So... without further ado... who is the biggest sleeper team of the 2010-2011 college football season?

I'm going to go outside the BCS conferences for this one and pick the Ponies. Yep, C-USA, baby. While Houston is the sexy pick in Conference USA (and why not, with their Heisman-capable QB?), give me the mighty SMU Mustangs.

Not only does SMU return eight starters to the conference's best offense, but the Mustangs play some pretty solid defense. They held the potent Nevada running game to 200 yards below their season average last year and get 7 starters back from last year's team.

June Jones is in his 3rd season in Dallas and already has the ship righted. Not only did the Mustangs make it to their first bowl game since 1984, but they also brought home the Sheraton Bowl trophy to boot. SMU won 7 more games last year then they did in 2008 with a team of basically freshmen and sophomores. 29 of Jones's 44 players on the two-deep roster were underclassmen and they all return for 2010. QB Kyle Pardon completed 67% of his passes last season in his first year as a starter and he's got two good WRs back with him this year.

SMU will get some help schedule-wise this year. The Mustangs play rival TCU at home and catch Houston at home this season as well. This could very well be a 10-win season for SMU with a trip to the LIberty Bowl as C-USA champ.

You combine those factors and package them up in the Pony Express uniforms and maybe, just maybe, it's high times again in Big D.

So... who's your sleeper team for 2011?

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!!!

At first glance, it would seem to reward teams that played a tougher schedule rather than padding their record with cupcakes. The change would also give bowls more flexibility to create the most interesting matchup, potentially boosting revenues for struggling bowl committees.

Matt Sanderson, co-founder of Playoff PAC, told the San Diego Union Times that the rule could allow bowls with open slots for at-large teams to select power-conference teams with 6-6 records over smaller-conference teams with winning records.

Sanderson points to this season's GMAC Bowl, which took 9-3 Troy as an at-large team. Under the revised rules, the GMAC Bowl could have offered the at-large slot to 6-6 Notre Dame.

While the new provision still needs an OK by the greater NCAA, most rule revisions that make it out of committee are approved.

Suffice to say... no one wants to see a bad 6-6 team stink it up in a marquee bowl game. The reality is that - with new bowls coming on in Yankee Stadium and the Cotton Bowl - there are going to be 70 teams in bowl games this year. If a bowl needs to dig deep and get an at-large team, I would prefer them to create the most interesting game they can.

No disrespect intended, but I would *much* rather see a hypothetical 6-6 Southern Cal as an at-large against Alabama, for example, over a 7-5 Louisiana Monroe.

Just sayin.

The Big Ten is looking at three plans: Stand pat with 11 teams, add one team (hopefully Notre Dame) or make a blockbuster move and go to 16.

"If they go to 16 and one of them is Notre Dame then we've got an entirely new ball game," a conference commissioner told me confidentially.

According to Barnhart, the Big 10 would potentially add Notre Dame and four other Big East teams. It's hard to distinguish if he has any leads on who those teams could be, but Barnhart theorizes that the target list may include Syracuse, Pitt, Rutgers, and UConn.

Of course this opens a whole host of other possibilities....

Where do the other Big East football schools go?

Would some mish-mash of Big East / Conference USA start a new conference?

Would the ACC expand to 16 as well by taking in the Big East leftovers?

Would the SEC expand to 16 to ensure that the conference doesn't lose its considerable negotiating advantage to the new Big 16? And, as Barnhart ponders, who would the SEC invite?

Does the SEC get aggressive and pick up the phone call Texas? That's the one school that would move the financial needle to improve the great deal the SEC already has. And if you take Texas, you have to take Texas A&M because of the politics. Does the SEC take another look at Florida State and Miami and see if those schools would be interested in leaving the ACC for a better financial deal?

It's hard to even imagine an SEC that adds the collective football prominence of Texas, Texas A&M, FSU and Miami. Not to mention its gains in Title IX sports and spring sports such as baseball, track, and golf.

A 16-team Big 10 would definitely be a behemoth, but the ripple effects... *that's* where superconference expansion would get interesting.

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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.

