Pre-Season Top 25

With the release of the AP top 25 poll over the weekend, I feel it is only right I show those so called "writers" up by producing the "real" top 25 poll. All 6 of my readers from last year know that I used to rank every single team in 1-a football on a weekly basis. That's 120 teams! Every week! That takes some serious balls, and one angry girlfriend.

Well, I was getting sick of being chewed out by said girlfriend, so this year I will keep it simple and do a weekly top 25. With the season around the corner, here's poll #1. The all powerful preseason poll....

1. Florida Gators - The defending BCS champions are returning damn near everybody. And everybody wearing the Orange and Blue is extremely gifted and fast. There's rumors going around Gainesville that the Gators' equipment manager can run a 4.45. That would make him about the 27th fastest player on the team. Key Players - Tim Tebow QB, Brandon Spikes LB, Carlos Dunlap DE, Aaron Hernandez TE, Brandon James RS.



2. Oklahoma Sooners - Last year's runner up is also returning a boat load of talent. The only uncertainty about this Sooners team is the offensive line. I don't think that will be a problem for long. They should get their act together in time for the Red River Shootout. Having the defending Heisman Trophy winner back to take snaps doesn't hurt either. Key Players - Sam Bradford QB, Gerald McCoy DT, Jermaine Gresham TE, Trent Williams OT, DeMarco Murray RB.


3. Texas Longhorns - Everyone else has Texas ranked ahead of Oklahoma. Those people don't seem to realize that Mack Brown is due for a bad coaching year. Luckily for him, and Horns fans, Texas has enough talent to compensate for any bone headed moves made by the head coach. It doesn't help Texas that they have to travel to Oklahoma St. this year. Key Players - Colt McCoy QB, Jordan Shipley WR, Sergio Kindle DE, Earl Thomas S, Adam Ulatoski OT.



4. Ohio St. Buckeyes - The Buckeyes should re-gain control of the Big Eleven again this year. Terrelle Pryor loos like he's destined to be better than advertised, and running backs Dan Herron and Brandon Saine give the Buckeyes one of the better rushing attacks in the nation. If Ohio St. can take down USC early in the year, they have a real good chance of running the table. That is, until they get demolished by a SEC or Big XII team in the title game. Key Players - Terrelle Pryor QB, Dan Herron RB, Brandon Saine RB, Kurt Coleman S, Chimdi Chekwa CB.



5. LSU Tigers - The Tigers would be ranked even higher if they QB situation was a little more stable. LSU is easily one of the most talented teams in the nation. If Jordan Jefferson can put together a decent season, the Tigers will be in the hunt all season long. I expect Oct. 10 to be a huge game for the title picture. Key Players - Brandon LaFell WR, Charles Scott RB, Richard Murphy RB, Patrick Peterson CB, Ciron Black OT.



6. USC Trojans - The Trojans are in the exact same situation was LSU. They have all the talent in the world at every position except QB. No matter who USC goes with, either Aaron Corp or Matt Barkley, there is going to be a huge drop-off at that position. One good thing for the Trojans is the relative instability of the rest of the PAC 10. Key Players - Taylor Mays S, Damian Williams WR, Stafon Johnson RB, Everson Griffen DE, Joe McKnight RB.



7. Oklahoma St. Cowboys - Oklahoma St. has the best trio of Cowboys since Aikman, Smith and Irvin roamed the field for Dallas. QB Zac Robinson, WR Dez Bryant and RB Kendall Hunter will make sure the Cowboys will put up plenty of points this season. It will be up to their defense to help make sure OSU takes the proverbial next step. Key Players - Dez Bryant WR, Zac Robinson QB, Kendall Hunter RB, Russell Okung OT, Perrish Cox CB.



8. Ole Miss Rebels - Ole Miss turned out to be a really good football team last season. That makes Florida's lost to them last year in the Swamp a little less vomit inducing, just a little. The Rebels return about half of their starters on both sides of the ball this year. The biggest area of concern seems to be the WR position. If Jevan Snead can keep Ole Miss around the top 10 all season long, he could be a dark horse Heisman candidate. Key Players - Jevan Snead QB, Greg Hardy DE, Dexter McCluster WR, Kentrell Lockett DE, Marshay Green CB.



9. Penn St. Nittany Lions - I have gone on the record as saying that I don't think Penn St. will be as good this year as they were a year ago. I know they return a lot of starters and Darryl Clark is back at QB. But I just don't think last year was the start of a trend for PSU. I could be wrong, I mean I had to put them at #9 for a reason. Key Players - Darryl Clark QB, Evan Royster RB, Stefan Wisniewski C, Sean Lee LB, Navorro Bowman LB.



10. Virginia Tech Hokies - The Hokies are another team that I'm not too sure about this season. My confidence in them was shaken even more when RB Darren Evans went down with a season ending injury. But, Frank Beamer can flat out coach, and Freshman Ryan Williams may be even better than Evans. His injury may be a blessing in disguise for the Hokies. Key Players - Tyrod Taylor QB, Ryan Williams RB, Kam Chancellor S, Stephen Virgil CB, Ed Wang OT.



11. Boise St. Broncos - Can you imagine if Boise St. started out this high and ran the table? If Oregon turns out to be good and the Broncos blow them out, we could be looking at a BCS title game featuring the Blue Turfers! We all know that will never happen, but it's nice to dream. Key Players - Kellen Moore QB, Austin Pettis WR, Jeremy Avery RB, Kyle Wilson CB, Jeron Johnson S.



12. Alabama Crimson Tide - I know this seems pretty low for 'Bama, but they have no QB at all. Greg McElroy or Starr Jackson will be taking snaps for the Tide this season. That's not good news for team that ended the season on an ugly two game losing streak. Also, this team is still only two years removed from losing to Louisiana-Monroe at home. Key Players - Mark Ingram RB, Julio Jones WR, Rolando McClain LB, Terrence Cody DT, Javier Arenas RS.



