Grab Bag Time!

I'm sure my millions of readers world wide have noticed that CFB365 has been a little slow lately. Well, more like a lot slow. Truth is I've been incredibly busy lately. Contrary to popular belief, I do in fact have a life. And since I can't find a competent co-writer for this blog, when I have little downtime, this illustrious site suffers.

Since I've been M.I.A. for a while, I thought it would be nice to throw a bunch of crap together in one single post. There's really no rhyme or reason to any of this, just a bunch of random thoughts about college football at this point in the season.

Enjoy!
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Coaching Carousel

There's already been a few firings this season. Both Tommy West of Memphis and Mike Sanford of UNLV have received the pink slip from their bosses. While both Memphis and UNLV are out looking for that next great coach that no one has ever heard of, I thought I should take a look at a few other schools that I will probably be right there with them in the next few weeks.

Notre Dame - Out: Charlie Weis - No obligatory "coaches on the hot seat" discussion can officially begin until Charlie Weis is mentioned. Weis is proving to everyone what this here blogger has always known: The man cannot coach! He's good at calling offensive plays, but he will never have what it takes to run an entire team. Finally, after 5 seasons, the Irish will let him go. In: Brian Kelly - Kelly is the favorite to accept the Notre Dame coaching vacancy when it becomes available. Of course the Irish will contact Urban Meyer and Bobby Stoops, but it is widely believed both of those coaches will give ND a big "No Thank You!".


Virginia - Out: Al Groh - Groh has made a habit of saving his job with late season pushes. This season has been different. With the amount of talent that Groh has been able to amass at UVA, it is hard to believe that they have never seriously contended for an ACC crown. In: Skip Holtz - This is basically the same move I was calling for at the end of last season. Holtz has done a great job of keeping East Carolina at the top of C-USA. Time to see what he can do at a BCS level program.


Louisville - Out: Steve Kragthorpe - Was in over his head as soon as he took the job. Perhaps he can take over for some C-USA or MWC school (I'm thinking UTEP or UNLV). Kragthorpe just doesn't have what it takes to coach a BCS school. And supposedly, that's what Louisville is. In: Charlie Strong - As much as I would hate to see Charlie leave the Florida sideline, he deserves to be a head coach somewhere. The best way to turn around a falling program is to start with defense. I think Strong is pretty decent on that side of the ball.


Akron - Out: J.D. Brookhart - Brookhart should be the first of these coaches to go. He has put together absolutely nothing during his tenure at Akron. In: Chuck Martin - All Martin has done is win two national titles at Division II Grand Valley St. Some would argue if Akron is actually a step up for Martin, but I'm sure he could use the Zips as a nice stepping stone. You have to look no further than former GVSU head coach Brian Kelly to provide an example.


Kansas - Out: Mark Mangino - I really don't see how Mangino can keep his job after this season. Even if the allegations turn out to be false, the damage has already been done. No parent in their right mind would send their kid to play for Kansas while Mangino is roaming the sideline. In: Kevin Sumlin - Sumlin has done a tremendous job in his short stint at Houston. Who's to say he's not the next Urban Meyer?
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Heisman Race

This year's Heisman race has been anything but clear. There are a bunch of good players, but no real great performances really stand out. Here's how I would vote for the Heisman if I actually had a vote.


Toby Gerhart - Stanford RB - All the pub at the running back position has been surrounding Mark Ingram this year. While I think Ingram is a great player, there is no doubt in my mind that Gerhart is a better back. The only thing hurting Toby is that he plays for Stanford and not an SEC or Big Eleven school. The USC game should have earned him a few more votes.





Mark Ingram - Alabama RB - Ingram is the best player on what is arguably the best team in the country. Just think. Where would Bama be without Ingram? Probably not undefeated and getting ready to play Florida in the SEC championship.







C.J. Spiller - Clemson RB - He can run. pass, catch, and return kicks and punts for touchdowns, One of the more exciting players in the nation, it's a shame that C.J. might not even get an invite to NYC this year.










Tim Tebow - Florida QB - I'll admit, this is more of a lifetime achievement vote than anything. However, Timmy is the QB for the number one team in the country. That's gotta count for something. A big game against FSU could catapult him even further on this list.