The loss of Louisville, Cincinnati and South Florida in 2005 to the Big East put a significant dent in C-USA's elite teams. TCU, who had been a member since 2001, left in 2005 for the MWC and C-USA then picked up UCF, Marshall, Rice, SMU, UTEP and Tulsa to form the conference that exists today.

The MWC has emerged as a serious contender for an eventual BCS automatic qualification but even the WAC has sent two teams to the BCS. Will C-USA get their turn at the BCS tables? What chance does C-USA have of making a BCS bowl this year?

The conference championship game is not included in conference rankings by C-USA.
Unless specified a team will likely need to go undefeated to get into the top 14.
For consideration of BCS slots for C-USA, Boise State might as well be a MWC team already.
C-USA East
East Carolina 9-3 (7-1 C-USA)
OOC: Appalachian State, @West Virginia, @North Carolina, Virginia Tech
West: @SMU, Rice, @Tulsa

West Virginia and Virginia Tech will be formidable tests but, as last year showed, they are not insurmountable. North Carolina and Tulsa will also present some problems.

East Carolina certainly has a BCS caliber schedule and has room to make waves again this year. An undefeated season, capped off with a C-USA conference championship game win, would put East Carolina in contention with an undefeated MWC team for a BCS spot. They should be in the top 14 even with one loss.

Memphis 8-4 (5-3 C-USA)
OOC: Ole Miss, @Middle Tennessee State, Tennessee-Martin, @Tennessee
West: UTEP, @Houston, @Tulsa

Ole Miss looks to be a beast this year but Tennessee looks very beatable.

Southern Mississippi 7-5 (5-3 C-USA)
OOC: Alcorn State, Virginia, @Kansas, @Louisville
West: Tulane, @Houston, Tulsa

Other than Alcorn State, the other three OOC games look very compelling.

UCF 5-7 (4-4 C-USA)
OOC: Samford, Buffalo, Miami (FL), @Texas

This might be as aggressive a schedule as East Carolina's. UCF is not East Carolina.

Marshall 5-7 (4-4 C-USA)
OOC: Southern Illinois, @Virginia Tech, Bowling Green, @West Virginia
West: @Tulane, SMU, @UTEP

The game against Bowling Green might be compelling, the rest not so much. Like ECU and UCF they have a schedule to make a statement.

UAB 4-8 (2-6 C-USA)
OOC: @Troy, @Texas A&M, @Ole Miss, Florida Atlantic
West: Rice, SMU, @UTEP

Ole Miss again is going to be tough this year. Texas A&M is going to take all they have to get an upset. Troy and Florida Atlantic should be close games.

C-USA West
Tulsa 9-3 (7-1 C-USA)
OOC: @New Mexico, @Oklahoma, Sam Houston State, Boise State
East: East Carolina, @Southern Miss, Memphis

New Mexico should be close and they should give Boise State a run for their money. A one loss Tulsa could possibly climb into BCS consideration.

Rice 8-4 (6-2 C-USA)
OOC: @Texas Tech, @Oklahoma State, Vanderbilt, Navy
East: @UAB, @East Carolina, UCF

I think Texas Tech is a bit much for them to handle but the other three games should be excellent.

Houston 6-6 (4-4 C-USA)
OOC: Northwestern State, @Oklahoma State, Texas Tech, @Mississippi State
East: Southern Miss, @UCF, Memphis

While Houston might something out of their game at Oklahoma State, Mississippi State should be interesting regardless.

UTEP 3-9 (2-6 C-USA)
OOC: Buffalo, Kansas, @New Mexico State, @Texas
East: @Memphis, UAB, Marshall

I would love to see UTEP beat Kansas, but it is a long shot. Buffalo will get a test at UTEP. New Mexico State should be a close game.

Tulane 3-9 (1-7 C-USA)
OOC: BYU, McNeese State, @Army, @LSU
East: Marshall, @Southern Miss, @UCF

Tulane should beat Army and could put a wrinkle in BYU's plans.

SMU 4-8 (1-7 C-USA)
OOC: Stephan F. Austin, @Washington State, @TCU, Navy
East: @UAB, East Carolina, @Marshall

I like SMU's chances vs. Washington State and Navy.