13. California Golden Bears - One again Cal looks poised to compete with USC for the PAC-10 crown. Of course, we all know that means the Bears will stumble all over themselves on the way to the Emerald Bowl. I'm hoping this year will be different, and with Jahvid Best it could be. One good thing for the Bears is that they get USC at home. That hasn't helped too much in the past. Key Players - Jahvid Best RB, Nyan Boateng WR, Syd'Quan Thompson CB, Kevin Riley QB, Cameron Jordan DE.



14. Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets - I actually think I might have Georgia Tech ranked a little low here. I think Tech will be really good this season. Their rushing attack is second to none in the ACC, and they may have one of the best receivers in the conference too! If Josh Nesbitt can avoid injuries, there's no reason why the Jackets can't play for the ACC championship at season's end. Oct. 17 vs. Virginia Tech will be a HUGE game. Key Players - Josh Nebitt QB, Jonathan Dwyer RB, Demaryius Thomas WR, Dan Voss C, Morgan Burnett S.



15. Oregon Ducks - Chip Kelly inherits a very good Duck team in his first season as head coach. Even with all of the Ducks talent, and relative experience, perhaps nothing works more in their favor than the schedule. If Oregon can pull out a victory at Boise St. this season they have a somehwhat manageable schedule the rest of the way. California, USC and Oregon St. all come to Eugene this season. Key Players - LeGarrette Blount RB, Jeremiah Masoli QB, Ed Dickson TE, Walter Thurmond III CB, T.J. Ward S.



16. West Virginia Mountaineers - I still don't know how other preseason polls can have Notre Dame ranked in the top 25 and not West Virginia. Are you really telling me that Notre Dame cold be West Virginia right now? Not only would the Mountaineers win, but it would be a rout. I don't think West Virginia will miss Pat White as much as everyone thinks they will. Plus, Noel Devine is still in Morgantown. Key Players - Noel Devine RB, Jarrett Brown QB, Scooter Berry DT, Reed Williams LB, Selvish Capers OT.



17. Georgia Bulldogs - The Dawgs are definitely poised for a down year this season. The deaparture of Matthew Stafford and Knowshon Moreno really hurts them. However, it's not like the cupboard's bare in Athens. The defense is stacked this season and should keep the Bulldogs in every game they play season. Except 1. Key Players - A.J. Green WR, Geno Atkins DT, Clint Boling OT, Rennie Curran LB, Reshad Jones S.



18. Kansas Jayhawks - I like the Jayhawks to represent the Big XII North in the conference championship game this season. All that means is that they will be little more than sacrificial lambs to a powerful Big XII South team. Outside of Oklahoma St., Kansas probably has the best big 3 in the conference. QB Todd Reesing, RB Jake Sharp and WR Dezmon Briscoe are all big time performers. Key Players - Todd Reesing QB, Jake Sharp RB, Dezmon Briscoe WR, Darrell Stuckey S, Kerry Meier WR.



19. TCU Horned Frogs - I'm not completely buying into the TCU preseason hype just yet. Their offense isn't really anything special and their defense lost a bunch of starters from a year ago. Also, the Frogs still have BYU and Utah to compete with this season. Both teams are capable of defeating the Horned Frogs. Key Players - Jerry Hughes DE, Nick Sanders CB, Rafael Priest CB, Andy Dalton QB, Jimmy Young WR.



20. North Carolina Tar Heels - It didn't take too long for Butch Davis to return the Tar Heels back to relevancy. UNC returns a lot of players on the defensive side of the ball. That could be good or bad news. On offense, the Heels will have to replace WR Hakeem Nicks. This won't be easy, but there are several young receivers ready to make a break out. The schedule is a tough one though. Carolina has to travel to Georgia Tech, Virginia Tech and NC State. Key Players - Shaun Draughn RB, Greg Little WR, Marvin Austin DT, Kendric Burney CB, Quan Sturdivant LB.



21. Utah Utes - Utah is coming off yet another remarkable season. The Utes were the only team left undefeated after last season. That earned them a number 2 ranking in the final polls. Unfortunately for the Utes, they lose a lot of talent on both sides of the ball. This is especially true on the offense as only 4 starters return. (3 linemen and 1 TE.) You know the Utes will be solid and well coached, but they may not have enough talent to keep up with TCU and BYU in the Mountain West. Kep Players - Koa Misi DE, Matt Asiata RB, Stevenson Sylvester LB, Robert Johnson S, David Reed WR.



22. BYU Cougars - Even though my preseason ranking don't show it, I think the Cougars may be the team to beat in the Mountain West this season. They have a front 7 that would be one of the best in any BCS conference. Also, QB Max Hall and RB Harvey Unga could start almost anywhere in the country. Key Players - Max Hall QB, Harvey Unga RB, Jan Jorgensen DE, Dennis Pitta TE, Matt Bauman LB.



23. Nebraska Cornhuskers - Nebraska is really the only team in the North capable of challenging Kansas for the crown. Unfortunately for Nebraska, they travel to Lawrence this season. The rest of the schedule does seem pretty manageable for the Cornhuskers. They avoid both Texas and Oklahoma St. Outside of a trip to Virginia Tech and a visit by Oklahoma, there isn't a game on the schedule that the Huskers can't win. Key Players - Roy Helu, Jr. RB, Zac Lee QB, Ndamukong Suh DT, Larry Asante S, Mike McNeil TE.



24. Michigan St. Spartans - I think a lot people will be surprised that I have the Spartans ranked in my preseason top 25. I just think they are a solid football team. Mark Dantonio is one of the more underrated coaches in the nation, and if the trend ccontinues of win increases, Michigan St. is posied for a 10 win season. The defense might be the best in the Big Eleven, sorry Ohio St. and Penn St. The only concerns for MSU, and they'r major, are QB and RB. Replacing Javon Ringer will be the biggest goal for the coahing staff. Key Players - Mark Dell WR, Joel Foreman G, Greg Jones LB, Brett Swenson K, Trevor Anderson DE.



