College Football Comments: Week 8

• I’d like to take the time to publicly smack every journalist and college football expert who had Texas Tech in the top 10 before last week.  I really hope they felt foolish after watching Texas demoralize the Red Raiders.


• So the BCS just leapfrogged Texas into the one spot over USC.  Can someone tell me who Texas has played besides Ohio State?  And don’t tell me USC has a softer schedule: USC’s win over Notre Dame was a better win than Texas’ best win (Ohio State).


• Is anyone else wondering why the heck one-loss Miami is ranked ahead of one-loss Florida State even though Florida State beat them earlier this year?  I know that Miami is better than when they played FSU but FSU is better also.  


• Georgia and Oregon are going to be hurting after QBs D.J. Shockley and Kellen Clemens went down with injuries.  The Bulldogs-Gators game and the whole Ducks season has taken a whole new twist.  


• Even after 7 games it’s extremely hard to judge some of these teams.  LSU still remains somewhat of a mystery to me as does Miami and Texas Tech.


• Kudos to Missouri QB Brad Smith.  He rushed for over 200 yards and passed for over 200 yards in the same game this past weekend.  You can count how many times that’s happened in history with two hands.  Incredible.


• The Big Ten is the most amazing conference of the year.  The race is still wide open for about, oh, 7 teams to win it.  


• On the other hand the SEC has been surprisingly boring this year.  With Urban Meyer, Chris Leak, and Chad Jackson in Florida, D.J. Shockley in Georgia, JaMarcus Russell at LSU, Gerald Riggs at Tennessee, well you get the picture… For all the big names it’s been a horrific offensive year.  ‘Bama’s 6-3 win over Tennessee epitomizes the conference this year.


• West Virginia is trying to be the saving grace of the Big East but I don’t think it’s working as well as they would have liked.


• Just because a Mid-Major probably won’t be crashing the BCS party this year doesn’t mean that there aren’t any good teams: TCU, Fresno State, and UTEP are all darn good.


• Look out for… yep, Stanford.  After winning three in a row, which most recently included a defeat of Arizona State, UCLA comes to town.  Don’t be surprised to see an upset here.  (Yes, this is the same Stanford that lost to I-AA UC Davis.)


• As a final point, one could argue that Texas Tech doesn’t even deserve to be ranked.  A one-point victory over scoring-challenged Nebraska this year is the only decent win they’ve had.  But I guess to most moronic sportswriters who just look at scores it was good enough to get them into the top 10.  What a shame.

My Top 25
1. (1) USC
2. (2) Texas
3. (3) Virginia Tech
4. (5) Alabama
5. (4) Georgia
6. (6) LSU
7. (7) Notre Dame
8. (10) UCLA
9. (8) Penn State
10. (9) Ohio State
11. (11) Florida State
12. (12) Miami
13. (15) Boston College
14. (13) Florida
15. (18) Wisconsin
16. (17) West Virginia
17. (20) Auburn
18. (24) Minnesota
19. (17) Texas Tech
20. (19) Oregon
21. (NR) TCU
22. (NR) Northwestern
23. (NR) California
24. (NR) Michigan
25. (23) Texas A&M

Dropped Out:
Tennessee (14), Michigan State (16), Iowa (22), Fresno State (25)

Closing In:
Fresno State, Georgia Tech, Tennessee, Toledo, UTEP

College Football Comments: Week 7

Short on time this week so I’ll just give my top 25.  What a game out in South Bend though.  My gosh after watching it I don’t think the football gods will allow USC to lose.  It’s a crazy college football world.  And a week after USC gets its biggest challenger we now will see if Texas can topple Texas Tech in a battle for Big 12 supremacy.  Should be another fine week.