OOC
BCS: 25 games. While C-USA has more games against the BCS conference members than the MWC more of these are not very competitive. C-USA should be in the ball park of 8 or 9 wins over BCS conference members.

MWC: 3. With games against the top MWC teams, plus a fourth against Boise State, C-USA has an opportunity to make a statement that it is the top conference outside the Big 6. Only ne of those looks to be competitive.

Total: 48 games. I expect C-USA to go 23-25 though a winning record is not out of the question by any means.

Conclusion
Where the MWC focuses on scheduling competitive teams they can beat, C-USA plays a more challenging schedule that pushed their envelope. Part of this is that the MWC has distanced themselves from C-USA in the middle of the pack making the common opponents appear to be more challenging in C-USA.

With a few exceptions, C-USA teams need to go undefeated to even get into BCS consideration. East Carolina, Tulsa and UCF can get their with a loss but would be behind a one loss MWC team or Boise State. An undefeated MWC team or Boise State is ahead of them in any case.

This makes for very long odds for a C-USA team to make a BCS bowl this year. Even if a team performs they will likely be outranked by a MWC team or Boise State. This is not likely to change in the near future.

The best chance for C-USA to improve their odds is for the MWC to expand by adding Boise State and become an automatic qualifying conference. C-USA would then be the top non automatic qualifying conference once again, pending losses to the Big East. C-USA should still be able to draw the top WAC, MAC and Sun Belt teams to build a strong conference, even with a few losses.

The House Subcommittee on Commerce, Trade, and Consumer Protection hosted the hearings. Of the twenty-nine House members on the committee, three showed up to participate

The hearing leader, Rep. Bobby Rush (D-Ill.), introduced the key guest, BCS coordinator John Swofford, as the commissioner of the Athletic Coast Conference. Rep. Rush, I pretty sure it's the Atlantic Coast Conference, although they do play athletics, so I guess we'll give you partial credit, Congressman.

Craig Thompson was introduced as the commissioner of the West Mountain. Seriously? The West Mountain? Is Thompson the chief ski lift operator there or something? Could someone not point out to the leader of the BCS committee hearing that MWC is an acronym for the Mountain West Conference and not West Mountain?

None of the congressmen attending the hearing was aware that all eleven major conferences are members and financial benefactors of the BCS.

I mean... seriously... is this how our congressmen prepare for an on-the-record House hearing? I cringe to think what would happen if the discussion was the future of medicare. In the words of Britney Spears, "Ding dang, y'all!"

Rep Joe Barton (R-Tex.), an outspoken advocate for scapping the BCS in favor of a playoff format, demonstrated his grasp of playoff proposals by insisting that a March Madness style bracket format may be the solution for college football.

"You could have a playoff system with 64 teams, and use every bowl that's currently in there," Barton said Friday. "You could do that."

No you couldn't.

"We'd still be playing," Alamo Bowl CEO Derrick Fox quipped.

Congressman, if 64 teams are play in a single-elimination format... then it takes 63 total games to determine the winner. That's how it works.

Barton has proposed legislation that would forbid the BCS from awarding a "national championship" trophy. Within the bill, any organization would be barred from "the marketing, promotion, and advertising of a postseason game as a 'national championship' football game, unless it is the result of a playoff system. Violations of the prohibition will be treated as violations of the Federal Trade Commission Act as an unfair or deceptive act or practice."

Let me see if I understand the implication: Since the BCS does not award a National Championship trophy... the BCS would continue unchanged. Yep. The American Football Coaches Association would still hand out the Coaches Trophy. The AP would still crown its own champion as well. In other words, Barton's legislation would permit the BCS to continue unchanged.

So... Barton's bill means nothing to the BCS... at all? Well, yeah. Congressman Barton told Swofford during the hearing that the BCS wouldn't be obligated to institute any change.

"You don't have to change it. Our bill doesn't say you have to change it."

(That said... I would still love for someone to start handing out the "Barton Cup".)

Later Barton -- who's bill was the entire basis for the hearings -- left the committee meeting to catch a flight home.

Now maybe it's just me, but when you introduce a bill to change the BCS... that you GO OUT OF YOUR WAY to explain will not change the BCS... and then you leave your own hearing to fly home... I'm going to have a hard time taking you seriously. Maybe it's just me.