25. Texas Tech Red Raiders - The Red Raiders definitely won't be repeating last season's success. But don't think they will slide to mediocrity just because they lost Graham Harrell and Michael Crabtree. Mike Leach has made a career out of replacing record breeaking quarterbacks and wide receivers with new record breaking quarterbacks and wide receivers. Key Players - Taylor Potts QB, Baron Batch RB, Detron Lewis WR, Brandon Carter OT, Jamar Wall CB.

CFB 365 Ultimate Fantasy League

OK. So I hung up the Ol' blogging shoes for a while there. I guess you could call me the Sterling Sharpe of blogging. I came out with a fantastic flurry only to fade down the stretch and call it a career. A very short career. The truth is, running a daily blog by yourself is VERY time consuming and difficult. Even for someone as awesome as me, I just found it not worth the energy. Well, I'm back baby. I won't be making daily updates like in the past. I'll just update whenever I have the free time. Starting now.
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I'm sure most of you have read the ESPN fantasy 40 team college football league. The league consists of 40 teams selected by slack jawed yokels, Schlabachacasdh (or whatever the hell is name is) Forde and Maisel. Well, while reading their horrible excuse for a column, I decided that I could do better than them. I have created an 84 team fantasy league. The leagues consists of 7 conferences. All 6 BCS conferences and the Mountain West.

Now, I have altered the conferences to make sure we get some awesome fake football. Each conference will have 12 teams. There will be two divisions of 6, ensuring that every conference will have a championship game at the end of the season. I have also taking the liberty of moving some teams out of their current conferences into a situation that makes a little more sense.

Each team will play an 11 game season. They will play all 5 of their division opponents as well as one pre-determined intra-division opponent every year. (i.e. Florida v. LSU) Also, each team will play two alternating opponents from the opposite division every year. The other 3 games will be made up of out-of-conference opponents. One will be a pre-determined opponent that they will face every year. These match-ups will either be continuations of long-standing rivalries (i.e. Florida v. Florida St.) or teams that I feel match-up pretty well with each other every year. (i.e. Alabama v. Michigan.) The other 2 out-of-conference games will be determined by me. Each team will play one of these games on the road and the other at home. I have tried my best to make match-ups that are rather intriguing. For example, Florida will play Notre Dame and Ohio St., Texas will play LSU and Auburn, USC will play Virginia Tech and Utah, etc.

There will be a 16 team playoff at the end of the season. All 7 conference winners and 9 at large teams will make the tournament. The first and second round will be played at the home of the higher seed. The "final four" and championship rounds will be played at neutral site venues.

Each week will be played out congruently with the real college football season. Outcomes will be determined by real life factors. Injuries or how a team has played in the real season will effect how the team will do in my league.

I'll post the 7 conferences that I have created, along with schedules at a later date.

At the end of each season, I will assess every team and see which ones should be upgraded or downgraded to a particular conference. Also, I like the idea of relegation. Say one of the 84 teams I pick stinks it up this year, and a team that is consistently decent has a solid year. I will look to replacing said horrible team with said less horrible team.

This might sound somewhat confusing, but trust me, I know what I'm doing.
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Along with these fantasy updates, I'll continue to do my weekly previews and reviews that were big hits in yesteryear. I won't be doing the Heisman watch, weekly picks or rankings anymore. Those just took up waaayyyy too much time. If you're new to CFB365, which I'm sure you are as my grand total of 3 readers probably gave up on me, take the time out to peruse my old articles and find out what this site is all about. Enjoy the season, and please joining my follower list.

And the winner is.....

I admit, I've been a little out of touch with my blogging lately. Contrary to popular belief, I have a life. It's hard to maintain such a highly successful blog like this one all by my lonesome.

Anyway I'm back and better than ever. My first real blog will be dedicated to the recently announced college football awards finalists.

Here are my thoughts on the finalists, along with my predicted winner.

No one really cares about kickers or punters, so I won't waste my time on those assholes. I do like Florida St.'s Graham Gano to win the best kicker award, and I like Utah's Louie Sakoda to take home the Ray Guy award.

Maxwell Award - Basically, like the Heisman, only shittier.

1. Tim Tebow - Florida QB - The ass whooping the Gators have been handing to their opponents over the recent weeks has greatly enhanced Timmy's status for this award. Had he continue to play at the level he was to start the season, there's no way he'd make this list.

2. Graham Harrell - Texas Tech QB - This may be Harrell's best opportunity to win an award this post season. There's no way he wins the Heisman on a one loss Texas Tech team. Especially with Colt McCoy and Sam Bradford in the same conference.

3. Colt McCoy - Texas QB - Colt is playing like last year's Tebow this year. He and the Longhorns have greatly exceeded everyone's expectations thus far. Winning the Maxwell award will be a great addition to an already stellar season.

The winner should be:

Colt McCoy. The guy is pretty much UT's offense. He's a white Vince Young, except he's a better passer.

Davey O'Brien - The best QB in all the land. Usually goes to the best passing QB.

1. Graham Harrell - Texas Tech QB - The fact that he's viewed as a system QB may hurt his chances to win this one.

2. Colt McCoy - Texas QB - See above.

3. Sam Bradford - Oklahoma QB - Sammy completes the Big XII South trifecta. Bradford has been nearly flawless all season long. Good thing for him there's no such thing as defense in the Big XII.

The winner should be:

Sam Bradford. I don't think there's any doubt that Bradford is the best passer in all the land. This award should be his to take home.

Chuck Bednarik - The top defensive player in the nation.

1. Rey Maualuga - USC LB - I picked this guy to win this award in the pre-season. I'm awesome.

2. James Laurinaitis - Ohio St. LB - I hate this dude. I don't even know why. I think someone should donate a neck to him. It looks like his head just sprouts straight from his shoulders. Steroids,it's a hell of a drug....

