College Football Nation

Alabama Wins Nat'l Champ and Defends Challenge Cup

2010-01-08T00:20:00.002-05:00

Alabama's 37-21 win over Texas brings home its first title since the 1992. It was also their first defense of the Challenge Cup since winning it from Florida in the SEC Championship. Congrats to the Crimson Tide.

TCU v. Boise State in the Fiesta Bowl

2009-12-06T21:16:00.001-05:00

For those following CFBN's Mid-Major National Championship award, it will go to the winner of the Fiesta Bowl this year, as 12-0 TCU faces 12-0 Boise State. Boise State won the Fiesta Bowl a few years back, but also lost to TCU in last year's bowl game. The Fiesta Bowl is played in Glendale, Arizona, on January 4th, 2010.

Bowls Announced

2009-12-06T21:12:00.002-05:00

The bowl games were announced tonight, and as expected, Alabama and Texas will face off in Pasadena for the BCS National Championship. As for the mythical Toilet Bowl, it should pit winless Eastern Michigan v. winless Western Kentucky.

Alabama Claims the Challenge Cup

2009-12-06T20:12:00.002-05:00

Alabama pulled out a big time win in the SEC Championship over Florida, launching them into the BCS National Championship game. Alabama also claimed the Challenge Cup -- the first time the cup has changes hands in the 2009 season. Alabama will have its first cup defense against Texas in Pasadena.

2009 CFBN Poll: Week 4

2009-09-20T21:01:00.001-04:00

Po.	Week 4
1	Florida
2	Texas
3	Alabama
4	Penn State
5	Mississippi
6	California
7	LSU
8	Boise State
9	Miami
10	TCU
11	Michigan
12	North Carolina
13	Missouri
14	Cincinnati
15	Kansas
16	Auburn
17	Pittsburgh
18	South Florida
19	Arizona State
20	Houston
21	UCLA
22	Iowa
23	Kentucky
24	Wisconsin
25	Southern Miss

2009 CFBN Poll: Week 3

2009-09-13T02:54:00.001-04:00

Po.	Week 3
1	Florida
2	Texas
3	USC
4	Alabama
5	Penn State
6	Mississippi
7	California
8	BYU
9	Boise State
10	LSU
11	Georgia Tech
12	TCU
13	Utah
14	Cincinnati
15	North Carolina
16	Kansas
17	Michigan
18	Boston College
19	Pittsburgh
20	Nebraska
21	South Florida
22	Houston
23	Auburn
24	Missouri
25	Miami

2009 MVP Race

2009-09-08T02:15:00.006-04:00

Here are the standings after week 2:

No.	Po.	Name	Team
1	QB	Tim Tebow	Florida
2	QB	Colt McCoy	Texas
3	RB	Jahvid Best	California
4	QB	Max Hall	BYU
5	RB	Jonathan Dwyer	Georgia Tech
6	QB	Terrelle Pryor	Ohio State
7	QB	Zac Robinson	Oklahoma State
8	WR	Dez Bryant	Oklahoma State
9	WR	Michael Floyd	Notre Dame
10	RB	Joe McKnight	USC
11	QB	Jimmy Clausen	Notre Dame
12	QB	Matt Barkley	USC
13	QB	Tate Forcier	Michigan
14	RB	Robert Griffin	Baylor
15	RB	Stafon Johnson	USC
16	QB	Tony Pike	Cincinnati
17	QB	Dan LeFevour	Central Michigan
18	QB	Case Keenum	Houston
19	QB	Jacory Harris	Miami
20	QB	Kellen Moore	Boise State

2009 CFBN Poll: Week 2

2009-09-08T02:04:00.001-04:00

Here is the first CFBN Poll, following week one's results:

Po.	Week 2
1	Florida
2	Texas
3	USC
4	Alabama
5	Oklahoma State
6	Penn State
7	Mississippi
8	California
9	LSU
10	Ohio State
11	BYU
12	Boise State
13	TCU
14	Utah
15	Notre Dame
16	North Carolina
17	Georgia Tech
18	Michigan State
19	Missouri
20	Cincinnati
21	Miami
22	Tennessee
23	South Florida
24	Arkansas
25	Michigan

Sam Bradford Out 2-4 Weeks

2009-09-08T02:01:00.002-04:00

2008 Heisman winner Sam Bradford is expected to miss 2-4 weeks of play due to an injury during the loss to BYU on Saturday. During this time, Oklahoma will face Idaho State, Tulsa and Miami. If the injury extends past four weeks, the Sooners will start conference play without their starting quarterback, first against Baylor and then against Texas in a much-anticipated Red River Rivalry game.

Welcome to the 2009 Season

2009-09-08T01:56:00.000-04:00

Hello college football enthusiasts! It has been a busy summer and the progress on this site has been slow, but now that the season is underway, we are proud to get the content kicking for the 2009 season. Check back frequently for updates or check our evolving team feeds above to follow your favorite college team.

Florida Wins Title, Challenge Cup

2009-01-09T00:42:00.002-05:00

Florida's 24-14 win over the Oklahoma Sooners locked up the Gators' third national championship and third Challenge Cup. This marked Urban Meyer's second title in the past three years, and Tim Tebow put himself in a good position to take home CFBN's top player award.

Utah wins CFBN 2008 MMNC

2009-01-03T16:16:00.002-05:00

With a 31-17 victory over SEC runner-up Alabama in the Sugar Bowl, Utah has captured College Football Nation's 2008 Mid-Major National Championship. The Utes' win makes them the only Division I-A college football program with an undefeated record.

Considering the contested selection of Oklahoma for the BCS National Championship over Texas, the selection of Ohio State over a then-undefeated Boise State for the Fiesta Bowl and the overlooking of Utah for a share of the national championship, the aftermath of this season is likely to be a playoff.

CFBN All-America Team

2008-12-30T23:33:00.000-05:00

Po.	All-America Team	School
QB	Tim Tebow	Florida
QB	Sam Bradford	Oklahoma
QB	Colt McCoy	Texas
QB	Graham Harrell	Texas Tech
RB	Chris Wells	Ohio State
RB	Javon Ringer	Michigan State
RB	Shonn Greene	Iowa
RB	Knowshon Moreno	Georgia
FB	Jorvorskie Lane	Texas A&M
FB	Brannan Southerland	Georgia
WR	Michael Crabtree	Texas Tech
WR	Percy Harvin	Florida
WR	Jeremy Maclin	Missouri
WR	Dez Bryant	Oklahoma State
WR	Jarrett Dillard	Rice
WR	Arrelious Benn	Illinois
TE	Brandon Pettigrew	Oklahoma State
TE	Jermaine Gresham	Oklahoma
TE	Chase Coffman	Missouri
T	Andre Smith	Alabama
T	Michael Oher	Mississippi
T	Ciron Black	LSU
T	Eugene Monroe	Virginia
G	Duke Robinson	Oklahoma
G	Herman Johnson	LSU
G	Greg Isdaner	West Virginia
G	Trevor Canfield	Cincinnati
C	Alex Mack	California
C	A.Q. Shipley	Penn State
C	Antoine Caldwell	Alabama
DT	Terrence Cody	Alabama
DT	Gerald McCoy	Oklahoma
DT	B.J. Raji	Boston College
DT	Ndamukong Suh	Nebraska
DE	Brian Orakpo	Texas
DE	George Selvie	South Florida
DE	Tyson Jackson	LSU
DE	Aaron Maybin	Penn State
OLB	Aaron Curry	Wake Forest
OLB	Brian Cushing	USC
OLB	Marcus Freeman	Ohio State
OLB	Tyson McKenzie	South Florida
MLB	Ray Maualuga	USC
MLB	James Laurinaitis	Ohio State
MLB	Brandon Spikes	Florida
MLB	Dannell Ellerbe	Georgia
CB	Malcolm Jenkins	Ohio State
CB	Vontae Davis	Illinois
CB	D.J. Moore	Vanderbilt
CB	Donovan Warren	Michigan
CB	Trevard Lindley	Kentucky
CB	Victor Harris	Virginia Tech
SS	Myron Rolle	Florida State
SS	Patrick Chung	Oregon
SS	Emanuel Cook	South Carolina
FS	Taylor Mays	USC
FS	William Moore	Missouri
FS	Kam Chancellor	Virginia Tech
K	Graham Gano	Florida State
P	Kevin Huber	Cincinnati

Dear ESPN, BCS Got It (Mostly) Right

2008-12-08T03:26:00.004-05:00

ESPN is renowned for creating news and controversy where none otherwise exists. In this regard, I would like to refute the notion that Texas deserved to go to the BCS National Championship in lieu of Oklahoma. The argument proffered is based upon the tie that existed between Texas and Oklahoma and the Longhorns' victory over the Sooners in head-to-head competition. This would be a perfectly valid argument if the issue were that simple. Unfortunately, this is an oversimplification of the problem, and here is where I must disagree ...

The tie does not exist between Texas and Oklahoma; it exists among Texas, Oklahoma and Texas Tech. Each beat the other in a quasi-round robin format. Thus, head-to-head competition does not tell the whole story. So let's look at the different possible ways of analyzing this:

1. Quality of Head-to-Head Performance ("Style Points" Analysis)
Texas defeated Oklahoma by 10 in the Red Rivalry Shootout at the midpoint in the season. This was Oklahoma's only loss of the season. Next, Texas Tech defeated Texas with a last-second touchdown in a subsequent game. Then, Oklahoma defeated Texas Tech by a whopping 40+ points. If you are evaluating teams based upon their most recent head-to-head performance, Oklahoma gets the nod, coming out with the last win in the round-robin format. If you are evaluating teams based upon the quality of the win in the round-robin format, then, once again, Oklahoma gets the nod, having the most convincing victory of the three Big XII South competitors.

