Iowa 11-2 952 7
11. Oregon 10-3 940 11
12. Wisconsin 10-3 778 16
13. Miami (Fla.) 9-4 728 19
14. Penn State 11-2 508 8
15. Pittsburgh 10-3 492 15
16. LSU 9-4 476 17
17. Georgia Tech 11-3 455 13
18. North Carolina 8-5 445 NR
19. Arkansas 8-5 438 NR
20. Florida State 7-6 374 NR
21. Georgia 8-5 312 NR
22. Oregon State 8-5 263 NR
23. Auburn 8-5 260 NR
24t. Utah 10-3 169 18
24t. West Virginia 9-4 169 22

Others receiving votes

Cincinnati (12-1) 135; Houston (10-4) 76; Brigham Young (11-2) 66; Arizona (8-5) 65; Mississippi (9-4) 48; Clemson (9-5) 44; Stanford (8-5) 41; Connecticut (8-5) 40; Notre Dame (6-6) 38; South Carolina (7-6) 38; Washington (5-7) 26; Missouri (8-5) 23; Navy (10-4) 12; Oklahoma State (9-4) 11; Boston College (8-5) 10; Michigan State (6-7) 10; Arizona State (4-8) 6; California (8-5) 6; Texas Tech (9-4) 5; South Florida (8-5) 4; Texas A&M (6-7) 3; Northwestern (8-5) 2; Temple (9-4) 2; Central Michigan (12-2) 1; Mississippi State (5-7) 1; Nevada (8-5) 1; Northern Illinois (7-6) 1; Southern Methodist (8-5) 1.

Alabama defends their national championship from last year by starting #1 this year, exactly like Florida did last year. The SEC has six teams in the preseason poll, the ACC has five, the Big 10 has four (not counting Nebraska yet) , the Big 12 has three, the Pac 10 two, and the Big East two.

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Utah to the PAC 10

Thu, 17 Jun 2010 13:00:00 -0500

Muahahahaha! My evil plan to rule the college football world is coming together!

Utah becomes the fourth team to change conferneces this summer, joining Colorado in the PAC 10. Colorado is set to join in 2012 and the date for Utah has not yet been announced. The PAC 10 originally planned to set the expansion field by the end of the year to be implemented change for the 2012 season. They might move up the date to 2011 now that they are way ahead of scheule and Nebraska is already leaving the Big 12 in 2011.

If the move is in 2012 Utah and Bosie State will count for the MWC in the next BCS automatic qualification determination for 2012 and 2013, and the MWC will be very close. If the move is in 2011 Utah will count for the PAC 10 and the MWC will be not as close.

All I am saying is its about darn time! I have been shouting out for the need for this for, well since I found Fanblogs.com in 2003. Actually before that too, I just can't document that as well. Boise State should fill our shoes well in the MWC. Maybe we can meet in the Rose Bowl, if the ducks alight just right.

(Say in 2012 Utah winning the PAC 10, Boise State earning an automatic qualification as the highest ranked non-AQ winner and the Big 10 going to the NCG. By contract the next time the PAC 10 or Big 10 champion goes to the NCG and a team from outside the BCS earns an AQ that team is going to the Rose Bowl.)

This should just about wind down this years expansion hoopla but more changes appear to be on the horizon for next year. For now I think we all have enough expansion fatigue to let the dust settle a bit.

Except maybe the WAC inviting a few FCS teams. They can do that whenever they want and no one would really notice. Except maybe the fine people of Montana.

Now I go back to celebrating, until the realization that Utah's performance the next few years will be a referendum on the claim "undefeated team like Utah and Boise State in the MWC or WAC would have three or four additional losses if they were in a BCS conference" sets in.

For the record, now that Utah is in a BCS league my disdain for the BCS is not tempured. I still hate the BCS as passionately as ever. The logic just lines up more with Kansas State fan's reasoning. But that is a topic for another day.

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Texas staying in Big 12, conference to survive as 10-team league

Mon, 14 Jun 2010 19:33:27 -0500

It's been a whirlwind day for Texas fans. This morning the Horns were headed to the Pac10, but by late this afternoon, UT declined an offer to join the Pac10 and will instead stay in the Big12.

According to The Dallas Morning News, Pac-10 Commissioner Larry Scott confirmed that the University of Texas has declined an invitation to join the conference.

In a brief phone conversation, Scott said: "We've been informed by University of Texas president Bill Powers that Texas will stay with the Big 12. We have not received definitive details about this decision."

While a few details still need to be worked out, Big 12 commissioner Dan Beebe has a deal in place to keep the 10 remaining teams in the conference.

Under the new structure, the ten teams will play in a round-robin format, ensuring that each team plays one another in the regular season. The annual championship game that was a hallmark of the founding of the Big 12 will not be played under the new structure.

To boost revenues, the Big 12 will sign a new television agreement (rumored to be with Fox Sports) in 2011 estimated to be worth $14-$17 million per year to most conference teams; however, the conference will continue to split revenues based on appearances, making the deal worth as much as $20 million per year for teams like Texas, Oklahoma and Texas A&M who's games are broadcast more often.