Colt McCoy - Texas QB - Pretty much the same as Tebow, this is a lifetime achievement vote. The only reason why I even have these two players is because there is a lack of other viable candidates. Plus they are both quarterbacks of undefeated teams.
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Rivalry Week

This weekend is loaded with traditional rivalry games. For the most part these games are played for state bragging rights and recruiting superiority. Here's a quick look at some of my personal favorite games of this weekend. (Note: Oregon v. Oregon St. is one of my favorite games, but it is not listed since they will be playing next week. I hope to have more material to discuss the Civil War in the coming days.)

Florida v. Florida St. - Of course this was gonna be one of my favorite games. The Gators have dominated this rivalry in the Urban Meyer era. However, the series is even since Good 'Ol Bobby came to Tallahassee. This game will be extra special as it will be the last game at the Swamp for Seniors Tim Tebow and Brandon Spikes.






Alabama v. Auburn - The Iron Bowl returned back to Alabama's favor with last years victory. The win erased all the bitter memories created by Tommy Tuberville. If Auburn can pull off the upset this week, they will knock Bama out of the title picture (unless they can bounce back and beat Florida in Atlanta). Now tell me that's not something Auburn will be playing out of their minds to do.




Washington v. Washington St. - The Apple Cup might not have the records and title implications that other rivalry games have this year. But you can throw all that crap out the window when the Cougs and Huskies get set to do battle. I truly enjoy this game ever year. It's a shame it's not the traditional last game on the schedule this season.






BYU v. Utah - The Holy War is always a good game to watch. This one has no MWC title implications, but the two teams hate each just the same.








Clemson v. South Carolina - The Battle for the Palmetto State just hasn't been the same since the two teams decided to duke it out on the field a few years ago. It just seems a little tame as of late. A win against Clemson could turn Spurrier's season around for the better.
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BCS Bowl Game Predictions

Here's the way I see the BCS shaping up.


Orange Bowl - Cincinnati v. Georgia Tech - The Big East and ACC champs will meet in what will easily be the most boring bowl game of the season. Should be a nice farewell victory for Brian Kelly before he leaves to take over the Notre Dame job.


Fiesta Bowl - Oklahoma St. v. TCU - A high powered offense meets a very stingy defense. I like TCU's chances of continuing the MWC tradition of destroying BCS opponents in BCS bowl games.


Sugar Bowl - Alabama v. Boise St. - I just think there will be too much pressure on the BCS commissioners to include an undefeated Boise St/ team in this year's festivities. Even though a team like Penn St. will most likely get this invite, it would be nice to see the Broncos shred the Crimson Tide defense.


Rose Bowl - Oregon v. Ohio St. - While I wouldn't be surprised if this were Oregon St., I think the Ducks are the favorite to represent the PAC-10 in this year's Rose Bowl. Of course, keeping with tradition, Oregon will dismantle Ohio St.


BCS National Championship - Florida v. Texas - I think both Florida and Texas will survive rivalry week and their conference championship unscathed. Setting up what should be an exciting title game. Tebow v. McCoy could go down as one of the best QB match-ups of all time.
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Ultimate Fantasy League Update

For those of you that have been following CFB365's Ultimate Fantasy League, I commend you. For those of you that haven't, good luck following this segment. It's conference championship time in the UFL. Here are the match-ups. Remember, each conference champion gets an automatic bid into the 16 team playoff starting next week.

SEC - Florida v. Alabama - Just like real life, these two teams will meet to decide the SEC Championship. Bama was one of only two teams to go through the regular season undefeated. This is easily the best match-up of the conference championship week.


Big XII - Texas v. Nebraska - Nebraska overtook Kansas on the last week of the season to earn a spot in the title game. Texas was able to fend off a surging TCU team. This should be a blowout win for the Longhorns. We'll see....


Big Ten - Ohio St. v. Iowa - For awhile there it looked like the Big Ten would be decided by a title game between Wisconsin and Iowa St. However, things evened out the last 2 weeks of the season and the two best teams in the conference will meet. Ohio St. is the obvious favorite.


PAC 10 - Arizona v. Boise St. - The Wildcats used the early stumbles by California to secure their spot in this game early on. Boise St. has been the most consistent team in this conference. I think everyone is a little surprised that USC wasn't even a factor in the conference title race.


ACC - Virginia Tech v. South Florida - The Bulls reach the title game by default. Although they were able to keep East Carolina from wrecking the party. Either way, Va Tech is the odds on favorite to win this one.


Big East - Penn St. v. Cincinnati - Cincinnati was the other undefeated team that I alluded to earlier. This might actually turn out to be a close call. Penn St. did suffer two late season losses, including one to Cincy. We'll see if they can rebound and secure their spot in the playoffs.