ESPN has met this argument with a rather clever criticism: "Texas Tech was a pretender." After all, Texas Tech does not favorably compare with Texas or Oklahoma if you compare their whole body of work. While I am sure that Mike Leach and his several fans in Lubbock would love to give Kirk Herbstreit a good shot to the jaw for such a comment, let's allow deference to this prima facie case. However, why not flip the argument a bit. Compared with Oklahoma, Texas was a pretender. In fact, any team not lead by Tim Tebow does not compare favorably with Oklahoma's body of work for the season. This issue will, of course, be discussed at greater length below. Just as much as Texas Tech can be "written off" as a "fluke," so can Texas.

2. Body of Work
Texas looked good at several points throughout the season. The victory over Oklahoma flamed their short stint at No. 1. The thorough romping of Big XII North Champs Missouri made the Longhorns appear legit (even though Missouri proved to be "paper" Tigers -- I couldn't resist). However, Texas cannot legitimately argue that their body of work is comparable with the team that set the NCAA record for points scored in a season ... with one more game still left to play. Oklahoma's Sam Bradford is poised to set the NCAA record for quarterback rating (previously held by poser Colt Brennan of pass-happy Hawaii) and possibly bring home the Heisman trophy. What's more, Bradford will have accomplished this on a balanced team, which is something most quarterbacks who put up video-game stats cannot readily claim. Oklahoma's offense set another NCAA record for being the first team to score 60+ points in five consecutive games; the game before that streak started -- a 58-point performance, with 55 of those coming in the first half and the first-team offense sipping soft drinks in the second half. Texas is just not in the same world as this team, and it was extraordinarily lucky to beat them at the season midpoint. This plays into the "fluke" counterargument above. If you evaluate the body of work, you must give the nod to Oklahoma.

3. Strength of Schedule
Texas strength of schedule is weak. The Longhorn nonconference schedule: Florida Atlantic, UTEP, Rice and Arkansas. Two-bowl bound teams among those -- Florida Atlantic and Rice -- neither of which strikes fear in the hearts of Big XII enthusiasts. The Longhorn conference schedule differs from Oklahoma's only by one game -- Texas played Colorado and Oklahoma played Kansas State. This is of (very) little consequence.

Oklahoma's strength of schedule is superior. The Sooner nonconference schedule: Cincinnati, TCU, Washington and Chattanooga. I will criticize Oklahoma for scheduling a Division I-AA program. However, the Sooners then played two BCS conference teams and a perennial mid-major powerhouse. Cincinnati is headed to the Orange Bowl to face Virginia Tech as the Big East Champion. The Bearcats lost only one other game this season, having bested Big East powers West Virginia, Louisville, South Florida and Pittsburgh. TCU is headed to the Poinsettia Bowl to face undefeated Boise State. The Hornfrogs are credited with undoing the BYU "Dream Season" and almost repeating a spoiler against Sugar Bowl-bound Utah (which happened to be their only other loss). Therefore, if you are basing your decision on strength of schedule, the Sooners get the nod again, having played two extremely tough nonconference games, while their rival was dodging any nonconference challenge.

I say that the BCS got it mostly right because I am a firm believer in rewarding undefeated teams. In this vein, it is a travesty to choose a 10-2 Ohio State team that has had its ass kicked in two consecutive BCS Title games over a 12-0 Boise State team that provided the most exciting game of the 2006 season in the Fiesta Bowl against Oklahoma. One could argue that Boise State did not have the strength of schedule, but Ohio State's strength of schedule does not pass muster either. Ohio State got obliterated in its tough nonconference game against USC, and defeated against Penn State, champions of the deflated Big Ten. The Buckeyes' highest quality win was over a 9-3 Michigan State. On the other hand, Boise State, who was the champion of its conference, had its best win over 9-3 Oregon. Thus, the quality is even.

The true tragedy of this prejudicial oversight is the effect it will have on the Boise State program. Broncos' head coach Chris Petersen is like any other coach in America -- he is looking to promote his career. While he would prefer to do so with Boise State, the system makes it so that the Broncos cannot break through the mid-major glass ceiling that has been created by the BCS system. Thus, it is not unexpected that rumors have circulated that Chris Petersen will accept the job as Mississippi State's next head coach and add to the unbelievably deep coaching in the SEC.

In this regard, I believe that a slight adjustment needs to be made. Here are the possibilities:
1. Turn one of the BCS games into a Mid-Major National Championship, pitting the top two ranked mid-majors against each other.
2. Ensnare the BCS from selecting an at large from a BCS conference over an undefeated mid-major.
3. Create a seventh BCS conference. A fusion of the Conference USA, Mountain West and WAC, resembling the following: 1. Air Force, 2. Boise State, 3. BYU, 4. Colorado State, 5. Fresno State, 6. Hawaii, 7. Houston, 8. Nevada, 9. Rice, 10. TCU, 11. Tulsa, 12. Utah. This 12-team conference would then reduce the possibility of having multiple undefeateds, ensure a BCS bowl for the conference and would give these teams the credibility to vie for a National Championship.
4. Switching to an eight-team playoff system. However, the playoff system must operate such that each BCS conference only sends one team to the playoff. That being the conference champion. The two remaining slots would exist for mid-majors and independents. Otherwise, the system would be equally prejudicial.

With this evaluation of the BCS system, I am expecting a great national championship and an otherwise enjoyable bowl season. Luckily, Boise State wasn't prejudiced too much, as the game with TCU should also be exciting.

Bowl Games

2008-12-07T20:33:00.001-05:00

BCS Championship	Florida	Oklahoma
Fiesta Bowl	Texas	Ohio State
Sugar Bowl	Alabama	Utah
Orange Bowl	Virginia Tech	Cincinnati
Rose Bowl	Penn State	USC
GMAC Bowl	Tulsa	Ball State
International Bowl	Buffalo	Connecticut
Liberty Bowl	East Carolina	Kentucky
Cotton Bowl	Texas Tech	Mississippi
Gator Bowl	Clemson	Nebraska
Capital One Bowl	Michigan State	Georgia
Outback Bowl	Iowa	South Carolina
Chick-fil-A Bowl	Georgia Tech	LSU
Insight Bowl	Kansas	Minnesota
Music City Bowl	Boston College	Vanderbilt
Sun Bowl	Pittsburgh	Oregon State
Armed Forces Bowl	Air Force	Houston
Holiday Bowl	Oklahoma State	Oregon
Texas Bowl	Rice	Western Michigan
Humanitarian Bowl	Nevada	Maryland
Alamo Bowl	Northwestern	Missouri
Papajohns.com Bowl	Rutgers	N.C. State
Independence Bowl	Louisiana Tech	Northern Illinois
Emerald Bowl	California	Miami
Champs Sports Bowl	Florida State	Wisconsin
Meineke Car Care Bowl	West Virginia	North Carolina
Motor City Bowl	Central Michigan	Florida Atlantic
Hawaii Bowl	Hawaii	Notre Dame
Poinsettia Bowl	TCU	Boise State
New Orleans Bowl	Troy	Southern Miss
Eagle Bank Bowl	Navy	Wake Forest
Las Vegas Bowl	Arizona	BYU
St. Petersburg Bowl	South Florida	Memphis
New Mexico Bowl	Fresno State	Colorado State

How the BCS Should Go ...

2008-12-06T00:22:00.010-05:00

Assuming a win by Oklahoma, here is how CFBN would set the BCS Schedule:

BCS National Championship
BCS No. 1: Florida
Reason for Florida: Champions of the "toughest conference in college football" headlined by an electric former Heisman winner at quarterback and an offensive mastermind at head coach. With a win over the Crimson Tide, the Gators will have taken down five ranked teams -- the previous four wins in convincing fashion -- 30 points over LSU, 39 points over Georgia, 50 points over South Carolina and 30 points over rival Florida State. The Gators only have one hiccup on their record -- a one-point loss to an underrated Mississippi team.

BCS No. 2: Oklahoma
Reason for Oklahoma: Champions of what is really the toughest conference in college football in this season, headlined by an electric quarterback, who is likely to be a Heisman winner, and a defensive mastermind at head coach. Oklahoma has had the hottest offense in the country, averaging over 50 points per game this season. Also, the Sooners' schedule is equally impressive to Florida's: Texas, Texas Tech, Oklahoma State, Missouri, Kansas and Cincinnati. The three-way tie among Oklahoma, Texas and Texas Tech was resolved appropriately (even though ESPN is stirring the pot to generate ratings). Each of those three teams were responsible for each of their one losses. In that scenario, you look at how convincing their respective win against the other considered team was. Texas Tech's was the weakest (last second over Texas), Texas's was slightly stronger (two scores over Oklahoma), and Oklahoma's was phenomenal (dominant 44-point win over Texas Tech). The system got it, selecting the Sooners.

Rose Bowl
Pac-10 Champion: USC
Reason for USC: Winner of the Pac-10. Only loss came in an early season away game at Oregon State. Otherwise, USC has rolled through the Pac-10. The Trojans also had tremendous wins against Ohio State and Notre Dame (albeit at home). Pete Carroll's defense has looked very strong, and the offense has player well enough to win games for them.

Big Ten Champion: Penn State
Reason for Penn State: Winner of the Big Ten. The Nittany Lions came one field goal shy of the National Championship in loss to resurgent Iowa squad. Penn State has managed to get things done with defense again, while throwing together an offense out of multifaceted athletes a la Michael Robinson.

Fiesta Bowl
At Large: Texas
Reason for Texas: The Longhorns missed playing in the National Championship by a last second pass by Heisman candidate Graham Harrell to Heisman candidate Michael Crabtree. It is tough to argue with that. However, Texas did not deserve to get the nod into the title game over the Sooners because of the aforementioned three-way analysis. Texas maintains the Big XII's tie to the Fiesta Bowl.

At Large: Boise State
Reason for Boise State: Undefeated and winner of the WAC. Chris Petersen once again has the Broncos playing solid fundamentals on offense and defense. This is a team that doesn't make mistakes. If they are going to be beaten, its going to be because they are simply out matched. Pac-10 runner-up Oregon couldn't out match them. It would be a travesty to reward a mediocre Ohio State team at the expense of an undefeated mid-major.