3. Aaron Maybin - Penn St. DE - Maybin has somewhat flown under the radar this season. He's been the most consistent player on the entire Big Eleven champion Nittany Lions team. All that being said, Maybin is pretty much a throw in to go with the other two guys on this list.

The winner should be:

Rey Maualuga. He's a beast. Being the leader of the undisputed top D in all the land probably makes this a no contest.

Outland Trophy - Awarded to the fattest, dough boyiest, lard ass in the country.

1. Michael Oher - Ole Miss OL - I've professed my no-homo love for Oher all season long. If he's not one of the top 3 linemen taken in the draft, I might have to bitch slap a few skeezers.

2. Andre Smith - Alabama OL - Smith is a big, big, big, huge, gigantic, gargantuan of a man. He's also pretty large.

3. Duke Robinson - Oklahoma OL - Robinson is the leader of what is perhaps the best offensive line in the country. It's no coincidence that Sam Bradford and the Sooner offense are playing out of their minds right now.

The winner should be:

Michael Oher. He probably won't win because he's going up against two guys from media darling programs. However, Oher deserves it more than the other two guys. He's a god (Totally no homo.)

Biletnikoff Award - The wannabe Jerry Rice's of the world.

1. Dez Bryant - Oklahoma St. WR - Really exploded onto the scene this season. He may have to have a huge game in Bedlam to overcome the lead that Michael Crabtree has established.

2. Michael Crabtree - Texas Tech WR - Speaking of Crabtree, we all know Mike gets Desmond Howard's vote. It's also safe to assume that most of the other voters will be signing off on a second straight Biltenikoff award for him.

3. Jeremy Maclin - Missouri WR - Don't get me wrong, Maclin is a tremendous talent. I just think there were other receivers out there more deserving than he to be named a finalist. Jarret Dillard, Percy Harvin and Hakeem Nicks come to mind.

The winner should be:

Dez Bryant. This is just wishful thinking. We all know Crabtree has this one locked up.

Jim Thorpe Award - The best DB in the country.

1. Eric Berry - Tennessee DB - The only bright spot on UT's team this season. Sometimes I actually feel bad for this guy. Then I hear Rocky Top and immediately start vomiting.

2. Malcolm Jenkins - Ohio St. DB - Much like Laurinaitis, Jenkins turned down some serious NFL money to come back to college. Unfortunately, he won't get another run at a national title this season. However, Jenkins does have a good shot at taking this trophy home.

3. Taylor Mays - USC DB - I truly believe it's between Mays and Berry for this award. Mays may get the advantage because he's actually on a team that doesn't constantly shit on itself.

The winner should be:

Taylor Mays. Even though I think Eric Berry is a better player than Mays, the strength of the rest of the SC defense helps him win this award.

Doak Walker Award - These guys can either go on to be Barry Sanders, or Ki-Jana Carter.....

1. Shonn Greene - Iowa RB - Greene really had a breakout year this season. His play has helped to push the Hawkeyes past a lot of people's (including mine) expectations.

2. Javon Ringer - Michigan St. RB - Ringer must have the sorest shoulders in the world right now. All he did was carry an otherwise inept Spartan offense to the brink of a Big Eleven title. Also, Ringer was a mainstay on my Heisman list throughout the season.

3. Knowshon Moreno - Georgia RB - Moreno's status with the college media has fluctuated all season long. He started out as a leading Heisman candidate, only to disappear for a while. Lately, Moreno's play has been outstanding. He may not be a Heisman candidate any more, but he's definitely in the running for this award.

The winner should be:

Javon Ringer. I just think that Ringer has been the best all around back all season long. His last performance against Penn St. may hurt his chances though.

Weekly Picks

Well, last week was a hard one for my picks. I did correctly pick the epic Texas Tech/Texas match-up. Other than that, there were no real highlights. But who cares? The Gators won and all is right with the world.

On to my ever so important weekly prognostications.

Miami(OH) @ Buffalo
Northern Illinois @ Ball St.
Toledo @ Akron
Maryland @ Virginia Tech
TCU @ Utah
Nevada @ Fresno St.
Baylor @ Texas
Ohio St. @ Northwestern
Purdue @ Michigan St.
Georgia Tech @ North Carolina
Wisconsin @ Indiana
Michigan @ Minnesota
Syracuse @ Rutgers
Louisville @ Pittsburgh
Illinois @ Western Michigan
Georgia @ Kentucky
Arkansas @ South Carolina
Wyoming @ Tennessee
Iowa St. @ Colorado
Utah St. @ Boise St.
San Diego St. @ BYU
Bowling Green @ Ohio
Kansas @ Nebraska
UT-Martin @ Auburn
Army @ Rice
Memphis@SMU
Alabama @ LSU
Penn St. @ Iowa
Oklahoma @ Texas A&M
Clemson @ Florida St.
Virginia @ Wake Forest
NC State @ Duke
Marshall @ East Carolina
Southern Miss @ UCF
UL-Monroe @ Middle Tennessee
Stanford @ Oregon
Western Kentucky @ Troy
Hawaii @ New Mexico St.
North Texas @ Florida Atlantic
Arizona @ Washington St.
Tulane @ Houston
Oregon St. @ UCLA
Colorado St. @ Air Force
Kansas St. @ Missouri
Cincinnati @ West Virginia
Arizona St. @ Washington
UTEP @ UL-Lafayette
Arkansas St. @ Florida International
Oklahoma St. @ Texas Tech
Florida @ Vanderbilt
California @ USC
Louisiana Tech @ San Jose St.
Notre Dame @ Boston College
New Mexico @ UNLV

Upset Alert:

Ohio over Bowling Green - It's the MAC. Who cares? Bowling Green is the classic definition of a schizo team. Their bad side shows up this week.