Mountain West - Houston v. Colorado St. - Colorado St. held off Baylor to avoid an ALL-Texas Title Tilt in the MWC. The Rams have to be one of the biggest surprises of the season in the UFL. We'll see if they can keep their luck going against the Cougars.
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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

Thursday Recap

A lot happened in the college football world last night. The only thing that seemed to be missing was actual good football. Every game was marred by turnovers and miscues. I guess you can't really ask for too much more on the first night of the season.

Here are my thoughts on what transpired.


Everyone is talking about the LaGarrette Blount punch today. People are forgetting that an actual game transpired before than incident. I can't really blame them. The game was boring. Either Chip Kelly is in for a long season at Oregon, or Boise St.'s defense is pretty damn good. For someone who is supposedly an offensive genius, it seemed Kelly couldn't pull his head out of his ass long enough to call a decent play. Is this really the team that everyone was expecting to challenge USC for the PAC-10 crown? I'm ashamed the Ducks cracked my top 25 poll.

As for the Blount incident, my take is simple. The Boise St. douche deserved to be punched square in the jaw. You don't run up on someone who you just beat and pound on his shoulder pads. Even if you were to be dumb enough to do that, you don't compound your mistake by yapping at the guy. I don't blame Blount at all for hitting him in the mouth. I would've done the same. Where Blount went wrong is how he acted after he went all Kermit Washington. Blount tried to fight his own teammates and run into the stands a la Ron Artest. Both of those are no nos. I don't think the guy should be kicked off the team but he definitely deserves a strong suspension. Maybe even suspend him for the season. Oregon can't do any worse without him than they did last night.

Speaking of shit fests, what the hell was that pile of crap that ESPN aired before the Blount Brawl? NC State and South Carolina put on a snooze fest that would make Sylvester Croom jealous. I guess I shouldn't be too surprised with the Wolfpack's performance. They seem to forget to play football until around November. One thing I did learn from this game: Eric Norwood is even better than I thought. I think he might have moved up my positional rankings with that performance.

Not too much else happened Thursday. Utah didn't look overly impressive against in-state "rival" Utah St.

Ball St. looks like it misses Nate Davis and Brady Hoke a lot more than they miss Muncie. Stan Parrish still can't coach.

Iowa St. and Indiana are slightly better than I thought they would be. But not by much.

ESPN continues to exploit Lou Holtz's willingness to do whatever corny ass segment they ask him too. Mark May is still horrible...

I took a hurting in my weekly picks last night. I mean, I was awful......

Highlight of the night:

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.

Weekly Picks

Last Week - 37-13

What can I say? I'm a beast when it comes to these here picks! If I didn't love college football, I would be on the first flight to Vegas to place my bets right now. The only upset pick I missed last week was Michigan over Northwestern. I guess that's what I get for going with Lil' Blue.

Here's this week's edition of my dominance.



Northern Illinois @ Kent St.
Ball St. @ Central Michigan
Miami(FL) @ Georgia Tech
Buffalo @ Bowling Green
Miami(OH) @ Toledo
Fresno St. @ San Jose St.
Michigan @ Ohio St.
NC State @ North Carolina
West Virginia @ Louisville
Army @ Rutgers
Clemson @ Virginia
Indiana @ Purdue
Tennessee @ Vanderbilt
Eastern Michigan @ Temple
Citadel @ Florida
UCF @ Memphis
Colorado St. @ Wyoming
Syracuse @ Notre Dame
Arkansas @ Mississippi St.
Tulane @ Tulsa
Washington @ Washington St.
Florida Atlantic @ Arkansas St.
Michigan St. @ Penn St.
Air Force @ TCU
Ole Miss @ LSU
Stanford @ California
Illinois @ Northwestern
Boston College @ Wake Forest
Akron @ Ohio
Marshall @ Rice
UTEP @ Houston
Cal Poly @ Wisconsin
North Texas @ Middle Tennessee
Iowa St. @ Kansas St.
Louisiana Tech @ New Mexico St.
Boise St. @ Nevada
Duke @ Virginia Tech
BYU @ Utah
Pittsburgh @ Cincinnati
Oregon St. @ Arizona
East Carolina @ UAB
Iowa @ Minnesota
UL-Monroe @ FIU
UL-Lafayette @ Troy
Florida St. @ Maryland
Texas Tech @ Oklahoma
UNLV @ San Diego St.
Idaho @ Hawaii
Connecticut @ South Florida



Upset Alerts

Central Michigan over Ball St. - The Chippewas are the two-time MAC champions. Something tells me they aren't going to just give that title away.