Sugar Bowl
At Large: Alabama
Reason for Alabama: Runner-up in the SEC. Nick Saban has the Crimson Tide playing solid football with perfect fundamentals while working with inherited mediocre talent. This is just a glimpse of what is to come ... if Saban doesn't decide to run off for another program ... or the NFL ... again. Great defense, average offense. Not flashy, but effective.

At Large: Utah
Reason for Utah: Undefeated and winner of the Mountain West. The Utes have played solid ball, downing TCU, BYU and Trojan-crusher, Oregon State. Brian Johnson has looked good at quarterback. Once again, it would be a travesty to leave an undefeated team out in favor of a mediocre Ohio State squad.

Orange Bowl
ACC Champion: Virginia Tech
Reason for Virginia Tech: Winner of the ACC. The Hokies atoned for their early season loss to Boston College with a convincing win over the Eagles in the ACC Championship game. This will be the weakest team in a BCS game this year, but aren't outmatched by Cincinnati. While this isn't a marquee game, it will be close.

Big East Champion: Cincinnati
Reason for Cincinnati: Winner of the Big East. Cincinnati has played tremendously thus far, going 10-2 (soon to be 11-2 with a win over Hawaii). The Bearcats two losses were ugly -- 26 points to Oklahoma and 24 points to Connecticut. But Cincinnati has also proven its muster with wins over West Virginia, South Florida and Pittsburgh.

Ball State falls, helps Boise State

2008-12-05T23:23:00.002-05:00

Chris Petersen must be pleased. The fall of Ball State to Buffalo in tonight's MAC Championship game significantly increases Boise State's chances of going to a BCS game in January. While the BCS system is incapable of accommodating three undefeated mid-majors, two is not outside of the realm of possibility. With three undefeateds, the BCS system can justify snubbing two of them, using each other as reasons not to include them. With two, it would be an injustice to leave out one undefeated and include another. I would be disgusted with the BCS system (a system I have been more tolerant of than most) if it left Boise State out at this point.

Likely, the decision facing the BCS will be to include Boise State or Ohio State in the Fiesta Bowl. In this author's opinion, a 10-2 Ohio State team that has had its ass stomped in two consecutive title games doesn't deserve inclusion over an undefeated mid-major that has played a respectable schedule. We will see how it goes on Sunday.

The Chase for the MMNC

2008-11-24T22:56:00.002-05:00

At this juncture, there are three programs competing for the 2008 MMNC. At the moment, Utah is in the lead, having bested rival BYU and run the gauntlet undefeated. However, Boise State and Ball State each have a chance to match their mid-major brethren in regular season unbeatenness. Thus, if we have three undefeated mid-majors, how will we decide who gets the crown. Simple -- look to the bowls.

In all likelihood, this will leave Utah with the toughest road, likely to face either Texas or Alabama in the Fiesta or Sugar Bowl. However, Boise State might sneak into the BCS System, especially if Ball State loses to Western Michigan or to Buffalo in the MAC Championship. After all, it is easier to snub a second undefeated mid-major from the BCS if there is a third that would necessarily be snubbed. The difficulty will come in assigning the MMNC should one program get a vastly inferior bowl opponent, leaving one undefeated and one with a tough bowl loss. However, I believe that the players can only play the games that are scheduled, and in that system (the very essence of having a MMNC), we must reward the undefeated.

2008 Projected Bowls

2008-11-24T15:03:00.000-05:00

BCS National Championship	Florida	Oklahoma
Rose Bowl	USC	Penn State
Fiesta Bowl	Texas	Boise State
Sugar Bowl	Alabama	Utah
Orange Bowl	Boston College	Cincinnati
GMAC Bowl	Houston	Western Michigan
International Bowl	Connecticut	Central Michigan
Liberty Bowl	Tulsa	Kentucky
Cotton Bowl	Texas Tech	Mississippi
Gator Bowl	Georgia Tech	West Virginia
Capital One Bowl	Georgia	Ohio State
Outback Bowl	Michigan State	South Carolina
Chick-fil-A Bowl	LSU	Florida State
Insight Bowl	Nebraska	Wisconsin
Music City Bowl	Vanderbilt	Maryland
Sun Bowl	Notre Dame	Oregon State
Armed Forces Bowl	Air Force	Rice
Holiday Bowl	Oregon	Missouri
Texas Bowl	Rutgers	East Carolina
Humanitarian Bowl	Fresno State	Wake Forest
Alamo Bowl	Northwestern	Oklahoma State
Papajohns.com Bowl	Louisville	Buffalo
Independence Bowl	Kansas	Florida Atlantic
Emerald Bowl	Miami	Arizona
Champs Sports Bowl	North Carolina	Iowa
Meineke Car Care Bowl	Virginia Tech	Pittsburgh
Motor City Bowl	Minnesota	Ball State
Hawaii Bowl	Hawaii	Northern Illinois
Poinsettia Bowl	BYU	Nevada
New Orleans Bowl	Troy	Memphis
Congressional Bowl	Navy	Clemson
Las Vegas Bowl	TCU	California
St. Petersburg Bowl	South Florida	Southern Miss
New Mexico Bowl	Colorado State	Louisiana Tech

CFBN Poll: Week 13

2008-11-24T15:02:00.001-05:00

CFBN Poll: Week 13

1	Alabama
2	Utah
3	Boise State
4	Ball State
5	Florida
6	Oklahoma
7	USC
8	Texas
9	Penn State
10	Texas Tech
11	Georgia
12	Ohio State
13	Oklahoma State
14	Missouri
15	Boston College
16	Michigan State
17	TCU
18	Cincinnati
19	West Virginia
20	Oregon State
21	BYU
22	Pittsburgh
23	Northwestern
24	Georgia Tech
25	Oregon

Bob Stoops Wins First Challenge Cup

2008-11-24T14:53:00.002-05:00

Oklahoma took home the Challenge Cup for the 6th time in their history, with a 65-21 thumping of No. 2 Texas Tech. This marks the first Challenge Cup for the Sooners in the Bob Stoops era. They will have their first defense against Oklahoma State next weekend.

CFBN Poll: Week 12

2008-11-16T00:33:00.000-05:00

CFBN Poll: Week 12

1	Alabama
2	Texas Tech
3	Boise State
4	Utah
5	Ball State
6	Florida
7	Texas
8	Oklahoma
9	USC
10	Penn State
11	Georgia
12	Ohio State
13	Missouri
14	Boston College
15	Maryland
16	Michigan State
17	LSU
18	TCU
19	BYU
20	West Virginia
21	Oregon State
22	Pittsburgh
23	Northwestern
24	Georgia Tech
25	Oregon

Suggesting a Play-Off System

2008-11-09T14:00:00.005-05:00

There has been plenty of speculation about a playoff system. Here is my suggestion.

Eight team playoff
1. Winner of ACC (automatic)
2. Winner of Big East (automatic)
3. Winner of Big Ten (automatic)
4. Winner of Big XII (automatic)
5. Winner of Pac-10 (automatic)
6. Winner of SEC (automatic)
7-8. Choose two from the winners of the Conference USA, MAC, Mountain West, Sun Belt and WAC or a 9-3 or better Independent.

There will be no more than one team from any conference.

Here is how this would work for this year, as per projected finishes.

Automatic Berths:
1. North Carolina (ACC)
2. West Virginia (Big East)
3. Penn State (Big Ten)
4. Texas (Big XII)
5. USC (Pac-10)
6. Florida (SEC)

At Large Berths:
1. Tulsa (C-USA)
2. Central Michigan (MAC)
3. BYU (Mountain West)
4. Troy (Sun Belt)
5. Boise State (WAC)
* There will be no eligible Independents this year.

The committee will likely select Boise State and BYU from the at larges.

The playoff bracket would look as follows:

#1: Florida
#8: BYU

#4: Penn State
#5: North Carolina

#2: Texas
#7: Boise State

#3: USC
#6: West Virginia

Let's also look at how it would have worked last year:

Automatic Berths:
1. Virginia Tech (ACC)
2. West Virginia (Big East)
3. Ohio State (Big Ten)
4. Oklahoma (Big XII)
5. USC (Pac-10)
6. LSU (SEC)

At Large Berths:
1. Tulsa (C-USA)
2. Central Michigan (MAC)
3. BYU (Mountain West)
4. Florida Atlantic (Sun Belt)
5. Hawaii (WAC)
* There were no eligible Independents that year.

The committee would have likely selected Hawaii and BYU from the at larges.

The playoff bracket would have looked as follows:

#1: LSU
#8: BYU

#4: Oklahoma
#5: West Virginia

#2: Ohio State
#7: Hawaii

#3: USC
#6: Virginia Tech

It is rudimentary, but I believe that it would be favorable to all parties. I would suggest that bowl games also be played, with traditional ties for non-qualifying teams.

BCS Predictions

2008-11-09T04:31:00.002-05:00

Here are the abbreviated bowl projections.

BCS National Championship:
Florida (12-1) v. Texas (12-1)

Rose Bowl:
USC (11-1) v. Penn State (11-1)

Fiesta Bowl:
Oklahoma (11-1) v. Ohio State (10-2)

Sugar Bowl:
Alabama (11-1) v. West Virginia (9-3)

Orange Bowl:
North Carolina (11-2) v. Boise State (12-0)

Three-Man Race for the Heisman

2008-11-08T23:44:00.005-05:00

The Heisman list has been realistically trimmed to three quarterbacks: Graham Harrell, Sam Bradford and Tim Tebow. Here is the analysis of each.

1. Graham Harrell, Texas Tech
Campaign Slogan: Mr. Exciting
Projected Stats: 389/551, 4828 YDs, 40 TDs, 7 INTs, 166 Rating
Team Record: 10-0
Games Remaining: Oklahoma, Baylor, Missouri*

Graham Harrell's Heisman campaign is conditioned upon his team's success. Put simply, if Texas Tech loses a game, Harrell will lose the Heisman. This is not Graham's fault, but rather his head coach's. Mike Leach has had a history of producing "system quarterbacks," who put up unrealistic numbers because of the Red Raiders' reliance on the passing game. Harrell is subject to the same criticism, having passed for over 14,000 yards and 119 TDs in his time with the Red Raiders. The only difference this time is that Texas Tech is in BCS National Championship contention. While this may seem unfair, Harrell knows exactly what must be done: win. If Graham can propel his team to three more victories, then he will undoubtedly win the Heisman, as the quarterback of an undefeated BCS conference team has hardly not won the Heisman.