LSU over Alabama - As much as I want Bama to win so my Gators can beat an undefeated team in the SEC title game, I think the Tigers have too much motivation going into the Saban bowl.

Texas A&M over Oklahoma - I have no idea why I'm picking the Aggies........

Washington over Arizona St. - The Huskies have to win one. Don't they?

Weekly Picks

Last Week - 36-14

Overall - 396-99


A pretty respectable week I must say. You can call me the Bill Fitch of picks. I'm racking up the wins, but the losses are creeping up on me....

Last week I correctly picked Rutgers for the second straight week. I believe I might be the only person in America that didn't give up on the Scarlet Knights. I also had the Tar Heels over BC, which was ol' Herbie's upset pick as well. We won't discuss my pick of Washington over Notre Dame right now.

Here's this weeks gems.



Buffalo @ Ohio
Houston @ Marshall
South Florida @ Cincinnati
Northwestern @ Minnesota
Wisconsin @ Michigan St.
West Virginia @ Connecticut
Central Michigan @ Indiana
Miami (FL) @ Virginia
Air Force @ Army
Michigan @ Purdue
Auburn @ Ole Miss
Kansas St. @ Kansas
Tulsa @ Arkansas
Kent St. @ Bowling Green
Colorado @ Texas A&M
Eastern Michigan @ Western Michigan
San Diego St. @ Wyoming
Pittsburgh @ Notre Dame
Kentucky @ Mississippi St.
Fresno St. @ Louisiana Tech
Arkansas St. @ Alabama
Missouri @ Baylor
Hawaii @ Utah St.
Florida @ Georgia
Iowa St. @ Oklahoma St.
Florida St. @ Georgia Tech
Oregon @ California
Clemson @ Boston College
Duke @ Wake Forest
Iowa @ Illinois
Temple @ Navy
North Texas @ Western Kentucky
Washington St. @ Stanford
San Jose St. @ Idaho
Florida International @ UL-Lafayette
BYU @ Colorado St.
Washington @ USC
Boise St. @ New Mexico St.
Louisville @ Syracuse
Troy @ UL-Monroe
Tennessee @ South Carolina
Texas @ Texas Tech
Nebraska @ Oklahoma
TCU @ UNLV
Tulane @ LSU
UAB @ Southern Miss
Rice @ UTEP
Utah @ New Mexico
Arizona St. @ Oregon St.
East Carolina @ UCF

Upset Alert:

West Virginia over Connecticut - The Mountaineers are still perfect in conference play, and last I checked they still had Pat White and Noel Devine in the backfield. I like Bill Stewart to get his first signature Big East win in this one.

Virginia over Miami(FL) - Is there any team in America that has improved as much as the Cavs since the season started? Virginia was making an argument to be the worst BCS team, now they're on a crazy winning streak. I like Al Groh's bunch to knock off the Hurricanes, who have yet to look that impressive.

Texas Tech over Texas - I'm mainly picking this one, because I subscribe to the theory that no BCS team will go undefeated this season. Texas Tech absolutely dismantled Kansas in the second half last Saturday. I think the Red Raiders defense will surprise everyone and get after Colt McCoy.

Arizona St. over Oregon St. - The Sun Devils need this game in the worse way. I know it's incredibly tough to win at Oregon St., but I'm gonna go out on a limb and say that Arizona St. takes this one.

Random Thoughts for the Upcoming Week

There are a handful of teams looking to remain undefeated this week. Some are almost guaranteed to win, while others are dacing more difficult opponents.

Here's what the unblemished squads will be facing:

Boise St. will travel to Northern Mexico to play the San Jose St. Spartans. This might just be the last chance for the Broncos to lose. That's bad news for some teams on the BCS bubble. If it came down to an undefeated Boise St. team and a perfect Utah team, I'd have to think the nod would go to the Broncos. Maybe...

Mike Leach takes his Texas Tech squad to Lawrence to take on the Fighting Manginos. I think this game will be extremely close. Kansas hung tough with Oklahoma last week until Sam Bradford lost his freaking mind. Kansas will have to avoid letting Graham Harrell do the same thing if they want to pull off the upset.

Ball St. will host Eastern Michigan this week. Ball St. will win. That's all I got.

Oklahoma St. and Texas will battle it out in the only game featuring two unbeatens. If the Longhorns play lik they did against Missouri last week, there's no chance for the Cowboys. If Dez Bryant continues to produce like he's the best receiver in the nation outside of Jarrett Dillard, Mike Gundy's men could be walking out of Austin with a win. I've already picked Texas to win this one.

Alabama takes on Tennessee in the god awful city of Knoxville. If Bama can get past all the hillbillies shouting the dreadful lyrics to Rocky Top every 10 seconds, they should do just fine. God I wish someone would line up all the Vols fans so I can kick them in the nuts.

In what the World Wide Leader has deemed the game of the week, Penn St. traves to the Shoe to take on the Terrelle Pryors. I have actually picked OSU to win this one. As much as I should be rooting for Penn St. to lose, I just don't know if I can cheer for the Buckeyes.

On Sunday, Tulsa plays UCF. David Johnson should have another huge game for the Golden Hurricane. It's unfortunate how bad the formely Golden Knights have become.
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On the other end of the spectrum, Washington and North Texas will both be looking for their first wins. I picked Washington to upset Notre Dame at home this weekend. Mostly due to my hatred for the Irish, the team and the people. North Texas is gonna lose in a game that no one will even know about. As bad as the Mean Green are this year, I wouldn't expect them to stay down for too long. They have a plethora of talent on the offensive side of the ball. It's just too bad Hayden Fry isn't available to coach.
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5 Stories to follow:

1. How many coaches will Syracuse contact this weekend about their coaching job? Randy Edsall down. Next up, Al Golden.
2. How many dumb ass new segments will CFB Live do? How about trying to see who can mention Hitler's name more often when talking about bad coaches?
3. Will USC choke against another inferior PAC-10 team?
4. How many more Florida St. violations will the NCAA uncover?
5. Will Jim Grobe slip in the puddle of tears from Randy Shannon's constant crying?