Florida St. over Maryland - Maryland is the truest definition of a helter skelter team. I think the 'Noles take it to them this week.

Arizona over Oregon St. - I really want the Beavers to win just so they can keep the Trojans away from the PAC-10 title. However, Arizona is a very dangerous team, especially at home. I think Tuitama goes off this week.

BYU over Utah - One thing I've learned from watching college football all my life; Always go with the underdog in the Holy War!

Week 6 Preview

Last week finally brought the major upsets that we've been waiting for. USC lost to Oregon St. to open the week. That was then followed up by Florida, Wisconsin, East Carolina and Clemson all losing to unranked teams.

This week, there are a few games that could offer more upsets. Here are a few dandies:


Oregon St. vs. Utah

The Beavers are riding high after their victory over USC last Thursday. They are looking to knock off their second straight top 25 team. The Utes most likely will not overlook OSU, since the Beavers are a "bigger" program. However, it will be interesting how Utah plans on defending scatterback Jacquizz Rodgers. If Utah does win, then that will just continue the tradition of the Mountain West handing the PAC-10's it's own ass.


Kansas vs. Iowa St.

For some strange, ungodly reason, I like this Cyclone football team. For some even stranger and ungodlier reason, I really don't like this Jayhawk team. Kansas should roll in this one, but I wouldn't be surprised if ISU stayed in it until the end. If I'm right, we all know anything can happen at the end of a Big XII game.


Kentucky vs. Alabama

The Tide are America's sweethearts right now. ESPN has withdrew USC's cock from it's mouth long enough to start a slobber job on Nick Saban's bunch. Will this fellatio pleasure go straight to the Alabama players' heads? Probably not. But Kentucky is a solid team, and they will be fired up to knock off the Elephants.


Texas Tech vs. Kansas St.

The Red Raiders have faced nothing but JV high school teams to date this season. While the Wildcats don't present that much of a stiffer challenge, it's still conference play. The game is in Manhattan, where Kansas St. always seems to play much better. It will be up to Tech's defense to stop the Wildcats enough to allow Graham Harrell and Co. to outscore them.


Auburn vs. Vanderbilt

Statistically speaking, if the Commodores win, this wouldn't be an Earth altering upset. However, if the 'Dores pull out a win against Auburn, the entire college football universe will be turned on it's head. This is the only upset that I've actually picked to happen, so I think it's more than possible for the Tigers to leave Nashville with a loss.


Connecticut vs. North Carolina

I know I am seriously hating on Connecticut, but they can't keep winning. They've already proved me wrong by starting off white hot. However, once again, I'll be picking against them this week. Even with a dinged up QB, I like the Tar Heels to knock the Huskies out of the top 25.


Ohio St. vs. Wisconsin

I really don't think it would be an upset if the Badgers defeated Ohio St. in Madison this week. However, everyone else in America just about is picking the Buckeyes to win this one. So by popular opinion, I guess it would be an upset. I picked the Badgers in this one.

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Possible Lane Kiffin CFB destinations

Tennessee - The Vols are finally fed up with Fulmer. Kiffin would bring a Bruce Pearl type energy to the football program.


Washington - Let's face it, Willingham is done in Seattle. Jim Mora Jr. is no longer available, so Kiffin would be a good choice.


Syracuse - There's SC connections here. Also, the Orange have grabbed from the NFL before.


East Carolina - Somebody's gotta replace Skip Holtz after he takes the Clemson job.


Florida St. - The 'Nole re-nig on their offer to Jimbo Fisher after another god-awful offensive season.

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1-AA teams that would be competitive in 1-A RIGHT NOW.

Appalachian St.
James Madison
McNeese St.
Richmond
Wofford
The Citadel
Delaware

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What the hell's going on with:

Tim Tebow

Tebow has not performed like last year. Blame it on less plays, more of a running attack, or defensive schemes against him. Tebow has not been Tebow-like. He badly overthrew receivers last week, including a wide open Louis Murphy on the final drive. Also, when was the last time you saw Tebow denied on a fourth and short? Never.

