Week 3 Preview

The college football season is finally starting to get it's legs under itself. For the most part, the cup cake challengers are long gone off of the heavyweight's schedules. Now it's time to get down to the business. There are several teams that will be opening up conference play this week, as well as several teams that are finally going to face somewhat of a challenge.

Here's what you need to know, as deemed by me, for week 3.

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5 Games to Watch

1. Florida v. Tennessee - Of course this game is going to make the list. The Gators are finally going to face a team that will be somewhat competitive for at least two quarters. Maybe. We all know about the hype leading up to this game and I've already gone into great detail what I think about it.

2. Virginia Tech v. Nebraska - This is probably the best game that has not been talked about all year long. Both of these teams are solid defensively as well as great rushing teams. Roy Helu of Nebraska and Va Tech's Ryan Williams could be the deciding factors for this game. Also, look for special teams to play a major role.

3. Washington v. USC - This game looks like a blowout no matter which way you study it from. I am a sucker for new coaches facing their old teams though. That's what you have with this match-up. Steve Sarkisian's Husky squad is coming off it's first win since 1975. They will be all kinds of motivated to put up a fight against the Trojans. They still lose, and possibly lose big. But I'll enjoy watching it.

4. Oregon v. Utah - This is Oregon's chance to redeem itself. They already failed miserably in trying to take down a top-tier Non-BCS team this season. We all remember the LeGarrette Blount Bowl in Week 1. Now the Ducks get a shot at the Utes. I actually like the Ducks' chances in this one. They are playing at home, and Utah no longer has Brian Johnson taking snaps.

5. BYU v. Florida St. - The Noles will be fighting to earn some respect back in this game. After barely losing to Miami, Bobby Bowden's bunch went out and almost lost to the Gamecocks at home last week. That's not the South Carolina Gamecocks. That's the vaunted Jacksonville St. Gamecocks. The very same team led by the legendary Ryan Perriloux. BYU will be looking to continue their BCS season. Knocking off Oklahoma and Florida St in the same season will look really good in the school's media guide for years to come.

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5 Players to Watch

1. Tim Tebow QB Florida - Tebow is coming into the game vs. the Vols extremely pissed off. You don't wanna make Timmy angry. He could be in for a huge day.

2. Darryl Clark QB Penn St. - Clark is another QB that could be in for a huge day. The Nittany Lions are hosting Temple.

3. Freddie Barnes WR Bowling Green - Barnes is among the nation's leader in nearly every receiving statistical category. This week the Falcons will be taking on Marshall. A team that is not well known for it's pass defense.

4. Damion Fletcher RB Southern Miss - The Eagles are hosting Virginia this week. The Cavs are one of the worst teams in the nation. They can't do anything right, much less contain a top-flight RB.

5. Dan LeFevour QB Central Michigan - Last week LeFevour led a come from behind victory vs. Michigan St. This week: Alcorn St. I think he'll do just fine.

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The Heisman Race

1. Tim Tebow Florida QB

2. Colt McCoy Texas QB

3. Max Hall BYU QB

4. Joe McKnight USC RB

5. Jahvid Best California RB

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My TV Schedule

Be jealous...

12:00 CBSC Ball St. @ Army

12:00 ESPN California @ Minnesota

12:00 ESPN2 East Carolina @ North Carolina

12:00 ESPNU Louisville @ Kentucky

12:00 VS Duke @ Kansas

3:30 ABC Nebraska @ Virginia Tech

3:30 CBS Tennessee @ Florida

3:30 NBC Michigan St. @ Notre Dame

3:30 CBSC Virginia @ Southern Miss

3:30 ESPN Utah @ Oregon

3:30 ESPN2 Arizona @ Iowa

3:30 ESPNU Indiana @ Akron

3:30 FSN Tulsa @ Oklahoma

6:45 FSN Cincinnati @ Oregon St.

7:00 ESPNU UL-Lafayette @ LSU

7:00 VS Florida St. @ BYU

7:30 CBSC Air Force @ New Mexico

7:45 ESPN Georgia @ Arkansas

7:45 ESPN2 West Virginia @ Auburn

8:00 ABC Texas Tech @ Texas

10:30 ESPNU Hampton @ NC A&T

11:00 CBSC Hawaii @ UNLV

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Ultimate Fantasy League Week 3

Florida @ LSU

Georgia @ South Carolina

Tennessee v. Georgia Tech

Clemson v. West Virginia

Auburn v. Illinois

Alabama v. Michigan

Mississippi St. @ Louisiana Tech

Ole Miss @ Texas Tech

Kentucky v. Tulsa

Colorado @ Missouri

Kansas @ Nebraska

Kansas St. @ Texas

Arkansas v. Oklahoma

Oklahoma St. v. Texas A&M

TCU v. Utah

Washington @ Oregon

Washington St. @ Iowa St.