Schools will also have the discretion to launch their own television networks, an arrangement which could be worth an addition $3-$5 million per year to Texas.

The new league agreement will also include a very, very substantial penalty for any school that splits from the conference.

UPDATE

Texas A&M and Oklahoma have confirmed that they will stay in the Big 12.

The Pac10 has also released an official statement:

“University of Texas President Bill Powers has informed us that the 10 remaining schools in the Big 12 Conference intend to stay together. We are excited about the future of the Pac-10 Conference and we will continue to evaluate future expansion opportunities under the guidelines previously set forth by our Presidents and Chancellors.”

Details on this breaking story will be updated as more information becomes available.

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Deal in works to save Big 12

Mon, 14 Jun 2010 13:28:19 -0500

If you've been following the Fanblogs Twitter Account (@fanblogs) this morning, you already be aware that negotiations are ongoing at this moment to salvage the Big 12 Conference.

According to multiple sources, Big 12 commissioner Dan Beebe has been working behind the scenes to line prospective television deals, if the remaining Big 12 schools (sans Colorado and Nebraska) would remain in the conference.

As first reported on Rivals sister-site Orangebloods.com, Beebe has proposed the following for the ten remaining Big 12 teams:

- A new television contract in 2011 comparable to the SEC's deal, bumping revenues from the $7-$10 million per year to $14-$17 million per year. The numbers would be higher - perhaps as much as $20 million per year - for teams that appear on television more frequently, such as Oklahoma, Texas, and Texas A&M.

- Each of the ten remaining schools would receive $2 million from the buyout fees being paid to the Big12 by Colorado and Nebraska, with the conference keeping nothing

- The Big 12 would allow individual schools to launch their own television networks, such as the Longhorn Network that Texas has been considering, without sharing revenues with the member schools or the conference

- The Big 12 would introduce a round-robin format, with each school playing one another every year.

- The remaining schools could elect to petition the NCAA to permit a conference championship game with only 10 teams; however, it's widely speculated that - since the Big 12 coaches have never been in favor of a championship game - the conference may forgo the game.

And it appears that "The Beebe Plan" is gaining momentum. While Texas A&M was said to be looking to secure a spot in the SEC, all ten of the remaining Big 12 schools sat down for a conference call this afternoon to review the arrangement. According to Orangebloods, the Texas Longhorns are leading the charge to keep the conference intact.

As they say... stay tuned!

UPDATE

IT'S OFFICIAL: Texas staying in Big12. Press conference @ 11a tomorrow. Pac10 reports UT has declined invite. Longhorns reps have confirmed that Big12 will stay together as 10 teams. © www.fanblogs.com

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Hammer Dropped! USC Sanctions Finally In

Thu, 10 Jun 2010 12:45:45 -0500

Quite the day in CFB this Thursday.Not only all the conference defections, but USC's long awaited penalties from the Pete Carroll era are finally in: A 2-year ban on post season games, the loss of 30 scholarships and the vacation of all victories in which an ineligible player (Reggie Bush) participated. Bush has been ruled to have been ineligible at least as of December 2004, which would vacate the BCS title game victory in the Orange Bowl over Oklahoma in January 2005. That could possibly trigger vacating his Heisman Trophy for the 2005 season. The Heisman Trophy Trust has stated that it will have no comment until the appropriate time.

Further rumors are indicating that the NCAA may allow any USC player with two or more years' eligibility remaining to immediately transfer to another school, which could lead to a mass exodus of talent for the Trojans. Again, this has not been confirmed. The last time the NCAA made such an exception was during the 1987 SMU death penalty case where they allowed all players to transfer out, creating a situation where SMU had no choice but to take another year off in an attempt to recruit new players.

Reggie Bush was reached and offered this for comment:

"I have a great love for the University of Southern California and I very much regret the turn that this matter has taken, not only for USC, but for the fans and players.I am disappointed by (Thursday's) decision and disagree with the NCAA's findings. If the University decides to appeal, I will continue to cooperate with the NCAA and USC, as I did during the investigation. In the meantime, I will continue to focus on making a positive impact for the University and for the community where I live."

USC will certainly appeal the punishment, but one can't say that HC Lane Kiffin didn't know what he was getting into by taking the job. Kiffin was an assistant coach during the time that these infractions occurred, as was assistant Ed Orgeron.

The post-season ban marks the first time since 2003 that a team has received such punishment, with Alabama being the last offender. The NCAA had gotten away from that particular brand of punishment under former NCAA head Miles Brand (pun intended), but have shown an interest in it again with the severity of this case.

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Fanblogs Open Thread: Realignment-ageddon Edition

Thu, 10 Jun 2010 12:23:46 -0500

With today's official announcement of Colorado to the Pac10 conference and the expected announcement of Nebraska to the Big10 conference (which officially makes it a Big12, don't you think?)... it would seem that the summer realignment-ageddon has officially begun.

Here's a quick what we know, what we can surmise....