My Top 25
1. (1) USC 6-0
2. (2) Texas 6-0
3. (3) Virginia Tech 6-0
4. (4) Georgia 6-0
5. (6) Alabama 6-0
6. (11) LSU 4-1
7. (8) Notre Dame 4-2
8. (7) Penn State 6-1
9. (10) Ohio State 4-2
10. (14) UCLA 6-0
11. (5) Florida State 5-1
12. (12) Miami 5-1
13. (9) Florida 5-2
14. (15) Tennessee 3-2
15. (17) Boston College 6-1
16. (13) Michigan State 4-2
17. (19) Texas Tech 6-0
18. (23) Wisconsin 6-1
19. (20) Oregon 6-1
20. (21) Auburn 5-1
21. (25) West Virginia 6-1
22. (NR) Iowa 5-2
23. (NR) Texas A&M 4-2
24. (18) Minnesota 5-2
25. (NR) Fresno State 4-1

Dropped Out:
California (16), Louisville (22), Colorado (24)

College Football Midseason Awards

Welcome to the second part of my two part series (if you could call it a series) of college football this week.  This article will be devoted to the midseason awards.  I don’t know enough, and don’t pretend to know, about offensive lines and defenses to generate first and second teams for them.  The positions I will use for first and second teams will be QB, RB, WR, and K.  For the Big East I refuse to acknowledge that there is a lot of talent so in my protest I will only be making a first team.  Anyway, I know the anticipation is hardly controllable so I’ll let you read on. (Forgive the formatting.  I’m not sure what’s wrong.  For some reason the formatting using the Blogger for Word app doesn’t transfer from Word to the web that well.)

MVP- Vince Young, QB- Texas
Most Outstanding Player- Reggie Bush, RB- USC
Most Overrated Player- Chris Leak, QB- Florida
Most Underrated Player- Maurice Drew, RB- UCLA
Most Overrated Team- Texas Tech
Most Underrated Team- Fresno State

1st Team All-American               2nd Team All-American
QB- Matt Leinart, USC               QB- Vince Young, Texas
RB- Reggie Bush, USC               RB- DeAngelo Williams, Memphis
RB- Laurence Maroney, Minn          RB- Brian Calhoun, Wisconsin
WR- Dwayne Jarrett, USC               WR- Derek Hagan, Arizona State
WR- Jeff Samardzija, Notre Dame          WR- Chad Jackson, Florida
K- Brandon Pace, Virginia Tech          K- Brandon Coutu, Georgia

                    3rd Team All-American
                    QB- Drew Stanton, Michigan State
                    RB- Tyrell Sutton, N’western
                    RB- LenDale White, USC
                    WR- Greg Jennings, W. Michigan
                    WR- Mike Hass, Oregon State
                    K- Jad Dean, Clemson

ACC
New Projected Finish:
Atlantic
1. Florida State
2. Boston College
3. Clemson
4. Maryland
5. NC State
6. Wake Forest

Coastal
1. Virginia Tech*
2. Miami
3. Georgia Tech
4. Virginia
5. North Carolina
6. Duke

ACC MVP- Marcus Vick, QB- Virginia Tech
ACC Most Outstanding Player- Vick
Best Team of the 1st Half- Virginia Tech
Biggest Surprise Team- Boston College

1st Team All-ACC               2nd Team All-ACC
QB- Marcus Vick, V. Tech          QB- Drew Weatherford, FSU
RB- Chris Barclay, WF          RB- Micah Andrews, W. Forest
RB- Tyrone Moss, Miami          RB- James Davis, Clemson
WR- Calvin Johnson, GT          WR- Deyon Williams, Virginia
WR- Vernon Davis, M’land          WR- Greg Carr, FSU
K- Brandon Pace, V. Tec          K- Jad Dean, Clemson

Big 12
New Projected Finish:
North
1. Colorado
2. Nebraska
3. Missouri
4. Kansas State
5. Iowa State
6. Kansas

South
1. Texas
2. Texas Tech
3. Texas A&M
4. Baylor
5. Oklahoma
6. Oklahoma State

Big 12 MVP- Vince Young, QB- Texas
Big 12 Most Outstanding Player- Young
Best Team of the 1st Half- Texas
Biggest Surprise Team- Oklahoma (for worse)

1st Team All-Big 12               2nd Team All-Big 12
QB- Vince Young, Texas          QB- Cody Hodges, TT
RB- Brad Smith, Missouri          RB- Hugh Charles, Colorado
RB- Jamaal Charles, Texas          RB- Taurean Henderson, TT
WR- Joel Filani, Tex A&M          WR- Robert Johnson, TT
WR- Jason Carter, TT               WR- D’Juan Woods, Ok State
K- Mason Crosby, Colorado          K- Bruce Redden, Ok State