Oregon St. @ Cincinnati

Stanford v. Boise St.

USC @ Arizona

UCLA v. Arizona St.

California @ San Diego St.

Ohio St. @ Boston College

Northwestern @ Indiana

Minnesota @ UNLV

Wisconsin @ Notre Dame

Purdue @ Pittsburgh

Iowa @ Michigan St.

Miami @ Virginia

Virginia Tech v. North Carolina

NC State @ Louisville

Florida St. @ Maryland

Wake Forest @ Duke

South Florida @ East Carolina

Connecticut @ Rutgers

Syracuse @ Army

Penn St. v Vanderbilt

Navy v. Central Florida

Air Force @ Southern Miss

Colorado St. v. Troy

Baylor v. BYU

Wyoming v. Houston

Week 2 Preview

Week 1 kind of dragged on a little bit. It was a lot like am Adam Sandler movie, actually. You were all excited for it to start but you kinda fell asleep halfway through. Granted there were some great moments. BYU knocking off Oklahoma, the Miami-FSU finish and the Bama-Va Tech game were all high points. But the week lacked substance.

We did learn a few things from week 1. We learned that Sam Bradford will not win a second Heisman trophy. We learned that Ohio St. is still not very good against out of conference opponents. We learned that Jacory Harris is a future stud despite his head coach's constant crying. And we also learned that there's room in Mark May's mouth for more than just SC's Cardinal and gold cock.

I look forward to week 2, despite the lack of obvious must see games.

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5 Games to Watch




1. USC @ Ohio St. - This is the obvious biggie of the week. It's unfortunate that Ohio St. will put up little resistance to the Trojans once again. I will be anxious to see how Matt Barkley reacts to an extremely hostile environment. However, outside of the home crowd, there's really not much else going in Ohio St.'s favor.

2. Houston @ Oklahoma St. - I would say only watch this game if you really love offense, bu the Cowboys didn't exactly flex their offensive muscle against UGA in week 1. Houston's Case Keenum and OSU's Zac Robinson are two of the best QB's in all of the land. I expect Dez Bryant to hit triple digits in receiving yardage.

3. Notre Dame @ Michigan - This might be the first time in years that this game won't be coma inducing. Both teams looked really good against inferior competition in week 1. The Irish seem to be the favorite as their QB position is slightly more stable than Michigan's. I wouldn't be surprised to see Denard Robinson break a few big plays against the Irish defense.

4. South Carolina @ Georgia - The USC-UGA game is always a good one to watch. This has been especially true since SOS has been roaming the Gamecock sideline. Stephen Orr just seems to have the Bulldogs' number. It may be hard to believe but South Carolina may actually have a better QB situation than Georgia does. The Dawgs just named Joe Cox the starter for Saturday today.

5. Purdue @ Oregon - A couple of things I'm looking for in this game: Will the Oregon fans turn on Chip Kelly if the Ducks fall behind early? Will Oregon really miss LeGarrette Blount as much as we think they will? Can Purdue's Ralph Bolden have another monstrous day?

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5 Players to Watch

For the fantasy geeks in all of us....




1. Tim Tebow Florida QB - Tebow will play more this week with Tennessee looming than he did against Charleston Southern. Troy gave up a bunch of yards to Bowling Green's Tyler Sheehan, and I think Mr. Tebow may be slightly better than him.

2. Roy Helu, Jr. Nebraska RB - Helu had a huge day rushing the ball against Florida Atlantic in week 1. This Saturday the Husker continue their run through the Sun Belt conference against the Red Wolves of Arkansas St. Look for Roy Jr. to have another big day.

3. Dez Bryant Oklahoma St. WR - I've already predicted what I think Bryant will do against Houston this week. The Cougars' secondary better be ready for a long night.

4. Max Hall BYU QB - He's playing Tulane. Just look at what G.J. Kinne did against Tulane in his first game as a starter ever. Hall has a bit more experience than 1 game.
5. Jahvid Best Califronia RB - Best and the Golden Bears will be taking on the Eastern Washington Eagles. If Best can shred Maryland's defense, I'm supremely confident he can do the same against EW's.