Rep. Rush went on to ask the Athletic Conference and West Mountain conference commissioners if they believed the current BCS system was fair. Thompson stated that the current system was "grossly inequitable." Swofford said that the revenue distribution "represents the marketplace", which is really just a nice way of saying some BCS teams are drawing 70,000+... for their spring practice games. Blutarsky points out that Georgia drew 42,458... which would have ranked them 54th in attendance last season (pdf!), just ahead of... UTAH!

Was Thompson hoping for a federal bailout with the "grossly inequitable" comment? Seriously, man... some of your schools don't even offer ESPN on campus cable networks??

But Thompson got in his own polite comment when asked if he believed Congress should intervene in the BCS.

"The U.S. Congress represents fans and constituencies," Thompson said. "Our university presidents work with that same group of constituents."

In other words, they guy who is paying lobbyists to push for an eight-team playoff would kindly like Congress to mind its own business and stay out of college football.

Well said, Commissioner. Well said.

The full hearing is posted online at CSpan, but -- I'm warning you -- regardless of where you stand on this one, you're probably going to hate yourself for enduring this.

College Football Coaches who Twitter

ACC Coaches
@DavidCutcliffe - Duke Blue Devils Football Coach David Cutcliffe
@CoachSwinney" - Clemson Tigers Football Coach Dabo Swinney
@ CoachFridge" - Maryland Terrapins Football Coach Ralph Friedgen

Big East Coaches
@CoachStewart - West Virginia Mountaineers Football Coach Bill Stewart
@jimleavitt - University of South Florida Bulls Football Coach Jim Leavitt
@dougmarrone - Syracuse Orange Football Coach Doug Marrone
@coachwannstedt - Pitt Panthers Football Coach Dave Wannstedt

SEC Coaches
@CoachUrbanMeyer - Florida Gators Football Coach Urban Meyer
@LSUCoachMiles - LSU Tigers Football Coach Les Miles
@LaneKiffinUT - Tennessee Volunteers Football Coach Lane Kiffin
@rollwiththetide - University of Alabama Crimson Tide Football Coaches (collectively)
@MarkRicht - Georgia Bulldogs Football Coach Mark Richt

Big10 Coaches
@Play4brew - Minnesota Gophers Football Coach Tim Brewster
@RonZook - Illinois Illini Football Coach Ron Zook
@UM_CoachRod - Michigan Wolverines Football Coach Rich Rodriguez
@JayPaterno - Penn State University Nittany Lions Assistant Football Coach Jay Paterno
@BretBielema - Wisconsin Badgers Football Coach Bret Bielema

Big12 Coaches
@BoPelini - Nebraska Cornhuskers Football Coach Bo Pelini
@mizzoufootball - Missouri Tigers Football Coach Gary Pinkel
@CoachSherman - Texas A&M Aggies Football Coach Mike Sherman

Pac10 Coaches
@CoachSark - Washington Huskies Football Coach Steve Sarkisian
@PeteCarroll - USC Trojans Football Coach Pete Carroll
@CoachWulff - Washington State University Cougars Football Coach Paul Wulff
@JimHarbaugh - Stanford Cardinal Football Coach Jim Harbaugh

MAC Coaches
@coachbeckman - Toledo Rockets Football Coach Tim Beckman
@ron_english - Eastern Michigan Football Coach Ron English
@TUCoachAlGolden - Temple Owls Football Coach Al Golden

Conference USA Coaches
@CoachFedora - Southern Miss Football Coach Larry Fedora
@UCFFootball - University of Central Florida Football Coaches (collectively)
@CoachCollins - University of Central Florida Knights Assistant Football Coach Geoff Collins
@CoachSnyder - Marshall University Thundering Herd Football Coach Mark Snyder

Mountain West Conference Coaches
@KyleWhittingham - Utah Utes Football Coach Kyle Whittingham
@Cowboysfootball - Wyoming Cowboys Football Coach Dave Christensen
@CoachFairchild - Colorado State Rams Football Coach Steve Fairchild
@Coachlocks - New Mexico Lobos Football Coach Mike Locksley

Sun Belt Conference Coaches
@coachdavidelson - Western Kentucky Hilltoppers Football Coach David Elson

Independent Coaches
@NDHFC - Notre Dame Football Coach Charlie Weis

Know of other college football coaches who use Twitter? Send us a tweet @fanblogs!