2. Sam Bradford, Oklahoma
Campaign Slogan: Mr. Consistent
Projected Stats: 269/396, 4115 YDs, 45 TDs, 8 INTs, 189 Rating
Team Record: 9-1
Games Remaining: Texas Tech, Oklahoma State, Missouri*

Sam Bradford will face the "Tim Tebow" dilemma this season -- he's too young to be this good. [Perhaps this would more aptly be described as the "Darren McFadden" dilemma, considering Tebow's success last season.] Bradford's quarterback rating is simply absurd for a BCS conference team. Tulsa's David Johnson and Oklahoma State's Zac Robinson are the only ones in Division I-A that are higher, and they are subject to the same "system quarterback" criticism as Harrell above. Bradford has been consistently impressive from game to game, with his only "blunder" coming against Texas -- a 28/39 performance for 387 yards, 5 touchdowns, and *GASP* 2 interceptions. Aside from that "poor" performance, Bradford has been unflappable, untouchable and, most importantly, unbeatable. If it weren't for the loss to the Longhorns, Bradford would be the hands-on favorite to take home the trophy in New York.

3. Tim Tebow, Florida
Campaign Slogan: Mr. Heisman
Projected Stats: 171/266, 2354 YDs, 21 TDs, 3 INTs, 163 Rating; 12 TDs (rushing)
Team Record: 8-1
Games Remaining: South Carolina, The Citadel (I-AA), Florida State, Alabama

Tim Tebow is the safe pick. He is the incumbent and the proven commodity. However, Tebow has been under a lot of pressure this season. As a returning Heisman winner, Tebow was under the spotlight and was subject to intense media criticism after his weaker performances early in the season. However, Timmy has been showing flashes of greatness as the season has gone on and, oddly enough, is now playing catch-up. While he is under incredible scrutiny, he is also granted a wide-level of leniency because of his conference. The SEC has been widely proclaimed as the toughest conference in college football and is known for its tough defenses. Regardless of their fictitious or real nature, Tebow has managed to put up some solid numbers against these "incomparable" defenses. Tebow also has the clearest path to the title game, as many experts have picked the Gators to be playing for the title game.

CFBN Prediction: Sam Bradford, Oklahoma
Bradford has been phenomenal, but more importantly, consistent. Voters will be hesitant to give the award back to Tebow if he underperforms his sophomore season. Meanwhile, they will be reluctant to give the award to Harrell if he doesn't go perfect on the season. In order to go perfect, Harrell will have to go through Bradford and the Sooners. Here is where Harrell will fall. And here is were Bradford will win the Heisman.

* If Big XII South Champs

CFBN Poll: Week 11

2008-11-08T23:26:00.000-05:00

CFBN Poll: Week 11

1	Alabama
2	Texas Tech
3	Boise State
4	Utah
5	Ball State
6	Florida
7	Texas
8	Oklahoma
9	USC
10	Penn State
11	BYU
12	Tulsa
13	Georgia
14	Ohio State
15	Oklahoma State
16	Missouri
17	North Carolina
18	Michigan State
19	Florida State
20	Cincinnati
21	Pittsburgh
22	TCU
23	Central Michigan
24	Western Michigan
25	Air Force

Texas Tech Defends Challenge Cup

2008-11-08T23:24:00.002-05:00

Despite my previous criticism and doubt of the Red Raiders, they have successfully defended the Challenge Cup against a very good Oklahoma State team. Texas Tech will have another top game coming against Oklahoma. If Graham Harrell and crew can weather the Sooner storm, there is a pretty good chance they will be looking at a BCS Championship appearance.

CFBN Poll: Week 10

2008-11-02T14:25:00.000-05:00

CFBN Poll: Week 10

1	Alabama
2	Penn State
3	Texas Tech
4	Boise State
5	Utah
6	Ball State
7	Florida
8	Texas
9	Oklahoma
10	USC
11	Oklahoma State
12	TCU
13	BYU
14	Tulsa
15	Georgia
16	LSU
17	Ohio State
18	Missouri
19	North Carolina
20	Maryland
21	California
22	Michigan State
23	Georgia Tech
24	Florida State
25	West Virginia

Texas Tech Comes Away With Challenge Cup

2008-11-02T13:45:00.004-05:00

The Red Raiders defied the odds last night, beating No. 1 Texas. This marks the third time that Texas Tech has held the Challenge Cup, with the last one coming in 1991 with a win over Baylor. In any case, the Red Raiders improved to 9-0 on the season and are now in the discussion for a National Championship game.

Texas Tech will have a tough time defending the Cup though, with games against Oklahoma State, Oklahoma, and if they hold on to the Big XII South title, Missouri. The cup defense begins next weekend against Oklahoma State, who had previously held the cup this season.

Tyrone Willingham Fired

2008-10-27T18:51:00.005-04:00

Today, it was announced that Tyrone Willingham would step down as Washington head coach at season's end. Willingham is 0-7 on the season after losing 33-7 to his former team, Notre Dame, this past weekend. When asked if this was his decision, Willingham indicated clearly that it was not, but rather that the university wished to move in a different direction.

In 2004, Notre Dame terminated Willingham after serving only three years of a five-year contract. Notre Dame was immediately criticized for its decision at the time, but now looking at the numbers, it is hard to criticize either university for their respective decisions.

Willingham will end his career with, at worst, an 0-12 season or, at best, a 3-9 season (assuming wins against the Sun Devils, Bruins and Cougars). Washington's last five games are against USC, Arizona State, UCLA, Washington State and Oregon. Here are the stats for Willingham's coaching career (courtesy of Wikipedia):

Year	Team	Overall	Conference	Standing
Stanford Cardinal (Pac-10) (1995–2001)
1995	Stanford	7–4–1	5–4	4^th
1996	Stanford	7–5	5–3	3^rd
1997	Stanford	5–6	3–5	T–7^th
1998	Stanford	3–8	2–6	T–8^th
1999	Stanford	8–4	7–1	1^st
2000	Stanford	5–6	4–4	4^th
2001	Stanford	9–3	6–2	T–2^nd
Stanford:		44–36–1	32–25
Notre Dame Fighting Irish (Independent) (2002–2004)
2002	Notre Dame	10–3	—
2003	Notre Dame	5–7	—
2004	Notre Dame	6–6	—
Notre Dame:		21–16
Washington Huskies (Pac-10) (2005–present)
2005	Washington	2–9	1–7	10^th
2006	Washington	5–7	3–6	9^th
2007	Washington	4–9	2–7	10^th
2008	Washington	0–7	0–4	10^th
Washington:		11–32	6–24
Total:		76–84–1
^†Indicates BCS bowl game. ^#Rankings from final Coaches Poll of the season.

Tyrone was 1-5 in bowl games and was outscored 4,334-to-4,022 over his career.

Bowl Projections: Week 9

2008-10-27T15:06:00.002-04:00

BCS Championship	Texas	Penn State
Rose Bowl	USC	Alabama
Fiesta Bowl	Oklahoma	Ohio State
Sugar Bowl	Florida	West Virginia
Orange Bowl	North Carolina	Boise State
GMAC Bowl	Rice	Central Michigan
International Bowl	Connecticut	Ball State
Liberty Bowl	Tulsa	Auburn
Cotton Bowl	Oklahoma State	LSU
Gator Bowl	Virginia Tech	Notre Dame
Capital One Bowl	Michigan State	Georgia
Outback Bowl	Northwestern	Tennessee
Chick-fil-A Bowl	South Carolina	Florida State
Insight Bowl	Iowa	Kansas
Music City Bowl	Kentucky	Wake Forest
Sun Bowl	California	Louisville
Armed Forces Bowl	BYU	East Carolina
Holiday Bowl	Arizona	Missouri
Texas Bowl	Nebraska	Houston
Humanitarian Bowl	Fresno State	Maryland
Alamo Bowl	Minnesota	Texas Tech
Papajohns.com Bowl	Cincinnati	Western Michigan
Independence Bowl	Colorado	Mississippi
Emerald Bowl	Georgia Tech	Oregon State
Champs Sports Bowl	Boston College	Illinois
Meineke Car Care Bowl	Miami	South Florida
Motor City Bowl	Western Michigan	Wisconsin
Hawaii Bowl	Hawaii	Florida Atlantic
Poinsettia Bowl	Utah	Bowling Green
New Orleans Bowl	Troy	Memphis
Congressional Bowl	Navy	Colorado State
Las Vegas Bowl	TCU	Oregon
St. Petersburg Bowl	Pittsburgh	Nevada
New Mexico Bowl	Air Force	San Jose State

CFBN Poll: Week 9

2008-10-27T00:38:00.001-04:00

CFBN Poll: Week 9

1	Texas
2	Alabama
3	Penn State
4	Texas Tech
5	Boise State
6	Utah
7	Tulsa
8	Ball State
9	Oklahoma
10	Florida
11	Georgia
12	USC
13	Oklahoma State
14	TCU
15	BYU
16	Florida State
17	Minnesota
18	LSU
19	Ohio State
20	Missouri
21	North Carolina
22	West Virginia
23	Oregon
24	Connecticut
25	Maryland

Texas Wins Challenge Cup

2008-10-27T00:00:00.002-04:00

Over the weekend, Texas reclaimed the Challenge Cup with a 28-24 win over Oklahoma State. This marks the seventh time the Longhorns have held the Cup. Once again, the No. 1 team in the country holds the Challenge Cup. This will likely end with a Challenge Cup battle in the National Championship game, or at least the Big XII Title game.