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Heisman Watch



Sam Bradford's injury has shaken things up quite a bit in the Heisman race. Here's how I got it.

1. Tim Tebow Florida QB
2. Colt McCoy Texas QB
3. Jahvid Best California RB
4. Dez Bryant Oklahoma St. WR
5. Joe McKnight USC RB

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Ultimate Fantasy League Week 2

No TV schedule this week as I will be in Gainesville all day otherwise entertained. So on to the UFL schedule.

Florida @ Tennessee
Georgia v. California
South Carolina v. North Carolina
Clemson v. Georgia Tech
Auburn @ Mississippi St.
Alabama @ Arizona St.
Ole Miss v. Duke
LSU v. Kentucky
Colorado @ Boise St.
Kansas v. Rutgers
Kansas St. v. Nebraska
Missouri @ Michigan St.
Arkansas @ TCU
Oklahoma v. Texas A&M
Texas @ Texas Tech
Oklahoma St. v. Connecticut
Washington @ UCLA
Washington St. v. Oregon
Oregon St. v. Stanford
USC v. Virginia Tech
Arizona v. San Diego St.
Ohio St. @ Iowa
Illinois @ Wisconsin
Northwestern v. Purdue
Minnesota v. Notre Dame
Michigan v. Louisville
Indiana v. Maryland
Iowa St. v. Virginia
Miami v. Wake Forest
North Carolina St. v. Boston College
Florida St. @ South Florida
East Carolina @ Tulsa
Syracuse v. Navy
Penn St. @ Army
West Virginia v. Central Florida
Pittsburgh @ Cincinnati
Vanderbilt v. Air Force
Colorado S. v. UNLV
Southern Miss @ Wyoming
Baylor @ Utah
Louisiana Tech @ Troy
BYU @ Houston

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.

Week 5 Recap

Week 5 finally brought the upsets and craziness that was expected of this season. Whether this is a precursor to another season like last year, or just an aberration remains to be seen.

Here are some of the top stories from week 5.


Ranked Teams Losing


Nine teams ranked in the top 25 lost this week. Some were amazing upsets, and some were outcomes we expected. Here's the nine ranked schools that lost.

• No. 1 USC - The Trojans once again choked against a non-ranked PAC-10 team that has no where near the talent as Pete Carroll's bunch. This year it was Oregon St.'s turn. The Beavers pulled off the stunning upset on Thursday night, forcing me to stay up and watch. Man was I dragging ass the next day at work.
• No. 3 Georgia - The Dawgs did the unthinkable and lost during one of their black-out games. 'Bama has it's fans all riled up and clamoring about a national title. I thought it was nearly impossible for the Bulldogs to lose a "black-out" game.
• No 4. Florida - Lets' move on.
• No. 9 Wisconsin - The Badgers squandered a huge lead in the Big House. RichRod's bunch may have got the win they were looking for.
• No. 16 Wake Forest - Frankly, I'm more surprised that Wake lost to Navy than I am about USC losing to Oregon St. I didn't think the Midshipmen had a chance to stay on the field with the Demon Deacons. I guess that just shows the real power of the ACC.
• No. 20 Clemson - Speaking of ACC power. The Tigers pulled a Clemson and were upset by Maryland.
• No. 23 East Carolina - The Pirates are no longer the feel good story of the year. That's back-to-back losses after their 3-0 start.
• No. 24 TCU - I hope the Horned Frogs enjoyed their stay in the top 25. We all knew TCU was over matched vs. Oklahoma.

The SEC West is GOOOOODDD!!!!


If the SEC is the best conference in the country, than the SEC West is easily the best division in the nation. Coming into the season, the East took all the headlines. Now it seems, the West has the goods in the conference. Alabama obliterated Georgia and are currently ranked number 2 in the nation. Ole Miss pulled off the stunning upset of Florida at the Swamp. LSU is ranked third in the nation. And Auburn, ranked 13th nationally, beat Tennessee. The Vols aren't that good, but they're still an SEC East team. There's still plenty of football to play and I still believe an SEC East team will win the conference. However, right now the West is the best.




Still Unbeaten



There are still 18 teams in the nation with dreams of that perfect season. Some have better chances than others of coming closer to accomplishing that feat. Here are the 18 teams that are still playing perfect football.