Here's the complete rundown:

Alabama 22/1
Arizona 100/1
Arizona State 150/1
Arkansas 150/1
Auburn 150/1
Boise State 100/1
Boston College 100/1
California 60/1
Cincinnati 90/1
Clemson 60/1
Colorado 100/1
Florida 7/4
Florida State 30/1
Georgia 50/1
Georgia Tech 50/1
Illinois 80/1
Iowa 75/1
Kansas 75/1
Kansas State 175/1
Kentucky 125/1
Louisville 150/1
LSU 20/1
Maryland 200/1
Miami 35/1
Michigan 120/1
Michigan State 100/1
Missouri 90/1
Nebraska 55/1
North Carolina 45/1
North Carolina State 100/1
Notre Dame 30/1
Ohio State 17/2
Oklahoma 5/1
Oklahoma State 50/1
Oregon 20/1
Oregon State 100/1
Penn State 35/1
Pittsburgh 60/1
Rutgers 125/1
South Carolina 100/1
South Florida 80/1
Tennessee 100/1
Texas 8/1
Texas A&M 150/1
Texas Tech 60/1
UCLA 150/1
Utah 125/1
USC 5/1
Virginia 100/1
Virginia Tech 20/1
Wake Forest 80/1
Washington 200/1
West Virginia 75/1
Wisconsin 100/1
Field (Any Other Team) 20/1

And remember... entertainment purposes only... of course.

First, the method to their madness:

ESPN's Prestige Rankings are a numerical method of ranking the best FBS college football programs since the 1936 season. Point values were assigned for certain successes (win a national title, earn 25 points) and failures (get your program banned from the postseason, lose two points). The research department ran all the numbers through the computer to come up with the No. 1 program (and Nos. 2 to 119) of the past 73 seasons.

The full breakdown of how points were accumulated (and deducted) is online as well, with the "biggies" being National Championships, major bowl berths, major bowl wins, Heisman winners, and points for various finishes in the AP top twenty five poll.

The results are... pretty interesting. In fact, it's really hard for me to quibble over all but a few positions - and even that might be subjective.

ESPN COLLEGE FOOTBALL PRESTIGE RANKINGS

1. Oklahoma
2. USC
3. Ohio State
4. Notre Dame
5. Nebraska
6. Alabama
7. Texas
8. Michigan
9. Florida State
10. Miami
11. Penn State
12. Tennessee
13. LSU
14, Georgia
15. Florida
16. UCLA
17. Washington
18. Georgia Tech
19. Arkansas
20. Texas A&M
21. Auburn
22t. Clemson
22t. Colorado
24. Ole Miss
25. BYU

Click here for positions 26 - 119

Again, this is more of a prestige spotlight list than a comparison of team A versus team B. That's obvious when you look at the criteria, and then also compare the rankings above with head-to-head records, for example. Case(s) in point... Oklahoma has a losing record all-time against Texas, but is ranked ahead in prestige. Florida State has a losing record all-time against both Miami and Florida, but gets the presige nod. The Noles have a winning record over both top five Notre Dame and Ohio State, but I digress.

Even still, it's hard for me to look back at the history of college football and not put the Sooners at or near the top of the list. Certainly Ohio State, USC, Notre Dame, and Nebraska all deserve to be near the top as well. You can debate where everyone falls (ie should "x" be #6,#7, or #8) but it's hard to see someone in the top 25 that doesn't belong.

(Before a single bowl had been played I thought it would be great to see Utah host Boise State for the right to face Oklahoma in the Fiesta Bowl and Florida play Texas in a Wild Card Game. The Fiesta Bowl and Wild Card Game winners would face off in the National Championship Game. Sorry USC, you did not win all of your games nor build enough consensus to avoid having a gap form above you in the BCS standings.)