Weekly Picks

Last Week - 39-13

Overall - 360-85

I bounced back rather nicely last week. Finally a few of my upset picks payed off. Some other ones, not so much. I am now officially a believer in the Texas Longhorns. We'll see how long that lasts.

Baseball and beer pong provided a nice distraction from some of the shitty games this past week. Hopefully this week's slate will provide some better match-ups.

Here are my ever so powerful picks:

Ohio @ Temple
Auburn @ West Virginia
New Mexico @ Air Force
Boise St. @ San Jose St.
Texas Tech @ Kansas
Eastern Michigan @ Ball St.
Northwestern @ Indiana
Minnesota @ Purdue
Cincinnati @ Connecticut
Boston College @ North Carolina
Illinois @ Wisconsin
Wake Forest @ Miami (FL)
Central Michigan @ Toledo
Oklahoma @ Kansas St.
Kentucky @ Florida
Baylor @ Nebraska
Louisiana Tech @ Army
UNLV @ BYU
Duke @ Vanderbilt
Fresno St. @ Utah St.
Rice @ Tulane
Oklahoma St. @ Texas
Georgia @ LSU
South Florida @ Louisville
Rutgers @ Pittsburgh
Virginia @ Georgia Tech
Virginia Tech @ Florida St.
UCLA @ California
NC State @ Maryland
Michigan St. @ Michigan
Kent St. @ Miami (OH)
SMU @ Navy
Bowling Green @ Northern Illinois
New Mexico St. @ Idaho
Wyoming @ TCU
Colorado @ Missouri
Ole Miss @ Arkansas
Texas A&M @ Iowa St.
Troy @ North Texas
Middle Tennessee @ Mississippi St.
Florida Atlantic @ UL-Monroe
Alabama @ Tennessee
Penn St. @ Ohio St.
Southern Miss @ Memphis
Notre Dame @ Washington
Colorado St. @ San Diego St.
Oregon @ Arizona St.
USC @ Arizona
Nevada @ Hawaii
UCF @ Tulsa

Upset Picks:

Purdue over Minnesota - I like what the Gophers are doing this season. I just can't see the Boilermakers letting Joe Tiller go out with a losing season.

North Carolina over Boston College - I ranked BC in my top 25 for the first time this season. I follow that up by picking them to lose to the Tar Heels. The worst thing that could have happened to the Eagles was UNC losing to UVA last week.

Rutgers over Pittsburgh - Picking Rutgers last week payed off for me. I'm going for it again! I still have faith that Rutgers can pull it around and that Dave Wannstedt can still find a way to totally screw this season.

Ohio St. over Penn St. - Not sure how much of an upset this really is. I like for the Buckeyes to defend home turf and knock off Penn St. Also, with PSU's remaining schedule it would greatly benefit my Gators if they lost on Saturday.

Washington over Notre Dame - Wouldn't it be sweet if this was the only game Washington won all year? What a way to send coach Ty out!

Weekly Picks

Last Week - 36-18

Overall - 321-72

Man, what a horrible performance last week. I feel like I should apologize for how shitty I was at prognosticating the games. If I were the head coach at Clemson, I would have been fired by now. Then again, if I were the head coach at Tennessee, I might have gotten a raise.

I would also like to point out that I was 0-4 on my upset picks last week. I would just like to say, Fuck Cinderella! What a bitch.....

Here's my guaranteed awesome picks:



Florida St. @ NC State
BYU @ TCU
Hawaii @ Boise St.
Texas Tech @ Texas A&M
Syracuse @ South Florida
Wake Forest @ Maryland
Purdue @ Northwestern
Memphis @ East Carolina
Connecticut @ Rutgers
Miami (OH) @ Bowling Green
Georgia Tech @ Clemson
Western Michigan @ Central Michigan
Wisconsin @ Iowa
Vanderbilt @ Georgia
Nebraska @ Iowa St.
Akron @ Eastern Michigan
Colorado St. @ Utah
Baylor @ Oklahoma St.
Southern Miss @ Rice
Ole Miss @ Alabama
Kansas @ Oklahoma
USC @ Washington St.
Ohio St. @ Michigan St.
North Carolina @ Virginia
Pittsburgh @ Navy
Middle Tennessee @ Louisville
Miami (FL) @ Duke
Army @ Buffalo
Marshall @ UAB
Stanford @ UCLA
Toledo @ Northern Illinois
Utah St. @ Nevada
Michigan @ Penn St.
San Diego St. @ New Mexico
Kansas St. @ Colorado
Arkansas @ Kentucky
Florida Atlantic @ Western Kentucky
Oregon St. @ Washington
Arkansas St. @ UL-Lafayette
Idaho @ Louisiana Tech
North Texas @ UL-Monroe
Mississippi St. @ Tennessee
Florida International @ Troy
Missouri @ Texas
LSU @ South Carolina
Virginia Tech @ Boston College
San Jose St. @ New Mexico St.
UTEP @ Tulsa
Indiana @ Illinois
Houston @ SMU
California @ Arizona
Air Force @ UNLV


Upset Alert:

Rutgers over Connecticut - I still think Rutgers has the potential to be a decent football team. With a big win over the Huskies, Rutgers could get it's season back on track.

Georgia Tech over Clemson - This is only an upset in the talent department. The Tigers are falling apart as a football team, which means Georgia Tech should win this one.

Navy over Pittsburgh - The Midshipmen are a solid football team that I think Pitt will overlook. Plus, Dave Wannstedt is still the head coach at Pittsburgh.

Mississippi St. over Tennessee - The Bulldogs just upset the best team in the state of Tennessee. Now they get a chance to do the same against the worst team in the state of Tennessee.