CFBN Poll: Week 8

2008-10-19T01:45:00.000-04:00

CFBN Poll: Week 8

1	Texas
2	Penn State
3	Alabama
4	Oklahoma State
5	Texas Tech
6	Boise State
7	Utah
8	Tulsa
9	Ball State
10	USC
11	Oklahoma
12	Florida
13	Ohio State
14	LSU
15	Georgia
16	Georgia Tech
17	Boston College
18	Pittsburgh
19	Florida State
20	Northwestern
21	South Florida
22	Cincinnati
23	Minnesota
24	TCU
25	BYU

Oklahoma State Claims Challenge Cup

2008-10-13T23:48:00.003-04:00

The Cowboys have claimed the Challenge Cup for the first time in the history of Oklahoma State football. Oklahoma State defeated Challenge Cup holder Missouri on Saturday, 28-23. Zac Robinson and Kendall Hunter combined for three scores and 370 yards of offense to bring down the Tigers. However, the Cowboys will have their work cut out for them this season, combating Texas, Texas Tech, Colorado and Oklahoma. The Cup will likely bounce around the Big XII a bit this season before the bowls. Oklahoma State's first defense will be next weekend against Baylor.

CFBN Poll: Week 7

2008-10-13T23:27:00.000-04:00

CFBN Poll: Week 7

1	Alabama
2	Texas
3	Penn State
4	Texas Tech
5	Oklahoma State
6	BYU
7	Boise State
8	Utah
9	Tulsa
10	Ball State
11	USC
12	Oklahoma
13	Florida
14	LSU
15	Georgia
16	Missouri
17	Ohio State
18	Virginia Tech
19	Wake Forest
20	California
21	Michigan State
22	North Carolina
23	Florida State
24	Vanderbilt
25	Pittsburgh

Midseason Bowl Projections

2008-10-09T15:00:00.003-04:00

After six weeks of play, here are CFBN's Bowl Projections:

BCS Championship	Oklahoma	LSU
Rose Bowl	USC	Ohio State
Fiesta Bowl	Texas	Penn State
Sugar Bowl	Alabama	BYU
Orange Bowl	Virginia Tech	West Virginia
GMAC Bowl	Southern Miss	Central Michigan
International Bowl	Louisville	Ball State
Liberty Bowl	Tulsa	South Carolina
Cotton Bowl	Missouri	Auburn
Gator Bowl	Clemson	Notre Dame
Capital One Bowl	Wisconsin	Georgia
Outback Bowl	Illinois	Florida
Chick-fil-A Bowl	Vanderbilt	North Carolina
Insight Bowl	Michigan	Colorado
Music City Bowl	Tennessee	Florida State
Sun Bowl	California	Texas Tech
Armed Forces Bowl	TCU	Rice
Holiday Bowl	Oregon	Kansas
Texas Bowl	Ohio	Houston
Humanitarian Bowl	Boise State	Boston College
Alamo Bowl	Northwestern	Oklahoma State
Papajohns.com Bowl	Cincinnati	Kentucky
Independence Bowl	Nebraska	Connecticut
Emerald Bowl	Georgia Tech	Arizona State
Champs Sports Bowl	Wake Forest	Michigan State
Meineke Car Care Bowl	Miami	South Florida
Motor City Bowl	Western Michigan	Minnesota
Hawaii Bowl	Nevada	Stanford
Poinsettia Bowl	UNLV	Hawaii
New Orleans Bowl	Troy	East Carolina
Congressional Bowl	Navy	Middle Tennessee
Las Vegas Bowl	Utah	Oregon State
St. Petersburg Bowl	Pittsburgh	Memphis
New Mexico Bowl	Air Force	Fresno State

CFBN Poll: Week 6

2008-10-09T11:31:00.000-04:00

CFBN Poll: Week 6

1	Oklahoma
2	Missouri
3	LSU
4	Alabama
5	Texas
6	Penn State
7	Texas Tech
8	BYU
9	Vanderbilt
10	Oklahoma State
11	Northwestern
12	Boise State
13	Utah
14	Tulsa
15	Ball State
16	USC
17	Ohio State
18	Georgia
19	Florida
20	Virginia Tech
21	North Carolina
22	Wake Forest
23	Florida State
24	California
25	Michigan State

Nebraska Challenges Missouri for the Cup

2008-10-04T18:19:00.004-04:00

Bo Pelini's Cornhuskers will battle Missouri for the Challenge Cup tonight at 9 p.m. on ESPN. Missouri has been suspect on defense this season, but have been explosive on the other side of the ball, led by Heisman-candidate Chase Daniel. If Nebraska manages to pull a victory, it will bring the Challenge Cup back to Lincoln for the fifth time in school history.

CFBN Poll: Week 5

2008-09-28T18:10:00.001-04:00

CFBN Poll: Week 5

1	Oklahoma
2	LSU
3	Missouri
4	Penn State
5	Alabama
6	Texas
7	Texas Tech
8	BYU
9	South Florida
10	Oklahoma State
11	Vanderbilt
12	Northwestern
13	Connecticut
14	Kentucky
15	Boise State
16	Utah
17	Tulsa
18	Ball State
19	USC
20	Florida
21	Georgia
22	Ohio State
23	Auburn
24	Kansas
25	Wisconsin

CFBN Poll: Week 4

2008-09-22T00:20:00.001-04:00

CFBN Poll: Week 4

1	USC
2	Florida
3	Oklahoma
4	Georgia
5	LSU
6	Missouri
7	Texas Tech
8	Penn State
9	Wisconsin
10	Alabama
11	BYU
12	Texas
13	South Florida
14	Wake Forest
15	Colorado
16	Boise State
17	Utah
18	Connecticut
19	Vanderbilt
20	TCU
21	Nebraska
22	Kentucky
23	Oklahoma State
24	Tulsa
25	Ball State

Early Season Competitors for Mid-Major Champs

2008-09-14T00:27:00.002-04:00

Last year, CFBN introduced its annual Mid-Major National Championship (MMNC). This arose after Boise State and Hawaii were snubbed from the title game following perfect regular seasons, thus raising doubts about whether the BCS selection committee would ever pick a mid-major to compete in the championship game again.

Now, CFBN is looking ahead to the early season contenders for this award. Here are the top ten contenders as of right now:

1. BYU (3-0)
Quality Wins: Washington, UCLA
Roadblocks: TCU, Air Force, Utah
Predicted Record: 12-0
BYU has looked pretty amazing in the first three weeks. The Cougars have tamed two Pac-10 opponents, with Max Hall passing his way into the spotlight (making memories of John Beck fade from the minds of the Provo faithful). And the team has seemed to get better each week, with little more room for improvement after a 59-0 whopping of UCLA. Now, BYU must set its sights on its Mountain West Conference schedule. Considering how aptly BYU handled its toughest games upfront, CFBN currently predicts a perfect record and, therefore, has the Cougars as the frontrunner for the MMNC.

2. East Carolina (3-0)
Quality Wins: Virginia Tech, West Virginia
Roadblocks: N.C. State, Houston, Virginia, Central Florida
Predicted Record: 10-2
Skip Holtz has people taking notice of the oft-ignored directional school from the Carolina coastline. Patrick Pinkney has been fabulous, even if his stats keep him under the radar. The senior quarterback has led the Pirates past two ranked opponents -- both of which played in BCS Bowls last season. However, East Carolina will have to face a few more tough games down the road, including Tom O'Brien's N.C. State and Al Groh's Virginia. As the Pirates seemed flat against Tulane, it reasonable to predict that they finish the season with at least two mishaps.

3. Fresno State (2-1)
Quality Wins: Rutgers
Roadblocks: UCLA, Nevada, Boise State
Predicted Record: 10-2
Pat Hill's tenacious 'dawgs are the favorites in the WAC in 2008. However, they will have to face a vengeful UCLA team, following the BYU debacle from earlier today. I predict that Fresno State runs out their WAC conference schedule, but fall short of BCS gold at the hands ... err, paws ... of the Bruins.

4. Utah (3-0)
Quality Wins: Michigan
Roadblocks: Air Force, Oregon State, TCU, BYU
Predicted Record: 10-2
The Utes brought memories of Armanti Edwards and Appalachian State back to the Big House, this year as the Wolverines were upset in their second-straight home opener. Quarterback Brian Johnson has provided the necessary leadership for this team, but it is still short in a number of the remaining talent positions, and will likely stub its toes against Oregon State and BYU, as well as possibly against TCU. How the Utes miss Urban Meyer ...

5. TCU (3-0)
Quality Wins: Stanford
Roadblocks: Oklahoma, BYU, Utah, Air Force
Predicted Finish: 9-3
Most likely the third-best team in the Mountain West, the Horned Frogs will have their hands full in match-ups with Oklahoma and BYU, as well as with Utah. If TCU could take down the seemingly unstoppable Sam Bradford-driven Oklahoma Sooners, they would likely shoot to the top of this list, with BYU and TCU eying their mid-season match as the likely determinant of the coveted mid-major BCS bowl, as well as the MMNC. However, the game against Utah should be a better litmus test of where this team stands, as the two programs are fairly equally matched at the moment.

6. Boise State (2-0)
Quality Wins: none
Roadblocks: Oregon, Nevada, Fresno State
Predicted Record: 10-2
Chris Petersen's Broncos will have a lot to prove this season, facing their usual WAC opponents coupled with a very resourceful Oregon team. While Boise State will benefit from Oregon QB Justin Roper's overtime injury against Purdue, the Broncos will have a tough time outplaying this Pac-10 power. However, Boise State is quite accustomed to being the big fish among the mid-majors, and still have a very talented halfback in Ian Johnson. Fresno State will also likely prove a very difficult game.

7. Central Michigan (2-1)
Quality Wins: none
Roadblocks: Purdue, Western Michigan, Indiana, Ball State
Predicted Record: 9-3
Dan LeFevour and his expected MAC champions are in the running for the MMNC, despite an early season loss to then-AP-No. 1 Georgia. While the Chippewas are capable of running the table in conference play, they will have their hands full against Curtis Painter's Boilermakers -- a match that is all-too-familiar for Central Michigan (see Purdue's regular season and bowl game victories from last season). I would also expect a loss to the Hoosiers.