What else is there to do but review this season before moving on to anticipation for next year? It is understandable that several people may be ready to move on already, but for those outside the BCS conferences it was a landmark year, and not just for Utah.

Where better to start than with a series I posted on this topic at Block U starting even before the season?

The season started off with a feeling that this season was going to be special. Unlike 2004, where the magic feeling was contained to Utah, this year was going to be much more of a broad sweep. Somewhere I around here I even raised the possibility of two non-BCS teams making it to BCS bowls. I raised the possibility of a non BCS national champion, but only BYU and Fresno State had a chance. All others, including Utah, were eliminated before a single kickoff.

With all the excitement leading into the year, the first week was no disappointment. 6 BCS conference teams lost to BCS outsiders. Michigan, Virginia Tech and Rutgers were among the fallen. An unprecedented 3 outsiders claimed top 25 spots after week 1, and the unprecedented rise up the charts would continue all season.

The next week a return to normality was in the cards. West Virgina and and Washington fell, though the latter would turn out to be more of a liability than an asset. With 4 teams in the top 25 and SEC and BIG 12 dominance the thought of 2 BCS Busters gained some weight.

Week 3 featured the fall of the PAC 10. 3 games vs MWC teams, three losses. USC helped undermine the BIG 10 by taking out Ohio State, so I thought. I also counted out the ACC prematurely. While Wisconsin took out title contender Fresno State, BYU broke into the top 12, the required ranking for a BCS buster that would not be relinquished for the remainder of the season. Boise State was unranked and had a big game on the horizon. I had a feeling about this game...

Week 4 featured Boise State hitting their mark. The ACC begain its slow crawl back to legitimacy. With the year so far, hope began building for what had been an unthinkable win. Hope for the one game, more than any other, that could have opened a door for Utah in the national championship game.

Week 5 was the final round of significant out of conference play. Oklahoma humbled TCU. If a miracle had happened and TCU had won this game, I can only imagine how differently the polls would have played out in the end. The USC loss to Oregon State dominated the talk of the day, and lay foreboding for one of the top ranked BCS outsiders.

Conference play was kind to the outsiders as top 25 teams from BCS conferences got knocked out by league play and outsiders rose up to fill the gaps. Utah's win over Oregon State gave the MWC a 6-1 mark in the regular season over the PAC 10. They would end the season with a 10-5 mark against all BCS conference teams. 3 teams ended the week in the top 14, with BYU riding high.

While more top teams fell in week 7, BYU's championship hopes were put to rest, assuring all BCS outsiders were now out of title consideration.

Top 25 stability dominated week 8. Several large top 25 games the following week loomed large to open windows.

But it was not to be. This week and the lack of non conference play left little to be said and my interest in the series died off. It became increasingly more obvious that Ohio State was not going to get a loss needed to knock them out of the top 14. We were one Ohio State loss away from seeing two BCS outsiders break into BCS bowls, but it would not come.

Though Boise State was one spot higher than Ohio State, Ohio State was selected for the money they bring to the table. Boise State and TCU brought the Poinsettia Bowl twice as much money, if not more, as they had ever seen and more viewers than the Orange Bowl.

End of the season
Who, other than me, could have imagined that a legitimate claim for two outsiders making a BCS bid could have been made? Not two, but three teams from outside of the BCS conferences ended in the top 14, one with two losses.

Alabama was the heavy favorite to put down Utah's claims. After the game perception had changed. More than in 2004 and 2006 an outsider had made a statement that they deserved consideration. Based on the AP Poll, 25% of us agree.

I would ask anyone to seriously compare your own perception of the gap between Utah and Alabama before the Sugar Bowl to your perception of the gap between Utah and Florida now. Would you not agree that the latter is smaller than the former?

The Utah win was enormous for its program. It was big for the MWC. But when it comes to bringing a change of attitude for the BCS outsiders, and maybe even calls for a new system,

A WIN FOR ONE IS A WIN FOR ALL!!

So... without further ado... my updated bowl game projections for games played through November 8, 2008.