Big East
New Projected Finish:
1. Louisville
2. West Virginia
3. South Florida
4. Connecticut
5. Rutgers
6. Pittsburgh
7. Cincinnati
8. Syracuse

Big East MVP- Brian Brohm, QB- Louisville
Big East Most Outstanding Player- Elvis Dumervil, DE- Louisville
Best Team of the 1st Half- Louisville
Biggest Surprise Team- South Florida

1st Team All Big East
QB- Brian Brohm, Louisville
RB- Michael Bush, Louisville
RB- Andre Hall, South Florida
WR- Greg Lee, Pittsburgh
WR- Mario Urrutia, Louisville
K- Arthur Carmody, Louisville

Big Ten
New Projected Finish:
1. Penn State
2. Ohio State
3. Michigan State
4. Iowa
5. Minnesota
6. Wisconsin
7. Michigan
8. Purdue
9. Northwestern
10. Indiana
11. Illinois

Big Ten MVP- Drew Stanton, QB- Michigan State
Big Ten Most Outstanding Player- A.J. Hawk, LB- Ohio State
Best Team of the 1st Half- Penn State
Biggest Surprise Team- Penn State

1st Team All Big Ten               2nd Team All Big Ten
QB- Drew Stanton, Michigan State     QB- Drew Tate, Iowa
RB- Laurence Maroney, Minnesota     RB- Tyrell Sutton, N’western
RB- Brian Calhoun, Wisconsin     RB- Gary Russell, Minnesota
WR- Jason Avant, Michigan          WR- Dorien Bryant, Purdue
WR- James Hardy, Indiana          WR- Clinton Solomon, Iowa
K- Taylor Mehlhaff, Wisconsin     K- Kyle Schlicher, Iowa

Pac-10
New Projected Finish:
1. USC
2. UCLA
3. California
4. Arizona State
5. Oregon
6. Oregon State
7. Washington State
8. Arizona
9. Stanford
10. Washington

Pac-10 MVP- Maurice Drew, RB- UCLA
Pac-10 Most Outstanding Player- Reggie Bush, RB- USC
Best Team of the 1st Half- USC
Biggest Surprise Team- UCLA

1st Team All Pac-10               2nd Team All Pac-10
QB- Matt Leinart, USC          QB- Sam Keller, ASU
RB- Reggie Bush, USC          RB- LenDale White, USC
RB- Maurice Drew, UCLA          RB- Justin Forsett, California
WR- Derek Hagan, ASU          WR- Mike Hass, Oregon State
WR- Dwayne Jarrett, USC          WR- Demetrius Williams, Oregon
K- Alexis Serna, OSU               K- Paul Martinez, Oregon

SEC
New Projected Finish:
East
1. Georgia
2. Florida
3. Tennessee
4. Vanderbilt
5. South Carolina
6. Kentucky

West
1. Alabama
2. LSU
3. Auburn
4. Arkansas
5. Mississippi
6. Mississippi State

SEC MVP- Jay Cutler, QB- Vanderbilt
SEC Most Outstanding Player- D.J. Shockley, QB- Georgia
Best Team of the 1st Half- Alabama
Biggest Surprise Team- Alabama

1st Team All SEC               2nd Team All SEC
QB- D.J. Shockley, Georgia          QB- Chris Leak, Florida
RB- Gerald Riggs Jr., Tennessee     RB- Rafael Little, Kentucky
RB- Kenneth Darby, Alabama     RB- Joseph Addai, LSU
WR- Chad Jackson, Florida          WR- Erik Davis, Vanderbilt          
WR- Sidney Rice, South Carolina     WR- Dallas Baker, Florida
K- Brandon Coutu, Georgia          K- Bryant Hahnfeldt, Vanderbilt