8. Tulsa (2-0)
Quality Wins: none
Roadblocks: Rice, Central Florida, Arkansas, Houston
Predicted Record: 9-3
The Golden Hurricanes have one of the easiest paths to the coveted BCS bowl game, having to only survive a very mediocre Arkansas team. However, Tulsa lost a lot of talent to last year's graduating class, and I would not expect them to be quite as successful as in 2007. Bobby Petrino will likely have Arkansas playing on a higher level come their late season match, and Tulsa will probably trip against one or two conference opponents.

9. Troy (2-0)
Quality Wins: none
Roadblocks: Ohio State, Oklahoma State, Florida Atlantic, LSU
Predicted Record: 8-4
The Troy Trojans have one of the most difficult schedules in the country, having to face both participants in last year's BCS Title Game. Next week, they will face a very peeved Buckeye squad, looking to redeem themselves after a 35-3 drubbing at the hands of the other NCAA Trojans. Then, at the back end of Troy's schedule, they will face Les Miles' Bayou Bengals and an almost certain November loss. In between, the Trojans will face Oklahoma State and a slew of good Sun Belt teams (which is no longer an oxymoron). Expect losses to all three BCS conference opponents, as well as a loss to either Florida Atlantic or Arkansas State.

10. Air Force (3-0)
Quality Wins: none
Roadblocks: Utah, BYU, TCU
Predicted Record: 9-3
While Air Force is clearly the strongest of the service academies, the Falcons will face three superior conference opponents in Utah, BYU and TCU. Unfortunately, this means that our Boys in Blue will have to settle for the Commander-in-Chief trophy and be a spectator in the race for the MMNC.

CFBN Poll: Week 3

2008-09-14T00:07:00.002-04:00

CFBN Poll: Week 3

1	USC
2	Florida
3	Oklahoma
4	Missouri
5	Georgia
6	LSU
7	Texas Tech
8	Wisconsin
9	Texas
10	Alabama
11	BYU
12	Penn State
13	Auburn
14	South Florida
15	Wake Forest
16	North Carolina
17	East Carolina
18	Oregon
19	Notre Dame
20	Utah
21	Connecticut
22	TCU
23	Vanderbilt
24	Florida State
25	Nebraska

CFBN Poll: Week 1

2008-09-02T12:37:00.002-04:00

CFBN Poll: Week 1

1	USC
2	Florida
3	Georgia
4	Ohio State
5	Oklahoma
6	LSU
7	Missouri
8	Texas Tech
9	West Virginia
10	Auburn
11	Texas
12	Arizona State
13	Kansas
14	Wisconsin
15	California
16	Alabama
17	UCLA
18	Georgia Tech
19	BYU
20	Oregon
21	South Florida
22	Wake Forest
23	South Carolina
24	Penn State
25	Colorado

Welcome to the 2008 Season

2008-08-27T20:52:00.007-04:00

Welcome to the 2008 season! With the season opener less than 24 hours away, here is a look at the preview of all you need to know to sound knowledgeable. Let's begin with the basics ...

Conference Previews:
ACC
Atlantic
Favorite: Clemson
Challenger: Florida State
Sleeper: Wake Forest
Disappointment: Boston College
Basement: N.C. State
Coastal
Favorite: Virginia Tech
Challenger: Miami
Sleeper: North Carolina
Disappointment: Georgia Tech
Basement: Duke

Big East
Favorite: West Virginia
Challenger: South Florida
Sleeper: Pittsburgh
Disappointment: Louisville
Basement: Syracuse

Big Ten
Favorite: Ohio State
Challenger: Illinois
Sleeper: Michigan State
Disappointment: Michigan
Basement: Minnesota

Big XII
North
Favorite: Missouri
Challenger: Kansas
Sleeper: Colorado
Disappointment: Nebraska
Basement: Iowa State
South
Favorite: Oklahoma
Challenger: Texas
Sleeper: Texas Tech
Disappointment: Texas A&M
Basement: Baylor

Pac-10
Favorite: USC
Challenger: Arizona State
Sleeper: Washington
Disappointment: Oregon
Basement: Washington State

SEC
East
Favorite: Georgia
Challenger: Florida
Sleeper: Tennessee
Disappointment: South Carolina
Basement: Vanderbilt
West
Favorite: Auburn
Challenger: LSU
Sleeper: Arkansas
Disappointment: Alabama
Basement: Mississippi

Conference USA
East
Favorite: East Carolina
Challenger: Central Florida
Sleeper: Southern Miss
Disappointment: Marshall
Basement: UAB
West
Favorite: Tulsa
Challenger: Houston
Sleeper: SMU
Disappointment: Tulane
Basement: UTEP

MAC
East
Favorite: Bowling Green
Challenger: Ohio
Sleeper: Temple
Disappointment: Akron
Basement: Kent State
West
Favorite: Central Michigan
Challenger: Western Michigan
Sleeper: Toledo
Disappointment: Northern Illinois
Basement: Eastern Michigan

Mountain West
Favorite: BYU
Challenger: Utah
Sleeper: TCU
Disappointment: New Mexico
Basement: UNLV

Sun Belt
Favorite: Florida Atlantic
Challenger: Troy
Sleeper: Middle Tennessee
Disappointment: Arkansas State
Basement: Florida International

WAC
Favorite: Boise State
Challenger: Fresno State
Sleeper: New Mexico State
Disappointment: Hawaii
Basement: Idaho

Bowl Predictions:
BCS National Championship: USC v. Florida
Rose Bowl: Illinois v. Georgia
Fiesta Bowl: Texas Tech v. Ohio State
Sugar Bowl: Oklahoma v. Pittsburgh
Orange Bowl: Clemson v. BYU

Pryor Trims List to Two

2008-02-10T15:56:00.000-05:00

Top-ranked quarterback prospect Terrelle Pryor may not have announced his college choice yet, but he has certainly been working toward that final commitment. Pryor has made public that he is now only choosing between two programs: Ohio State and Penn State. The dual-threat Pennsylvania native had previously demonstrated strong intent toward running the spread offense at Michigan under Rich Rodriguez. However, given the debacle the Wolverines program has become, Pryor has looked to greener pastures in their conference rivals.

Despite losing the last two national championships at the hands of an SEC foe, Ohio State has a great deal of success in the last decade. Under Jim Tressell, the Buckeyes have been Big Ten champions almost every single season, while making three BCS title appearances. More importantly, Jim Tressell has shown the ability to manipulate his offense to meet his players abilities. Ohio State ran a pro-style offense under Craig Krenzel when the Buckeyes beat Miami for the national championship. But Tressell adjusted quite nicely to an adapted spread offense with Heisman-winner Troy Smith at quarterback. Given this flexibility, Pryor is most likely going to be a Buckeye in the fall.

However, Penn State has a lot of positive attributes as well. It is his home state team. The Nittany Lions have shown the ability to change offensive schemes, such as when spread offense quarterback Michael Robinson was calling the plays and now with pro-passer Anthony Morelli behind center. However, when given the opportunity to choose between steak and cheeseburgers, the ribeye will always take precedent. Penn State does not have the track record that Ohio State does, so once again, count on Pryor wearing the scarlet and gray in 2008.

Rich Rodriguez Under the Scope

2008-01-17T12:24:00.000-05:00

Michigan head coach Rich Rodriguez is currently facing accusations of having destroyed university documents concerning West Virginia student-athletes on the football team. While a wide assortment of documents have been reported missing from the West Virginia Athletic Department, the most disconcerting to new head coach Bill Stewart's staff are the strength and conditioning reports.

While the reasons for tampering with the documents are varied, a few plausible causes are:
1) Rodriguez wanted to damage his former program since they are suing him for $4 million to recover his buy-out clause.
2) Rodriguez wanted to deface his former program in an effort to reclaim the high school athletes that he recruited during his time at West Virginia.
3) Rodriguez destroyed the documents in an Enron-like scurry to legally protect himself, as his athletes might have been taking performance-enhancing substances, which might appear on the strength and conditioning reports.

Rodriguez commented on the issue, denying all allegations. However, Rodriguez also denied all allegations that he interviewed for the Michigan job and was leaving Morgantown for Ann Arbor.

Mallett is a Hog

2008-01-17T07:07:00.001-05:00

Ryan Mallett, the freshman quarterback at Michigan, has enrolled in classes at the University of Arkansas. Frightened by his incompatibility with Rich Rodriguez's spread offense, Mallett left the Wolverines for greener pastures -- a traditional pro-style passing offense under Arkansas' head coach Bobby Petrino. Mallett's decision to transfer will force him to sit out all of the 2008 season and will become eligible for the Razorbacks starting in 2009.