Click here for the complete 2008-2009 College Football Bowl Game Schedule

New Mexico Bowl - San Jose State vs Colorado State

St. Petersburg Bowl - South Florida vs Houston

Pioneer Las Vegas - TCU vs Oregon

Eagle Bank Bowl - Virginia vs Navy

R+L Carriers New Orleans - Memphis vs Troy

San Diego County Credit Union Poinsettia - BYU vs Nevada

Sheraton Hawaii - Hawaii vs Stanford

Motor City - Central Michigan vs Illinois

Meineke Car Care - Cincinnati vs Maryland

Champs Sports - Virginia Tech vs Wisconsin

Emerald - Arizona vs Miami

Independence - Akron vs Florida International

PapaJohns.com - West Virginia vs. Florida Atlantic

Valero Alamo - Minnesota vs. Oklahoma State

Roady's Humanitarian - Boise State vs Boston College

Texas - Rutgers vs. Louisiana Tech

Pacific Life Holiday - Cal vs. Missouri

Bell Helicopter Armed Forces - Air Force vs Rice

Brut Sun - Oregon State vs. Nebraska

Gaylord Hotels Music City - Georgia Tech vs. Kentucky

Insight - Kansas vs. Northwestern

Chick-fil-A - Ole Miss vs North Carolina

Outback - Iowa vs South Carolina

Capital One - Georgia vs. Michigan State

Konica Minolta Gator - Wake Forest vs Notre Dame

AT&T Cotton - Oklahoma vs LSU

AutoZone Liberty - Tulsa vs. Vanderbilt

International - Connecticut vs. Western Michigan

GMAC - East Carolina vs. Ball State

Rose Bowl - Penn State vs. USC

FedEx Orange - Florida State vs. Utah

Allstate Sugar - Alabama vs. Pittsburgh

Tostitos Fiesta - Texas vs. Ohio State

BCS National Championship Game - Texas Tech vs. Florida

I had the pleasure of watching TCU vs. Oklahoma right next to UAB vs. South Carolina. In both cases one team did not look like they belonged on the field with the other. The establishment I was at had mercy on UAB and changed the channel to South Florida vs NC State. Although the score was similar it was apparent that in this case the teams were a lot closer. The one consolation is that TCU appeared to be able to play Oklahoma's second string.

Wyoming's disappointment to Bowling Green was not completely unexpected.

SDSU finally one a game vs Idaho and New Mexico is the state champion after a win over New Mexico State. CSU lost to California, ending the MWC winning streak over PAC 10 foes. None of this was a surprise, but UNLV's embarrassment by Nevada was unexpected.

This season has been good for the MWC, but this week was ugly. BYU can be glad they took the week off.

For the mid majors, Fresno State had a close win over a discredited BCS team and ECU lost a tough conference match.

This much is certain, either the MWC champion is not a legitimate BCS contender or TCU is not a legitimate MWC contender. Time will tell.

The most recent update finds Clemson coach Tommy Bowden vaulting to the top of the Hot Seat Rankings, on the strength (or lack thereof) of his team's performance against Alabama. While I'm not sure that TB is wearing the hottest pants in the nation, Joe goes on to explain the ranking in his blog:

Anything less than 8 wins by Tommy Bowden in 2008, and the Tommy Bowden era is OVER at Clemson. Tommy Bowden is not only coaching for his job, but if he does not get to 8 wins in 2008, Clemson AD Terry Don Phillips will find himself out of a job as well. Let’s just be very clear about the Alabama game: Alabama came out and smashed Clemson in the mouth, and the Clemson players QUIT on Tommy Bowden. This is not the first time the Clemson players have QUIT on Tommy Bowden, and it will not be the last. Bowden entered the game against Alabama with four times the talent and four times the experience of the Tide, and the Tigers got their ass handed to them. For some reason, Tommy Bowden believes that he can continue to put mediocre and underperforming teams onto the field at Clemson and keep his job, but make no doubt about it, Tommy Bowden is now fighting for his coaching career.

Again, I don't know if I would go *that far*, but... then again, if Bowden doesn't post eight wins, then... yeah, he's going out on a rail. All we've heard this season is that this squad is the most talented in epic annals of Tiger football history. If Bowden can't win eight games, then bye-bye. I get that. I'm just not sure that it qualifies him as the #1 target of the college coaching axe.