1. Alabama 5-0
2. Ball St. 5-0
3. Boise St. 3-0
4. BYU 4-0
5. Connecticut 5-0
6. Kentucky 4-0
7. LSU 4-0
8. Missouri 4-0
9. Northwestern 5-0
10. Penn St. 5-0
11. Oklahoma 4-0
12. Oklahoma St. 4-0
13. South Florida 5-0
14. Texas 4-0
15. Texas Tech 4-0
16. Tulsa 4-0
17. Utah 5-0
18. Vanderbilt 4-0
    

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.
  

Week 3 Preview

I thought now would be a good time for me to spew some random thoughts I have on the upcoming week in college football. Plus, I'm reeeeaaalllllyy bored at work right now!
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Everyone is talking about the big game this weekend. It's a huge event in college football for two programs as huge as this meeting in out of conference play. Of course, I am referring to the monumental Navy at Duke ball game.

While most of the nation will pay no mind to this contest, I will be following along intensely. This game could be a program changer for Duke, which hasn't played a meaningful football game since the Steve Spurrier days. I really think David Cutcliffe is one of the better coaches in the nation. The blue Devils are extremely lucky to have him. That being said, the Midshipmen should rack up about 500 yards rushing on the ACC pansies and win by 3 touchdowns.

Cutcliffe will have Duke moving in the right direction eventually. Just not now.
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As for the other big game this weekend. USC will be hosting the personal punching bag of the SEC, the Ohio St. Buckeyes. I know the Buckeye faithful feel they have a good shot of knocking off the Trojans in the Coliseum. However, I know that deep down inside, OSU fans realize they have no shot of winning this one.

Beanie Wells will be neutralized by Brian Cushing and Rey Maualuga. Boeckman will have to play 1513215481 times better than he did against in-state juggernaut Ohio for the Buckeyes to even remain close. Now, the Buckeye defense should keep the contest closer than most people think it will be. But in the end, the Trojans have too much depth for Ohio St. to handle.
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In a game that will not be close at all, Oklahoma travels to Seattle to take on the Washington Huskies. I really feel bad for UW after they were jobbed last week by PAC-10 officials against BYU. Unfortunately for Ty Willingham's bunch, the Sooners don't provide much in the form of a bounce-back game.

I really hope the Huskies give Willingham one more year to get them to a bowl game. He deserves at least that.
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Coaches on the rise:

These are coaches of some non-BCS programs that could be cashing in some bigger paychecks next season.

Skip Holtz, East Carolina
Kyle Whittingham, Utah
Bronco Mendenhall, BYU
Chris Petersen, Boise St.
Todd Graham, Tulsa
Al Golden, Temple
Turner Gill, Buffalo

Coaches on the way out:

These are some coaches that may be serving you your grande non-fat latte at Starbucks after this year.

Greg Robinson, Syracuse
Chuck Long, Sand Diego St.
Ralph Friedgen, Maryland
Dave Wannstedt, Pittsburgh
Tommy Bowden, Clemson
Tyrone Willingham, Washington
Tommy West, Memphis
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What the hell's going on with:

LeSean Mcoy.

This Pittsburgh running back was lauded by some (including me) as one of the best two backs in the country, He hasn't done shit this season. This reminds me a lot of Ken Simonton of Oregon St. fame. Simonton was supposed to be a leading Heisman candidate for the Beavers only to put up some seriously weak numbers for the Beavers in 2001. I hope this is just a Sophomore slump.

What has gotten into:

Rice.

David Bailiff has his Owls playing some pretty good football through the first two weeks. Rice has defeated SMU and Memphis, both schools that were seen as up and comers in the C-USA. Rice is now 2-0 in the conference. Making them the top team in C-USA. Chase Clement is an early dark horse Heisman candidate as well. WR Jarrett Dillard may be the first wideout taking in next year's NFL draft.

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5 Games to watch:

1. Ohio St. @ USC
2. Georgia @ South Carolina
3. Kansas @ South Florida
4. UCLA @ BYU
5. Wisconsin @ Fresno St.

5 Stories to Follow:

1. Can the ACC get on track? ( UNC @ Rutgers, Navy @ Duke, Cal @ Maryland, UVA @ UCONN)
2. Big bounce back game for Tennessee. (vs. UAB)
3. Will SMU and Texas Tech break the 100 point threshold?
4. Which "pretenders" are for real? (Rice, Vandy, Arkansas, Minnesota, Arkansas St., Iowa)
5. Will Randy Shannon stop crying?