2007 CFBN Poll: Final

2008-01-11T23:32:00.000-05:00

Po.	Team	W	L
1	LSU	12	2
2	USC	11	2
3	Georgia	11	2
4	Ohio State	11	2
5	West Virginia	11	2
6	Oklahoma	11	3
7	Missouri	12	2
8	Kansas	12	1
9	Virginia Tech	11	3
10	Tennessee	10	4
11	Texas	10	3
12	Hawaii	12	1
13	Boston College	11	3
14	Arizona State	10	3
15	Auburn	9	4
16	Michigan	9	4
17	Florida	9	4
18	Illinois	9	4
19	Clemson	9	4
20	Cincinnati	10	3
21	Texas Tech	9	4
22	Penn State	9	4
23	BYU	11	2
24	Oregon State	9	4
25	Tulsa	10	4

2007 All-Pro Team

2008-01-11T23:18:00.000-05:00

CFBN is proud to release its 2007 All-Pro Team, which compiles the best NFL prospects regardless of class. Thus, this is not an all-pro-draft team, as it will include underclassmen. Without further ado, here is the 55-man roster:

OFFENSE

QB	Tim Tebow	Florida
QB	Brian Brohm	Louisville
QB	Andre Woodson	Kentucky
QB	Matt Ryan	Boston College
HB	Darren McFadden	Arkansas
HB	Jonathan Stewart	Oregon
HB	Rashard Mendenhall	Illinois
HB	Chris Wells	Ohio State
FB	Owen Schmitt	West Virginia
FB	Javorskie Lane	Texas A&M
WR	DeSean Jackson	California
WR	Mario Manningham	Michigan
WR	Michael Crabtree	Texas Tech
WR	Adarius Bowman	Oklahoma State
WR	Early Doucet	LSU
WR	Percy Harvin	Florida
WR	Limas Sweed	Texas
TE	John Carlson	Notre Dame
TE	Fred Davis	USC
TE	Martin Rucker	Iowa
T	Jake Long	Michigan
T	Sam Baker	USC
T	Jeff Otah	Pittsburgh
T	Ryan Clady	Boise State
G	Duke Robinson	Oklahoma
G	Gosder Cherilus	Boston College
G	Roy Schuening	Oregon State
G	Martin O'Donnell	Illinois
C	Jonathan Luigs	Arkansas
C	Steve Justice	Wake Forest

DEFENSE

DT	Glenn Dorsey	LSU
DT	Sedrick Ellis	USC
DT	Kentwan Balmer	North Carolina
DT	Trevor Laws	Notre Dame
DE	Chris Long	Virginia
DE	Vernon Gholston	Ohio State
DE	George Selvie	South Florida
DE	Greg Middleton	Indiana
LB	James Laurinaitis	Ohio State
LB	Dan Connor	Penn State
LB	Keith Rivers	USC
LB	Shawn Crable	Michigan
LB	Jordan Dizon	Colorado
LB	J. Leman	Illinois
CB	Aqib Talib	Kansas
CB	Mike Jenkins	South Florida
CB	Malcolm Jenkins	Ohio State
CB	Antoine Cason	Arizona
CB	Leodis McKelvin	Troy
FS	Kenny Phillips	Miami
FS	Marcus Griffin	Texas
SS	Craig Steltz	LSU
SS	Tom Zbikowski	Notre Dame

SPECIAL TEAMS

K	Art Carmody	Louisville
P	Durant Brooks	Georgia Tech

2008 Heisman Race

2008-01-11T15:36:00.025-05:00

Sam Bradford took home the hardware in NYC this weekend. There is very little to argue with on this one. Bradford put up 48 touchdowns through the air and another five on the ground. He has nearly 4500-yards passing and an astronomical 186 QB rating. Sam certainly deserved the award statistically. McCoy and Tebow rounded out the top 3, in that order.

But as avid CFBN readers know, this site declares its own winner after the bowl games. I firmly believe that you evaluate players on more than stats though; you must evaluate them according to their impact on their team. This is why I still believe Tebow is the leading candidate for this site's award. However, Bradford and Tebow will have the perfect opportunity to prove who means more to their team in the National Championship game on Jan. 8.

At this point, CFBN has trimmed the list to three: Bradford, McCoy and Tebow.

Heading into bowl season, the trimmed Heisman list remains the same:

No.	Po.	Name	Team
1	QB	Tim Tebow	Florida
2	QB	Sam Bradford	Oklahoma
3	QB	Colt McCoy	Texas

Congrats, Tebow!

2008-01-11T15:19:00.000-05:00

Sophomore quarterback Tim Tebow has been selected as CFBN's 2007 Heisman Winner. Tebow led the Florida Gators to a 9-4 record in the SEC after accumulating over 50 touchdowns in a single season (second only to Paul Smith of Tulsa). Despite the Gators' loss to Michigan in the Capital One Bowl, Tebow was simply the best player in the game this season.

Tebow will be returning as the starting quarterback for Florida in 2008. While Tebow is the current front runner for the award, no player has ever won the Heisman twice in CFBN history (Archie Griffin was awarded the Downtown Athletic Club's trophy twice during his time at Ohio State). For more coverage on the 2008 Heisman Race, see the link on the right-hand side of the page.

LSU Wins 2008 National Championship

2008-01-08T12:36:00.000-05:00

After surrendering the opening 10 points, the LSU Tigers put on a football clinic, pasting the Ohio State Buckeyes 38-24 in a title game more lopsided than the score indicates. Congratulations to LSU.

Mizzou Finish Season As Champions

2008-01-01T23:37:00.000-05:00

With one day left in the college football regular season, the Missouri Tigers were ranked number one in the nation. With a victory over Oklahoma in the Big XII championship, they'd have been headed to the national championship game in New Orleans on January 7. As we all know, Missouri got thumped by the Sooners, then were denied a BCS at-large bid when the Orange Bowl opted for the Kansas Jayhawks.

But despite being denied a shot at the national championship and even a BCS bid, Missouri managed to win a championship to end the 2007 season ... the CFBN Challenge Cup championship, that is. Arkansas defeated LSU at the end of the season, wresting the coveted prize from Baton Rouge, but with Mizzou's rout of the Razorbacks the Challenge Cup is Columbia-bound. With the victory, Missouri has now held the Challenge Cup four times, with the last title coming in 1936.

Ryan Mallett out at Michigan?

2007-12-19T12:46:00.001-05:00

Sources have indicated that freshman quarterback Ryan Mallett is looking to transfer out of the University of Michigan. The highly-touted recruit was expected to replace Chad Henne as the starter next season.

Mallett, a Texas native, has apparently been homesick since his arrival in Ann Arbor in August and has been looking to fair-weather programs in the South -- most notably Arkansas, now under highly successful head coach Bobby Petrino.

Michigan's recent coaching shift might also have had a serious impact on the freshman's decision. Under Lloyd Carr, Michigan was running more of a pro-passing offense -- one in which Mallett could have possibly excelled. With the hiring of Rich Rodriguez from West Virginia, Michigan will undoubtedly shift to the spread offense, which typically favors a smaller, faster quarterback. Rodriguez will likely seek a more svelte, athletic quarterback than the 6'6", 220-lb Mallett. Some examples of recently successful spread offense quarterbacks are Chase Daniel (Missouri), Todd Reesing (Kansas), Pat White (West Virginia), Chris Leak and Tim Tebow (Florida).

Michigan has had a tumultuous year, beginning with the passing of idolized long-time head coach Bo Schembechler, and most likely ending with a loss to Urban Meyer's Florida Gators in the Capital One Bowl. Over that year, Michigan has suffered two losses to rival Ohio State (one of which precluded them from the BCS National Championship), a big loss to USC in the Rose Bowl, an embarrassing home-opener to Appalachian State, as well as losses to Oregon and Wisconsin and the retirement of Lloyd Carr, leading to a confusing and painful search for a new coach with rejections by Michigan alum Les Miles and Rutgers' head coach Greg Schiano. The loss of Mallett would set the stage for a thorough rebuilding period for the Wolverines.

Realigning the Conferences

2007-12-17T18:41:00.000-05:00

Even with a playoff system, people will still complain that schedules and conferences are not balanced. The smaller schools from the weaker conferences will never get a fair shake at the national championship. Well, we here at College Football Nation have come up with a rather radical idea on how to facilitate equality in college football. In addition to a playoff system, we have come up with a geographically logical eight-conference league each consisting of 15 programs. We have a feeling traditionalists will hate this idea, and we know there are many logistical problems with the notion, but it's fun. Check it out!

NORTHEAST CONFERENCE

NORTH	SOUTH
Army	Marshall
Boston College	Maryland
Buffalo	Navy
Connecticut	Penn State
Rutgers	Pittsburgh
Syracuse	Virginia
Temple	Virginia Tech
	West Virginia

MID-ATLANTIC CONFERENCE

NORTH	SOUTH
Bowling Green	Clemson
Cincinnati	Georgia
Duke	Georgia Tech
East Carolina	Kentucky
North Carolina	Louisville
North Carolina State	South Carolina
Toledo	Wake Forest
	Western Kentucky

SOUTHERN ATLANTIC CONFERENCE

NORTH	SOUTH
Alabama	Central Florida
Auburn	Florida
Mississippi	Florida Atlantic
Mississippi State	Florida International
Southern Miss	Florida State
Troy	Miami (Fla.)
UAB	South Florida
Vanderbilt

SOUTHERN GULF CONFERENCE

EAST	WEST
Arkansas	Baylor
Arkansas State	Houston
LSU	Memphis
Louisiana Tech	Middle Tennessee State
Louisiana-Lafayette	Missouri
Louisiana-Monroe	Rice
Tulane	SMU
	Tennessee

OHIO VALLEY CONFERENCE

EAST	WEST
Akron	Central Michigan
Ball State	Michigan
Eastern Michigan	Michigan State
Kent State	Indiana
Miami (Ohio)	Notre Dame
Ohio	Purdue
Ohio State	Western Michigan
	Wisconsin

MID-AMERICA CONFERENCE

PLAINS	MOUNTAINS
Boise State	Air Force
Idaho	Brigham Young
Illinois	Colorado
Minnesota	Colorado State
Nebraska	Nevada
Northern Illinois	UNLV
Northwestern	Utah
	Utah State

SOUTHWEST CONFERENCE

NORTH	SOUTH
Iowa	New Mexico
Iowa State	New Mexico State
Kansas	North Texas
Kansas State	TCU
Oklahoma	Texas
Oklahoma State	Texas A&M
Tulsa	Texas Tech
	UTEP

PACIFIC COAST CONFERENCE

NORTH	SOUTH
California	Arizona
Fresno State	Arizona State
Oregon	Hawai'i
Oregon State	San Diego State
Stanford	San Jose State
Washington	Southern California
Washington State	UCLA
Wyoming

What's the Solution?

2007-12-17T12:24:00.000-05:00

Once again, the build-up to college football's premier event is mired in controversy. Hawai'i (12-0), the nation's only unbeaten team, is not in the title discussion thanks to a weak schedule. That said, Ohio State (11-1) and Kansas (11-1) are the nation's only once-beaten teams. Both teams played weak schedules, yet the Buckeyes are ranked number one in the BCS and the Jayhawks are not in the discussion. LSU (11-2) was beaten twice, but ranks ahead of Kansas. Missouri (11-2) also lost twice, both times to twice-beaten Oklahoma (11-2). Neither of these teams is in the title game and the former is actually not even in a BCS bowl. However, thrice-beaten Illinois (9-3) is thanks to (a) traditional Big Ten ties with the Rose Bowl and (b) a BCS rule that does not allow more than two teams from one conference to reach a BCS bowl (Oklahoma and Kansas are already in, so Missouri is out). Then there's Georgia (10-2), Southern California (10-2), Arizona State (10-2) ... I could go on but you get the point. This is a colossal mess!