The rest of the Coaches Hot Seat top ten:

2. Mike Sherman, Texas A&M
3. Ty Willingham, Washington
4. Dave Wannstedt, Pittsburgh
5. Greg Robinson, Syracuse
6. Chuck Long, San Diego State
7. Steve Kragthorpe, Louisville
8. Phil Fulmer, Tennessee
9. Al Groh, Virginia
10. Kirk Ferentz, Iowa

Again, I'm not 100% sure I agree with the list. For example, I think Joe Glenn's days at Wyoming are numbered despite the Cowboys win over Ohio.

Whereas I do not believe that Fulmer can do anything at all to lose his job this year, even if the Vols lose another four or five games this season. Fulmer is - in my opinion - safe this season, as evidenced by his recent contract extension.

I'm still not convinced that Steve Kragthorpe has anything to worry about at Lousiville, either. Yes... his team had more turnovers than points, but the UofL AD made a pretty strong case that Kragthorpe was left a mostly bare cupboard of rotting and/or expired goods. While Petrino contends otherwise, at least Kragthorpe has his AD -- who himself is safe by virtue of the rest of the school's athletics and revenues - in his corner. Kragthorpe rebuilt Tulsa from nothing to three bowls in a state where Golden Hurricane football is *at least* third fiddle, so if there was ever a guy you would want to inherit a bare cupboard....

Meanwhile... way down at #29... is our friend Cheeseburger Charlie Weis. Seriously?! #29?! Dude? Dude. Dude!

Finally, I think the Tim Brewster experiment might be on its last refrains, especially after the attention given to the academic failings of his recruits and the prospect of filling a new stadium in 2009. After all, what's going to fill the seats - a .500 team with Brewster or a hot new coach? It's a rhetorical question, but you're free to answer as you will.

Check out the Coaches Hot Seat for the full rundown.

Surprise #1? Ten of the top 14 travel distances belong to BCS teams.
Surprise #2? Nineteen of the bottom 22 are BCS teams.

Note: These are DRIVING DISTANCES, so Hawaii is not included.
Note: Because there is no bridge to Hawaii. Seriously.

Which college football teams travel the most miles for games in 2008?

1. Fresno State 18,190 miles
2. UTEP 15,016
3. Florida International 14,692
4. Florida Atlantic 14,534
5. Louisiana Tech 13,648
6. Notre Dame 13,348
7. Oregon State 13,278
8. San Diego State 13,134
9. Stanford 12,984
10. Idaho 12,798

Again, no big surprise that the most geographically diverse conferences are leading the top spots. After all, the longest roundtrip for a WAC conference game is 4,348 miles. (Idaho at Louisiana Tech)

The one standout is Notre Dame. The Irish go from sea to shining sea with games at Washington, at Boston College, and at USC.

I know what you're thinking and the answer is YES - college football players can accrue frequent flier miles for their travel. (NCAA Bylaws § 16.12.1.11(b))

Which college football teams travel the fewest miles for games in 2008?

110. Virginia 3,060 miles
111. Nebraska 3,050
112. Mississippi State 3,036
113. Indiana 3,018
114. Duke 2,922
115. Miami (Ohio) 2,874
116. Central Michigan 2,599
117. Ball State 2,464
118. Purdue 2,280
119. N.C. State 1,734

Again, it's not that shocking that the least geographically diverse conferences primarily make up the bottom of the list. The Pack play two games (@ UNC and @ Duke) where the total roundtrip is less than 100 miles... combined! I don't know that it's right to "criticize" the Wolfpack for After all, NC State was ranked as the #60 most difficult pre-season schedule. The fact that they never cross more than one state line when traveling... bonus.

Which BCS teams lead their conference in miles traveled for games in 2008?

Pac10 - Oregon State (7th) 13,278
ACC - Miami (21st) 9,952
Big XII - Colorado (22nd) 9,166
Big East - South Florida (42nd) 7,462
Big 10 - Ohio State (46th) 7,364
SEC - Georgia (47th) 7,264

Check out the whole thing over at Rivals. There's some interesting details on the longest & shortest road trips as well as the complete list of how many miles each team travels this year.