Missouri over Texas - I originally picked Texas in this one. After going back and forth I finally settled on Mizzou to take the upset. This is probably the upset pick that I am the least sure about.

Weekly Picks

Last Week - 36-17

Overall - 243-61


Much like my beloved Florida Gators, I had an off week. The 17 losses were easily the most I've suffered through all season.

This week, my picks come early due to the Florida Atlantic vs. Middle Tennessee showdown tonight on ESPN2.

Hopefully, I have better results this week.

Florida Atlantic @ Middle Tennessee
Louisiana Tech @ Boise St.
Pittsburgh @ South Florida
Memphis @ UAB
Oregon St. @ Utah
BYU @ Utah St.
Cincinnati @ Marshall
Penn St. @ Purdue
Duke @ Georgia Tech
Iowa @ Michigan St.
Indiana @ Minnesota
Boston College @ North Carolina St.
Rutgers @ West Virginia
Akron @ Kent St.
Oklahoma @ Baylor
Florida @ Arkansas
Kansas @ Iowa St.
Western Kentucky @ Virginia Tech
Alcorn St. @ New Mexico St.
UNLV @ Colorado St.
Ohio @ Western Michigan
Stanford @ Notre Dame
Army @ Tulane
Kentucky @ Alabama
Texas Tech @ Kansas St.
Arizona St. @ California
Illinois @ Michigan
South Carolina @ Ole Miss
Temple @ Miami(OH)
SMU @ UCF
Florida St. @ Miami(FL)
Eastern Michigan @ Bowling Green
Navy @ Air Force
Nevada @ Idaho
Auburn @ Vanderbilt
San Diego St. @ TCU
Texas A&M @ Oklahoma St.
Connecticut @ North Carolina
Florida International @ North Texas
Maryland @ Virginia
UL-Lafayette @ UL-Monroe
UTEP @ Southern Miss
Northern Illinois @ Tennessee
Ball St. @ Toledo
Washington @ Arizona
Texas @ Colorado
Oregon @ USC
Ohio St.@ Wisconsin
Rice @ Tulsa
Missouri @ Nebraska
Wyoming @ New Mexico
Hawaii @ Fresno St.
Washington St. @ UCLA

Upset Alert - I already picked Vandy over Auburn , so of course that's my upset pick of the week. Also, I really wanted to pick Colorado over Texas. However, the Buffs performance last week against Florida St. really forced me to go with the 'Horns. We'll see....

Week 3 is in the books

Week 3 finally provided some of the upsets that we've been waiting for. New Mexico beat Arizona, Maryland took down California, UNLV knocked off Arizona St. and Charlie Weis didn't break both legs.

Here are a few of the stories that stood out to me from week 3.


Defense wins championships


There were a few undefeated teams that got it done on the defensive side of the ball this week. As we all know, offense is fun to watch, but it's the defense that wins championships. If these teams can keep up that level of play on the defensive side of the ball, they could be looking at the NC in January.

• Georgia- The Bulldogs won a traditional SEC game by knocking off the Gamecocks on the road 14-7. Georgia's defense held South Carolina's rushing attack to just 58 yards on 16 attempts. That's an average of 1.1 yards per rush! The Dawgs also forced two late turnovers to seal the victory, a Mike Davis fumble at the goal line, and a last second interception by Reshad Jones.
• BYU- The Cougars absolutely dismantled UCLA 59-0 at home. While BYU's offense is being lauded across the nation today, I would like to recognize their defensive efforts. The Cougars shut down Norm Chow's offense. The Bruins only converted on 20 percent of their third down attempts. UCLA only manged 9 rushing yards in the contest and turned the ball over 4 times. This was a drastic improvement for BYU's D compared to last week's escape vs. Washington.
• Auburn- The Tigers defeated Mississippi St. in a baseball-type score of 3-2. Auburn only gave up 162 total yards to the Bulldogs (78 passing and 38 rushing). Auburn's Walter McFadden came through with a huge pick in the final minutes to seal the game for the Tigers. With the way Auburn's offense has been struggling, the D will have to continue to carry this team.
• Oklahoma- The Sooners made Ty Willingham's seat a little warmer by defeating his Huskies 55-14. The Sooners are on an absolute roll both offensively and defensively. OU allowed only 87 rushing yards to Washington on Saturday. The Huskies were only able to average 2.6 yards per rush. Oklahoma also forced 3 fumbles in the contest.
• LSU- When the Tigers actually play this season, it's their defense that looks exceptional. LSU knocked off North Texas 41-3 this week. The Bayou Bengals held the Mean Green to 155 passing yards and 44 rushing yards. LSU also picked off North Texas once.
• USC- Everyone and their mom saw USC dismantle Ohio St. 35-3. USC's offense wasn't overly impressive to me. Their D, on the other hand, was amazing. The Buckeyes only mustered 136 passing yards and 71 rushing yards vs. the Trojans. USC also forced 1 fumble and they got a pick 6 against Todd Boeckman before the half. Rey Maualuga was EVERYWHERE last night.
• Wisconsin- The Badgers capped off Saturday night by putting up a solid defensive effort in their 13-10 win over Fresno St. The Badgers only allowed 15 first downs to Tom Brandstater and the Bulldog offense. Brett Bielema's bunch also forced 1 fumble and 1 interception.

Hurricane Ike


Hurricane Ike was barreling down on Texas this weekend. Several games were moved or cancelled to accommodate this bitch. Here were a few games that were effected by Isaac.