College Football Comments: Week 6

Well the halfway point for a lot of teams is here.  For me that means it’s time to think back on what has been a very surprising, entertaining first half.  Even though USC and Texas are still considered by most to be the top two teams in the country there are a slew of other undefeated and one-loss teams that will make this second half fun to watch.  Alabama and Penn State are the huge surprises this year and will look to seriously contend for a BCS berth.  On the other hand this year’s Oklahoma team is one of the most disappointing teams in recent memory.  These are just a few thoughts.  Over tonight and tomorrow I will post two different articles because I just have so much stuff to say!  For tonight I’ll return you to your regularly scheduled program and give you the format that I’ve been giving you the past five weeks.  Here you go:

My Top 25
1. (1) USC 5-0
2. (2) Texas 5-0
3. (3) Virginia Tech 6-0
4. (5) Georgia 5-0
5. (6) Florida State 5-0
6. (8) Alabama 5-0
7. (18) Penn State 6-0
8. (11) Notre Dame 4-1
9. (12) Florida 5-1
10. (4) Ohio State 3-2
11. (10) LSU 3-1
12. (13) Miami 4-1
13. (17) Michigan State 4-1
14. (20) UCLA 5-0
15. (7) Tennessee 3-2
16. (9) California 5-1
17. (19) Boston College 5-1
18. (NR) Minnesota 5-1
19. (16) Texas Tech 6-0
20. (25) Oregon 5-1
21. (21) Auburn 4-1
22. (22) Louisville 4-1
23. (15) Wisconsin 5-1
24. (NR) Colorado 4-1
25. (NR) West Virginia 5-1

Dropped Out:
Arizona State (14), Michigan (23), Georgia Tech (24)

Also Considered:
Fresno State, Indiana, Iowa, Nebraska, TCU, Virginia

BCS Forecast
The Undefeated Teams (front runners)
ACC: Florida State, Virginia Tech
Big 12: Texas, Texas Tech
Big Ten: Penn State
Pac-10: UCLA, USC
SEC: Alabama, Georgia

One Loss Teams (need some luck)
ACC: Boston College, Miami
Big 12: Colorado
Big East: Louisville, West Virginia
Big Ten: Michigan State, Minnesota, Wisconsin
Pac-10: California, Oregon
SEC: Florida, LSU

Teams That Need a Miracle
ACC: Georgia Tech, Maryland, Virginia
Big 12: Kansas State, Nebraska, Texas A&M
Big East: Connecticut
Big Ten: Indiana, Iowa, Ohio State
Mid-Majors: Fresno State
Pac-10: Arizona State
SEC: Tennessee, Vanderbilt

With That Said…
Rose Bowl: USC v. Texas
Orange Bowl: Louisville v. Virginia Tech
Sugar Bowl: Florida State* v. Georgia
Fiesta Bowl: Alabama* v. Penn State

Note: If you recall last week I said that mid-major Fresno State still had a chance to go to a BCS bowl and crash the BCS party.  Let me explain.  It all starts with week.  Fresno State needs USC to beat Notre Dame.  In fact Fresno State needs USC to beat Cal and UCLA also.  And here’s why.  Fresno State plays USC later this year.  If Fresno State finishes the regular season at 11-1 (they already have one loss) with a win against USC and USC finishes the season at 11-1 with their only loss against Fresno State then I would imagine that USC would still finish the season with a top 5 ranking.  I believe that Fresno State’s defeat of a top 5 USC team along with a single loss would be enough for the computers to give Fresno State a high enough ranking that a BCS berth would be a very real possibility.

College Football Comments: Week 5

• What a performance: Alabama smoked a real good Florida team.  I wonder what else is in store for the Tide.


• It’s a shame that Bama’s top WR Tyrone Prothro is out for the season, though, after the Tide had already put away the game.


• I’m starting to feel bad for Arizona State.  They just can’t seem to seal the deal against good teams.


• The quietest undefeated team this year so far: Wisconsin.  Look for them to make a serious run at the Big Ten title.


• How reminiscent to see Penn State and Alabama back in flying colors again.  Good to have you guys back.


• Memphis RB DeAngelo Williams is leading the country in rushing yards just so you know.


• I don’t care how much USC wins by all I care about is that they win and it seems like so do they.