Conference Outlook

As the season is drawing ever closer. I decided to make my conference picks.

As you all know, I don't like to bet, but if I did, I would be a millionaire because these picks are freaking golden.

Kirk Herbstreit (aka The Viceroy of Cock) recently completed his list. I will not post a link to it however because the WWL will relentlessly hunt me down and kill all my future children. So I'll just tell you to go check it out. You know the address.

Here's the CORRECT picks:

Note: If I feel another team might have a decent shot, I'll put them in these bad boys, (....).

ACC Atlantic - Clemson, (Wake Forest)
ACC Coastal - Virginia Tech, (North Carolina)
ACC Champ - Clemson, (Wake Forest)

Big East - West Virginia, (Rutgers)

Big Eleven - Ohio St., (Illinois)

Big 12 North - Missouri, (Colorado)
Big 12 South - Oklahoma, (Texas Tech)
Big 12 Champ - Oklahoma, (Missouri)

PAC 10 - USC, (Arizona St.)

SEC West - Auburn, (LSU)
SEC East - Florida, (Georgia)
SEC Champ - Florida, (Georgia)

Conference USA East - UCF, (Memphis)
Conference USA West - Tulsa, (SMU)
Conference USA Champ - Tulsa, (UCF)

MAC East - Temple, (Bowling Green)
MAC West - Central Michigan, (Ball St.)
MAC Champ - Central Michigan, (Ball St.)

Mountain West - BYU, (Utah)

Sun Belt - Florida Atlantic, (UL-Monroe)

WAC - Boise St., (Fresno St.)

Talented Trios

The glamour positions on most college football teams are the QB, WR and RB positions.

Some teams are more blessed than others when it comes to the talent that they have at these positions.

I've decided to rank the top ten QB, WR and RB trios in the nation. There are some teams that have 2 out of the 3 that didn't make my list like West Virginia. The Mountaineers have no proven receiver this season. Some teams on the list have more than one great player at a certain position. If that is the case, I will mention the other players.

Here is my top ten trios:


1. Florida Gators - QB - Tim Tebow, WR - Percy Harvin, RB - Emmanuel Moody.
Go ahead and accuse me of being a homer with this pick. You're probably right. However, if you give me a Heisman winning QB, a leading Heisman candidate WR and a RB that was PAC-10 Freshman of the year, I'll take it all day long. Emmanuel Moody seems to be the weaker of the trio, but he does have Chris Rainey backing him up. Rainey and Harvin on the same field will be a thing of beauty to behold.

2. Clemson Tigers - QB - Cullen Harper, WR - Aaron Kelly, RB - James Davis.
If I wasn't such a homer, the Tigers would probably be in the top spot of this list. The most talented player on their team isn't even a part of this trio. RB C.J. Spiller is explosive and agile, he could easily start over Davis. Tommy Bowden has a plethora of weapons on offense this season, and the Tigers should be able to get to the ACC championship with them.

3. Ohio St. Buckeyes - QB - Todd Boeckman, WR - Brian Robiskie, RB - Chris Wells.
Having Chris Wells at RB moved the Buckeyes high up on this list. Boeckman really surprised me last season with his performance. If he can produce like that again this year, both he and Robiskie should have solid campaigns. This may not be the flashiest trio, but it sure is one of the most talented.

4. Oklahoma Sooners - QB - Sam Bradford, WR - Joaquim Iglesias, RB - DeMarco Murray.
The Sooners are always loaded at these three positions. Iglesias should step in nicely as the first option at receiver. Murray is a bona fide superstar at RB. QB Sam Bradford should be in New York at the end of the season for the Heisman Trophy ceremony.

5. BYU Cougars - QB - Max Hall, WR - Austin Collie, RB - Harvey Unga.
All three of these players are All Mountain West caliber stars. The Cougars are heavy favorites to win their conference, and these three, along with a stout defense, are the main reason for that. Hall should be in contention for the Heisman throughout the season. The BYU passing attack should allow RB Harvey Unga to put up some big numbers.