- Colorado is officially joining the Pac10. It's unclear as to whether the Pac10 intends to hold at 11 teams, but we should expect the Pac10 to seek to add at least one additional member. For years the argument against expansion centered around the round-robin schedule format and - with 11 schools - that format is officially out the window for college football. Adding one more school would give the conference the option to conduct a CFB championship game in some of the largest television markets in the country. Does the Pac10 stop at 12 (Texas??) or expand further with Big12/MWC/WAC teams???

- The Big10 will have 12 teams with the addition of Nebraska. Will they stand pat at 12 teams or expand to 16 as had been rumored?

- The SEC has said that they will not sit idly by if the Big10 expands. Sports Illustrated has confirmed that the SEC has held discussions with Texas A&M. Is that prelude to further SEC expansion? Who, in addition to the Aggies, are on the SEC radar?

- The ACC & Big East seem to be awfully quiet. Are they targets or could a merger be on the table for the two conferences?

- The MWC will not offer membership to Boise State at this time, setting themselves up to be the home of any Big12 refugees. Is the MWC destined to become a BCS conference by default?

DISCUSS!!!

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Nebraska given ultimatum; Texas legislators pushing Baylor to Pac10

Sun, 06 Jun 2010 03:01:59 -0500

In the ongoing saga of "As the Big 12 Turns", Rivals.com site Orangebloods is reporting that the conference has given Nebraska less than two weeks to decide if it will remain in the Big 12.

According to sources, Nebraska is on the fence as to its future with the conference. The nine schools that are actively working to maintain the current conference, including powerhouses Texas and Oklahoma, are convinced that the league can survive the hypothetical departure of Missouri or Colorado; however, the Huskers are seen as key to the viability of the conference, given the Huskers' stature and marketability.

If these reports are accurate, then kudos to the Big 12 for not standing idly by and being held hostage by a growing list of conference suitors. I'm not exactly sure how you enforce the ultimatum without requiring members to sign a revised agreement with a substantial buyout provision, but perhaps that's what the Big 12 has in mind.

Meanwhile, with rumors of a possible Pac10 offer coming for six of the Big 12's teams, a group of at least 15 Texas legislators are working behind the scenes to ensure that Baylor is among the teams offered membership by the Pac10. Astute fans will recall that a similar move by legislators in the mid-90s that secured a place in the Big 12 for the Bears over TCU, among others.

"If you're going to have an exported commodity involved in this, do you think we're going to allow a school from outside the state of Texas to replace one of our schools in the Big 12 South? I don't think so. We're already at work on this," said a high-ranking member of the Texas Legislature who asked not to be identified.

The Texas legislators point out that Baylor is financial viable and already fields a full compliment of sports, including baseball and softball, something that cannot be said of Colorado.

Perhaps the most interesting aspect to the Pac10 rumors is the revelation that Texas AD DeLoss Dodds is the leading voice for keeping the Big 12 intact.

According to Orangebloods, Texas would have to walk away from considerable revenues resulting from its planned UT television network if the Horns joined the Pac10, given the Pac10's current television plans. And while membership in the SEC would allow UT to launch its network, Dodds does not feel the SEC fits Texas' vision academically or otherwise.

If it's true that Texas is the driving force behind maintaining the Big 12 conference, then it would seem most likely that the Big 12 will be able to survive efforts by the Pac10 and Big 10 to pilfer the league's best teams. As has been discussed before, Texas is the crown jewel in the league financially. While the members may feel that Nebraska is the key to sustainability, it's clear to me that, as Texas goes, so goes the Big 12.

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More Expansion Rumors: Pac-10 to Add Six Big 12 Teams?

Thu, 03 Jun 2010 17:40:18 -0500

While college football waits seemingly forever for the Big Ten to announce their expansion plans, The Pac-10 might be prepared to steal their thunder and send invitations out to six teams from the Big 12. Chip Brown, a former Texas beat writer for the Dallas Morning News says today on his pay site Orangeblood.com, which is sponsored by Rivals, that the Pac-10 is ready to extend invitations out to Texas, Texas A&M, Texas Tech, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, and Colorado as early as this weekend. Yup, that's what's known as rolling thunder.

Brown cites multiple sources on his site, which we can't see currently because of it's subscription status. This new PAC-16 will then split into two divisions, with the new kids on the block joining the Arizona teams to form one division with the remaining PAC squads forming the rest. Such a move would leave both Kansas teams, Iowa State and Baylor out in the cold, assuming you believe that Mizzo and Nebraska have already made up their minds on those alledged invitations to the Big Ten.

With both the Big 12 and SEC schools in spring meetings this week, what else could we expect to see before Sunday? Could we get a quicker confirmation from the Big 12 schools, unlike the secrecy and denials we saw from the Big Ten over their expansion? Will this event be enough for the SEC to impose the Bush Doctrine of CFB and go ahead and announce their expansion plans based on the fear of being up-ended? For you history buffs, this kind of maneuvering and posturing is what led to World War I.

Updates coming early and often!

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