• Baylor vs. Washington St. - This game was moved to Friday. I'm sure that news didn't even register to fans of the two schools. If anyone at all watched this game, they would know that the move didn't effect Baylor at all. The much improved Bears ran all over the horrible Cougar D en route to an impressive victory.
• Arkanas @ Texas - This game was postponed all together. If I were Bobby Petrino, I would be a total douchebag. Also, I would just forfeit the game and keep my bye week. Their schedule is going to be brutal.
• Air Force @ Houston- Dallas was the site of this monumental throwdown. Air Force defeated the Cougars rather handedly. I must say, I am more and more impressed each week with this Falcons football team.
• Louisiana-Monroe vs. Alabama A&M - This was another game that was moved to Friday night. It was also another game that was viewed by a total of 12 people. The Warhawks registered their first win of the season.
• TCU vs. Stanford - This game was moved to 10 am local time to accommodate the storm. The early start time definitely didn't help the Cardinal. They were throttled by an impressive TCU team. No one is talking about TCU in the Mountain West. BYU and Utah better watch out.

The seat gets hotter



After week 3, here are a few coaches that should be updating their profile on careerbuilder.com as we speak.

• Jeff Genyk- Eastern Michigan. The Eagles lost to a bad Toledo team on Saturday. Genyk's squad looked very bad in the process. If EMU cared dick about their program (which they don't) Genyk would already be long gone.
• Greg Robinson- Syracuse. There are a few mysteries in life that can never be explained. The Bermuda Triangle, the Sphinx nose, why Mark May hasn't been bitch slapped by Lou Holtz yet, and how in the hell is Greg Robinson still employed by Syracuse.
• Tommy West- Memphis. The Tigers were expected to be much improved this season. Instead they are total garbage. Their loss to Marshall on Saturday was disastrous for West and Memphis.
• Tyrone Willingham- Washington. Unfortunately, Coach Ty has not been able to get his ass of the hot seat. I know I've said t before, but I feel really bad for this guy.
• Chuck Long- San Diego St. No matter what the Aztecs do the rest of this season, Long will probably be out of a job in December.
• Mike Stoops- Arizona. Just when it seemed like Stoops was coming off the hot seat, his team goes out and loses to previous winless New Mexico. Arizona is the Clemson of the West.
  

Countdown: 12 Days!

12 Days

A lot of "experts" are predicting Texas to suffer a down year this season. I don't blame them for making that prediction. However, I think the Longhorns will surprise some people this season. I currently have them in my top 10. Actually, I want to move them lower but I'm too god damn lazy to make a whole new ranking list before week 1. So until Colt McCoy and the UT assholes screw things up, they're in my top 10. The Horns will face a tough Florida Atlantic team to open the season. Don't be surprised if Rusty Smith and the Owls give them all they can handle.

5 Gator games I would love to see.

Every year the University of Florida football schedule includes the usual non conference pansies and SEC death matches. Every once in a while, Florida will play some BCS non conference opponents other than Florida St., this season the Miami Hurricanes come into the Swamp.

So I got to thinking which teams would provide Florida Gator fans with a dream match-up. Unless the Gators get one of these teams in the national championship this year, these match-ups will be strictly fantasy.

Here is my top 5 wish list for games I would love to see.

1.

Florida vs. Oklahoma

Florida vs Oklahoma would be a tremendous game to watch, unless it were a bowl game, then we all know Oklahoma would blow it. OU's head man Bob Stoops was once a top assistant for the 'Ol Ball Coach down in Gainesville. Stoops took over the Sooner program and has since returned the team to national prominence. Back when Spurrier left the Gators, Stoops was Jeremy Foley's top choice to take over the program. However, Stoops decided to stay in Norman and the Gators eventually hired another former assistant in Ron Zook. It would be interesting to see Stoops take on his old team in the Swamp. Bobby could explain to his players all day what it's like to play at Ben Hill Griffin, but they still won't be ready for the atmosphere.

2.

Florida vs. West Virginia

Florida vs West Virginia would probably be one of the most exciting games of all time. On one team you have Pat White, Noel Devine and Tito Gonzalez. On the other you have Tim Tebow, Percy Harvin and Chris Rainey. It would be interesting to see which QB out of Tebow and White would have a better day running the ball. It just might be a battle between the two to see who could score the most touchdowns. Also, the legend of Chris Rainey racing Noel Devine in a supermarket parking lot while the two were in high school has grown to historic proportions. Before the contest, they should have the two race in front of the entire crowd. Imagine all the jukes and moves you would see during the game between the two of them. I would like to see the Gators travel to Morgantown for this one.

3.

Florida vs. USC

Florida vs USC would be a game of historic proportions. The two schools battle it out every year for the top recruiting class in the nation. With this game, the teams will actually get to decide the battle ON the field. Pete Carroll and Urban Meyer are often considered the top 2 coaches in CFB, so it would be quite interesting to see the two go head to head. Florida's high powered offense vs USC's stout defense would come down to a test of wills. I wouldn't mind the Gators making a cross country trip to L.A. to play the Trojans. Perhaps we could introduce a few of the players to Hollywood.

4.

Florida vs. Notre Dame

I would like to see Florida vs Notre Dame just to watch the Gators beat the living shit out of the Irish. For some reason, Notre Dame fans really hold a grudge against the Gators. Perhaps this is because their "golden boy" Urban Meyer decided to come to Gainesville instead of South Bend. Really, can you blame him? I bet Charlie Weis wishes Meyer would have took the Irish job now. I want nothing more than the Gators to walk into South Bend and whip Notre Dame.

5.

Florida vs. Texas

Florida vs Texas would be a really interesting match-up to see. If this game were to take place this season, I'm pretty sure the Gators would be able to handle the Longhorns. But in any given year, Mack Brown's bunch is a threat to go all the way. These two fan bases are both extremely passionate about their respective teams. That's why I would like to see this game played at a neutral site. Perhaps the Louisiana Superdome in New Orleans. They could divide the tickets evenly. I think it would be great to see Gator and Longhorn fans going back and forth at each other.

I can't wait to get my copy of NCAA '09 so I can play all of these games out. Of course, since I am the G.O.A.T. in NCAA, the Gators will win them all.