6. USC Trojans - QB - Mark Sanchez, WR - Vidal Hazelton, RB - Joe McKnight.
The Trojans are perhaps the deepest team in the country at all three positions. Mitch Mustain will be backing up Sanchez, which is the weaker of the trio. Patrick Turner will actually get more receptions than Hazelton, I just happen to think Hazelton is more talented. The same can be said for the RB position as well. I listed McKnight as the RB because I feel he is more talented than the likely starter, Stafon Johnson.

7. Georgia Bulldogs - QB - Matthew Stafford, WR - Mohammed Massaquoi, RB - Knowshon Moreno.
I have to be honest, if it weren't for Moreno, the Bulldogs might not even make my top ten. Fortunately for Georgia, they have the best RB in the nation. Stafford should be much improved this season, as should Massaquoi. However, the Bulldog offense starts and stops with Knowshon.

8. Arizona St. Sun Devils - QB - Rudy Carpenter, WR - Chris McGaha, RB - Keegan Herring.
The Sun Devils have some great talent on offense this season. Some could even argue that their trio may be better than USC's. I think the one area that Arizona St. has an advantage over USC in is QB. Carpenter will most likely put up some gaudy numbers this season. Dennis Erickson has this program poised for a title run.

9. Nevada Wolfpack - QB - Colin Kaepernick, WR - Marko Mitchell, RB - Luke Lippincott.
This trio is different from the others in that it is mostly a running attack. Mitchell is a tremendous receiver, and Kaepernick does a terrific job of getting the ball to him. However, this offense revolves around the legs of Kaepernick and RB Luke Lippincott.

10. Pittsburgh Panthers - QB - Pat Bostick, WR - Derek Kinder, RB - LeSean McCoy.
The only sure thing about this trio is McCoy. Kinder is coming back from an injury that forced him to miss all of last season. Bostick is embroiled in a QB battle as of this moment. However, if both players play like they're supposed to, the Panther could be in Big East title contention.

"Dream" non-conference match-ups for the the SEC

So I saw something similar to this being done on ESPN for the Big XII. I thought since it worked for that ass fest of a conference it surely will work for the all powerful SEC.

Here is a dream non-conference match-up for each and every SEC team. I even included Vanderbilt, and they're never included. Some of these match-ups are just so awesome that just their mere presence on your TV screen would cause instantaneous retardation.

That's why some of them will never happen......









Florida vs. USC


I've already discussed how exciting of a game I think this will be. Both teams are VERY fast, and both have excellent offenses. I have to admit that USC's defense is in a whole other class when compared to Florida. The Gators secondary scares me against this passing game, but I think the Florida front 7 would be able to handle the Trojans' rushing attack. I think it would be poetic justice if Emmanuel Moody went for a buck and a few touchdowns against his former team. I would probably lose my mind if Tebow went up against Brian Cushing in the open-field. Who else would you think I'd pick in this one? Of course I'm going with the Gators.









Georgia vs. Oklahoma


Both of these teams are popular picks to make the title game this season. Both teams also have Heisman Trophy candidates in Knowshon Moreno of Georgia and Sam Bradford of Oklahoma. Another story I find interesting between these two teams is that Oklahoma is led by former Florida assistant Bob Stoops, while Georgia is led by former Florida St. assistant Mark Richt. It's kind of like a dumbed down version of Florida vs. Florida St. This year this game could almost be considered a toss up. Both teams have a lot of talent on offense, and both have extremely tough defenses. I would give the ultimate edge to the Bulldogs. Especially if this were a bowl game.









LSU vs. Texas


These two top-tier teams continuously battle for high school talent in Louisiana and Texas. This game would enable the two to move this off season battle to the field. Both teams have also won recent BCS championships. Mack Brown and Les Miles are two of the more recognizable coaches in the nation, and both will have their teams ready to play in the one. Almost any other year, I would have favored the Tigers in this one. However, LSU is still searching for a quarterback to distribute the ball to it's talented play-makers. Texas on the other hand, has Colt McCoy back, and he will have the benefit of an experienced line in front of him. I give the Longhorns the nod in this one.








Alabama vs. Notre Dame


This game could be hyped as the delusional bowl. Every year the fan bases for these two teams proclaim how they will once again repeat for a national title and bring their program back to glory. Every year, these same delusional fans are knocked back down to reality after their team struggles through another season. These two programs have both spent time at the top of college football. Recent recruiting classes suggests they might be able to get there once again. However, that year is not this year. Alabama will be more competitive than last year, but I still think the Irish are a year away from making it back to a bowl game. I give this one to the Tide. Tuscaloosa will fall under martial law as their ravenous fans litter the streets because there is absolutely nothing else to do but celebrate a meaningless win.