• Yes, Texas has proved that they are a darn good football team this year but they still haven’t beat Oklahoma in six years.  We’ll see what this team is made of on Saturday.


• Steve Spurrier!  What happened?  Auburn knocked the pants off your Gamecocks.


• Is anyone interested the UCLA-Cal game this week?  This game could make or break the Pac-10’s credibility this season.


• Fresno State still has a shot at the BCS.  Don’t believe me?  If they win this week then I’ll explain.


• If Bama is still undefeated by the November 12th match-up with LSU then they will have to be considered contenders for the national championship.

My Top 25
1. (1) USC 4-0
2. (2) Texas 4-0
3. (3) Virginia Tech 5-0
4. (5) Ohio State 3-1
5. (6) Georgia 4-0
6. (7) Florida State 4-0
7. (9) Tennessee 3-1
8. (19) Alabama 5-0
9. (10) California 5-0
10. (11) LSU 2-1
11. (14) Notre Dame 4-1
12. (4) Florida 4-1
13. (13) Miami 3-1
14. (12) Arizona State 3-2
15. (15) Wisconsin 5-0
16. (16) Texas Tech 5-0
17. (8) Michigan State 4-1
18. (NR) Penn State 5-0
19. (20) Boston College 4-1
20. (18) UCLA 4-0
21. (24) Auburn 4-1
22. (22) Louisville 3-1
23. (NR) Michigan 3-2
24. (NR) Georgia Tech 3-1
25. (NR) Oregon 4-1

Dropped Out:
Minnesota (17), Purdue (21), Virginia (23), Iowa State (24)

Also Considered:
Fresno State, Minnesota, Nebraska, Purdue, Virginia, West Virginia

If you recall, last week I said I wouldn’t be surprised to see Cal and Michigan State lose since they were both in the top ten.  Well I was right to some extent.  Michigan State couldn’t knock off Michigan and Florida got pummeled by ‘Bama.  Two more top ten teams down.  That means that the seven through ten spots are still largely unproven (with the exception of ‘Bama).  Tennessee and LSU could still be weak but we wouldn’t know it because they’ve played themselves.  And California still has played a soft schedule.  This week should clear more of that up though as Cal travels to the Rose Bowl to play undefeated UCLA and Tennessee plays undefeated Georgia.  I know Michigan State’s drop of nine spots might be a little harsh but it had to be done after losing to a two-loss team.  Michigan climbing back into the rankings might be a little considerate at this point in time as well considering there’s an undefeated Nebraska team that I still haven’t ranked and a 4-1 Minnesota team that I ranked at number 17 last week.  

BCS Forecast
The Undefeated Teams (front runners)
ACC: Florida State, Virginia Tech
Big 12: Nebraska, Texas, Texas Tech
Big Ten: Penn State, Wisconsin
Pac-10: California, Oregon, USC
SEC: Alabama, Georgia

One Loss Teams (need some luck)
ACC: Boston College, Miami
Big 12: Texas A&M, Iowa State
Big East: Louisville, West Virginia
Big Ten: Ohio State, Michigan State
Pac-10: Oregon
SEC: Auburn, Florida, LSU, Tennessee

Teams That Need a Miracle
ACC: Georgia Tech, Virginia
Big 12: Colorado, Oklahoma State
Big East: Connecticut, Rutgers
Big Ten: Minnesota
Mid-Majors: Fresno State
Pac-10: Arizona State, Washington State
SEC: Vanderbilt

With That Said…
Rose Bowl: USC v. Texas
Orange Bowl: Georgia v. Florida State*
Sugar Bowl: Virginia Tech v. Alabama*
Fiesta Bowl: Ohio State v. Louisville
*at-large selection

The Heisman Race
1. Matt Leinart, QB- USC
2. Reggie Bush, RB- USC
3. Vince Young, QB- Texas
4. Lawrence Marouney, RB- Minnesota
5. Brady Quinn, QB- Notre Dame

On the Radar
Brian Calhoun, RB- Wisconsin
Chris Leak, QB- Florida
Reggie McNeal, QB- Texas A&M
Drew Stanton, QB- Michigan State
Marcus Vick, QB- Virginia Tech