What has gotten into:

Colt McCoy

Unlike Tebow, Colt McCoy is playing very Tebow-like. He is getting it done through the air and on the ground. McCoy has his Longhorns looking very good. If they continue to play like this, they should head into Dallas undefeated for their epic clash against the Sooners.

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5 Games to Watch

1. Auburn @ Vanderbilt
2. Ohio St. @ Wisconsin
3. Oregon @ USC
4. Rice @ Tulsa
5. Florida St. @ Miami(FL)

5 Stories to Follow

1. How will Ole Miss, Oregon St., Michigan & Maryland respond after huge wins?
2. Will Tim Tebow live up to his promise of being bad-ass?
3. Will Mark May be able to juggle both USC and Alabama's cock?
4. Will USC lose to Oregon AND remain in the top 10?
5. Will Randy Shannon drown in a pool of his own tears because he refuses to stop crying?
   

Weekly Picks

Alright, time for my weekly picks post. Last week I went a respectable 60-14. I'm ashamed to admit that I went against all my beliefs and drank from the Clemson kool-aid this off season. I did go with Utah in the mild upset over Michigan, however.

Here are my week 2 picks. Again, feel free to e-mail me your picks or leave them in a comment if you think you can do better.

Upset alert: I really wanted to pick Southern Miss over Auburn, but I hear the Tiger camp is extremely focused for this one. I went with Auburn, but I wouldn't be surprised if Larry Fedora's bunch pulled it out.

Home	Away	My Pick
Vanderbilt	South Carolina	South Carolina
Ball St.	Navy	Ball St.
Ohio St.	Ohio	Ohio St.
Wisconsin	Marshall	Wisconsin
Illinois	Eastern Illinois	Illinois
Boston College	Georgia Tech	Georgia Tech
Michigan St.	Eastern Michigan	Michigan St.
Michigan	Miami(OH)	Michigan
Temple	Connecticut	Connecticut
Iowa	Florida International	Iowa
Purdue	Northern Colorado	Purdue
Auburn	Southern Miss	Auburn
Nebraska	San Jose St.	Nebraska
Army	New Hampshire	Army
Virginia Tech	Furman	Virginia Tech
Washington	BYU	BYU
Georgia	Central Michigan	Georgia
Oklahoma	Cincinnati	Oklahoma
Oregon	Utah St.	Oregon
Penn St.	Oregon St.	Penn St.
Wake Forest	Ole Miss	Wake Forest
Colorado St.	Sacramento St.	Colorado St.
Colorado	Eastern Washington	Colorado
Notre Dame	San Diego St.	Notre Dame
Louisville	Tennessee Tech	Louisville
Syracuse	Akron	Syracuse
Clemson	Citadel	Clemson
Wyoming	Air Force	Wyoming
Virginia	Richmond	Virginia
Florida Atlantic	UAB	Florida Atlantic
East Carolina	West Virginia	West Virginia
Idaho	Idaho St.	Idaho St.
New Mexico	Texas A&M	Texas A&M
Florida St.	Western Carolina	Florida St.
Kentucky	Norfolk St.	Kentucky
North Carolina St.	William & Mary	North Carolina St.
Pittsburgh	Buffalo	Pittsburgh
Eastern Kentucky	Western Kentucky	Western Kentucky
Washington St.	California	California
Missouri	SE Missouri St.	Missouri
Alabama	Tulane	Alabama
Kansas	Louisiana Tech	Kansas
UCF	South Florida	South Florida
Arkansas	UL-Monroe	Arkansas
Iowa St.	Kent St.	Iowa St.
Indiana	Murray St.	Indiana
Duke	Northwestern	Northwestern
Baylor	Northwestern St.	Baylor
North Texas	Tulsa	Tulsa
Mississippi St.	SE Louisiana	Mississippi St.
Arkansas St.	Texas Southern	Arkansas St.
Middle Tennessee	Maryland	Maryland
TCU	Stephen F. Austin	TCU
Western Michigan	Northern Illinois	Western Michigan
Oklahoma St.	Houston	Oklahoma St.
Kansas St.	Montana St.	Kansas St.
Bowling Green	Minnesota	Bowling Green
Florida	Miami(FL)	Florida
LSU	Troy	LSU
Utah	UNLV	Utah
Memphis	Rice	Rice
SMU	Texas St.	SMU
Nevada	Texas Tech	Texas Tech
Arizona St.	Stanford	Arizona St.
Arizona	Toledo	Arizona
UTEP	Texas	Texas
Hawaii	Weber St.	Hawaii