Tennessee vs. Michigan


This would be an interesting match-up between two proud programs that have fallen on tough times recently. Tennessee is sticking with Phil Fulmer despite growing unrest around the program. Michigan is still suffering embarrassment from last season's loss to Appalachian St. The Wolverines will most likely struggle this season. Their defense is not very good, and they lost nearly their entire offensive production to the NFL. Tennessee has a better defense than Michigan, but they too face a difficult challenge of finding new play-makers on offense. I give the edge to the Vols in this one. Arian Foster should find no difficulty in finding holes in the Wolverine defense. Tennessee's defense will also be tough to move the ball against for Michigan.








Auburn vs. Purdue


I picked these two schools for one particular reason. Both of these schools are better football teams than their more well admired in-state institutions. Auburn has been better than Alabama for a while now. Purdue is undoubtedly better than Notre Dame at this current moment. Yet, both Alabama and Notre Dame still get most of the pub. This game would be pretty exciting to watch. The Boilermakers have a ton of firepower on offense with QB Curtis Painter and RB Kory Sheets. Auburn will be installing the spread under Tony Franklin this season. Overall, I would give this match up to the Tigers. Their defense would eventually be able to stop Purdue's offense and take the victory.

South Carolina vs. Florida St.


It would be awesome to see Steve Spurrier and Bobby Bowden on the same field once again. With Bowden's career winding down, this year would probably be their last opportunity to do so. Of course, being a Gator fan, Spurrier is one of my favorite coaches. Even though I hate Florida St., I actually like Bobby Bowden too. I've said it before, CFB needs Bobby to stay around the game. One last chance to see some visor tosses and hear some daggumits would be a special treat for any college football fan. I actually might have to give the edge to the Noles in this game. It all would depend on which Gamecock team would show up.








Arkansas vs. Louisville


This is a dream match-up for obvious reasons. Bobby Petrino gets a shot at the team he left in the dust. Of course, no matter what happens in this game, there will be one unchanged truth: Bobby Petrino is a straight up douche nozzle. Petrino's bunch will struggle on offense because this team is not currently designed to run his offense. Steve Kragthorpe, on the other hand, will have the Cardinals fired up and ready. I would expect Louisville to win the Petrino bowl.

Kentucky vs. Kansas

Of course both of these schools are better known for their highly respected basketball programs. Both teams have also recently become a lot more competitive on the football field as well. Kansas is returning a ton of offensive firepower, while Kentucky lost a lot of it's weapons. I would expect this game to be very high scoring, even resembling some of their basketball contests. In the end, I would give the advantage to the Jayhawks.

Ole Miss vs. UCLA

I look at Ole Miss and UCLA as pretty much being the same team. Both squads have tons of talent, yet neither team ever produces like they should. Also, both teams are in the first season of a controversial coaching hire. The Rebels welcome in Arkansas outcast Houston Nutt, while the Bruins tagged NCAA bad boy Rick Neuheisel to lead the way for them. Like I said, both teams are loaded with talent, it's just a matter of which coach can get the most out of his team. I give the edge to Houston Nutt and the Rebels. Also, how good would the talent be in the stands at this game. The co-eds at Ole Miss and UCLA are both top-notch. That alone makes this a dream match-up.

Mississippi St. vs. Pittsburgh

This game may not seem like such a good match-p. Neither team is a national powerhouse that attracts a ton of attention. However, this game would feature two of my favorite running backs in Anthony Dixon of Mississippi St. and Pittsburgh's Le Sean McCoy. I would love to see these two go at it, as well as see how each defense stops them. Last year's bowl game between the Bulldogs and UCF was seen by many as being boring. I actually thought the game was extremely intense and fun to watch. I expect this one to be in that same mold. The Panthers might just have too much offensive firepower for Miss. St. to overcome.

Vanderbilt vs. Tulane

This could have easily been a conference match-up. These two schools almost became charter members for the Magnolia Conference. This was supposed to be the Ivy League of the South. Both teams eventually backed out at the last minute. Tulane has seen limited success in the C-USA. However, Vanderbilt has consistently gotten pissed on by the big boys of the SEC. The Dores are the only SEC team that hasn't grown ultra competitive within the conference. I think Vandy would be able to get the win over Tulane. Partly because Bob Toledo has no business coaching college football