This brings me to the title of my article ... what's the solution? I'd like to entertain a few possibilities here, and then open it up to you folks to tell me which idea you like the best.

1) The BCS plus one system: This seems to be the direction college football is headed, so let's start here. This system would pit the four "best" teams in college football in a final four of sorts - a two-round playoff consisting of two semifinal matches and a final between the two winners. Essentially, this system would push the controversy from "Who's number two" to "Who's number four." Try the scenario out for 2007, as an example.

Semifinal #1: Ohio State (11-1) vs. Oklahoma (11-2)
Semifinal #2: LSU (11-2) vs. Virginia Tech (11-2)

Wait, isn't that the same Virginia Tech that LSU pasted 48-7? You bet! Are the Hokies more deserving than the Georgia Bulldogs? Well, the Hokies did win the ACC, though most would agree the third-best team in the SEC is probably better than the best team in the ACC. What about Missouri? The Tigers were the #1 team in the nation one day before the bowl selections came out. What about undefeated Hawaii? Southern California? Kansas? Arizona State?

At least in 2007, the plus one format would not have solved much in the way of controversy.

2) Playoff: This seems to be the people's choice in the world of college football, so let's explore this one next. Protecting academic interests aside, the first question becomes, "How many teams should be invited," followed by, "by what method should selection be done?" If you just took the top 8 teams based on the AP poll or BCS standings as one method, both would leave Hawai'i (#10 AP/#10 BCS) out of the discussion. As you might guess, this would not go over well.

BCS Top 8
#1 Ohio State (11-1) vs. #8 Kansas (11-1)
#4 Oklahoma (11-2) vs. #5 Georgia (10-2)

#2 LSU (11-2) vs. #7 USC (10-2) (finally ... just 3 years too late)
#3 Virginia Tech (11-2) vs. #6 Missouri (11-2)

Well, you could expand to the top 16 teams. You'd probably be able to safely assume that the best team in the country is in the pool if you go that deep. However, you'd be including 3 and perhaps even 4-loss teams into the title discussion at this point, which would make traditionalists bemoan the trivialization of the regular-season schedule.

BCS Top 16
#1 Ohio State (11-1) vs. #16 Tennessee (9-4) (#16 seeds never win in NCAA basketball, but here it might actually happen)
#8 Kansas (11-1) vs. #9 West Virginia (10-2)

#4 Oklahoma (11-2) vs. #13 Illinois (9-3) (no matter which system, Zooker winds up in a matchup he can't win)
#5 Georgia (10-2) vs. #12 Florida (9-3)

#2 LSU (11-2) vs. #15 Clemson (9-3)
#7 USC (10-2) vs. #10 Hawai'i (12-0)

#3 Virginia Tech (11-2) vs. #14 Boston College (10-3) (gee this looks familiar)
#6 Missouri (11-2) vs. #11 Arizona State (10-2)

Now, playoff proponents would argue that you could still have bowl games in addition to the bracket. Yeah ... right. I defy you to look at the other available teams and create more than two or three even remotely interesting matchups. Wisconsin vs. Texas. Okay, I'm out of ideas. Your turn.

3) Conference-based system: I don't know if you noticed, but in the above 16-team system, 15 were from the Big Six conferences, with the only exception being undefeated Hawai'i. Is 9-4 Tennessee more deserving than 10-2 BYU? I don't know. However, I do know that one of the arguments for a playoff system in the first place is to give teams outside the Big Six a chance at a title run. Therefore, there at least needs to be a suggestion here that affords that opportunity. One way would be to have automatic and at-large berths, similar to the NCAA basketball model. Here's the problem: there are 11 Div-IA (forget the new "labels" for the divisions I'm always going to say I-A and I-AA) conferences plus the four independents. So, even in a 16-team tournament, you'd only have 5 at-large slots, which I will fill with the five highest remaining teams in the BCS standings. Just for fun, let me make up more rules: conference winners from the Big Six are ranked 1-6. I thought about making conference winners 1-11, but then the #1 team winds up playing someone like Florida while the #7 gets Central Michigan. That doesn't sound fair, either. Here's how that might play out this year:

Conference Tournament
#1 Ohio State (11-1, Big Ten champion) vs. #16 Florida Atlantic (7-5, Sun Belt champion)
#8 Georgia (11-2, SEC at-large) vs. #9 Missouri (11-2, Big XII at-large)

#4 Oklahoma (11-2, Big XII champion) vs. #13 Brigham Young (10-2, Mountain West champion)
#5 Southern California (10-2, Pac-10 champion) vs. #12 Florida (9-3, SEC at-large)

#2 LSU (11-2, SEC champion) vs. #15 Central Michigan (8-5, MAC champion)
#7 Hawai'i (12-0, WAC champion) vs. #10 Kansas (11-1, Big XII at-large)

#3 Virginia Tech (11-2, ACC champion) vs. #14 Central Florida (10-3, C-USA champion)
#6 West Virginia (10-2 Big East champion) vs. #11 Arizona State (10-2, Pac-10 at-large)

4) Conference realignment: The most drastic of possible changes, if done properly this could be the most beneficial. Realistically, this is an infeasible suggestion, but one that is fun to entertain. If all of college football could be realigned into 8, 10, or even 12 evenly distributed conferences in terms of both number of schools and strength of programs, then strength of schedule, conference strength, and qualification for a playoff tournament could be normalized. Perhaps in the coming days, we'll entertain one such scenario to see if it's at all possible, but for right now let's just list it as a dream.

5) Old System: The BCS is a failure. One possible alternative to the current system is to go back to the way things were. Sure, there was no "national championship game," but it hardly seems like there's one now, either. At least the old system was honest to itself.

6) Crazy Go Nuts: Shorten the college football schedule back to 11 games for everyone and have a 32 or even 64-team tournament. Insane you say? Well, 32 of the 64 would wind up playing one fewer game than they do now (since half the field will lose and they'd virtually all have been selected for the 32 bowls), 16 more would play the same, 8 more would play one more, four would play two more, two would play three more. If you cut it back to 32 teams, then subtract one more game for everyone. It's really not that bad. Let's take a look, (Yes, I'm really going to do it.) Now, this would require a selection committee and whatnot, but for now I'm just going to place teams based on region as much as possible, since I think it will be more interesting that way. If a team has conference ties to a conference that are at odds with regional ties (e.g. South Florida in East vs. South), then the region less represented was chosen.

NCAA Basketball-style Tournament
EAST
#1 Virginia Tech vs. #16 NC State
#8 Wake Forest vs. #9 Florida State

#4 Virginia vs. #13 Rutgers
#5 South Florida vs. #12 Maryland

#2 West Virginia vs. #15 Navy
#7 Connecticut vs. #10 Central Florida

#3 Boston College vs. #14 Louisville
#6 Cincinnati vs. #11 Georgia Tech

SOUTH
#1 LSU vs. #16 Florida Atlantic
#8 Arkansas vs. #9 Kentucky

#4 Clemson vs. #13 Alabama
#5 Tennessee vs. #12 South Carolina

#2 Georgia vs. #15 TCU
#7 Auburn vs. #10 Texas A&M

#3 Florida vs. #14 Troy
#6 Texas vs. #11 Mississippi State

MIDWEST
#1 Ohio State vs. #16 Vanderbilt
#8 Michigan vs. #9 Michigan State

#4 Kansas vs. #13 Tulsa
#5 Illinois vs. #12 Purdue

#2 Oklahoma vs. #15 Indiana
#7 Penn State vs. #10 Texas Tech

#3 Missouri vs. #14 Nebraska
#6 Wisconsin vs. #11 Oklahoma State

WEST
#1 Southern California vs. #16 Washington State
#8 Air Force vs. #9 Utah

#4 Brigham Young vs. #13 New Mexico
#5 Boise State vs. #12 Colorado

#2 Hawai'i vs. #15 Arizona
#7 Oregon State vs. #10 UCLA

#3 Arizona State vs. #14 Fresno State
#6 Oregon vs. #11 California

Rich Rodriguez likely to be next coach at Michigan

2007-12-14T21:09:00.000-05:00

Sources have reported that West Virginia head coach Rich Rodriguez has interviewed for the head coaching position at Michigan today. Rodriguez (44) met with Michigan Athletic Director Bill Martin and University President Mary Sue Coleman in Toledo, OH, seemingly to discuss the opening as Wolverines' head coach. While this may be a ploy by Rodriguez to garner a higher salary with the Mountaineers, indications are that Rodriguez will be accepting the job.

When confronted by the media following his interview, Rodriguez refused to answer to the media, stating that he was headed back to West Virginia to "get ready for practice." As opposed to Les Miles' complete denial of his interest in the position, Rodriguez seems to want to avoid the question. This seems to be an indication that he will accept the job.

BCS Aftermath

2007-12-14T20:14:00.000-05:00

After another year where the Bowl Championship Series managed to "get it wrong," CFBN is here to analyze what should have been in the New Year. If we had our way, we would have scheduled ...

BCS National Championship
Ohio State v. LSU
Actual: Ohio State v. LSU
The system got the most important game right this year, pitting Ohio State, whose only loss came against BCS-bound Illinois, and LSU, whose two losses came in triple overtime by the work of then-Heisman front runners. Other teams that could make a claim to the title game fall short. Oklahoma and USC both had an outside chance, but both had pitiful losses (Colorado/Texas Tech and Stanford). Georgia could make an argument for the game, but they didn't even win their own conference (in fact, they were the third-best team in the SEC), so how could they be in a position to be national champs? Same goes for Kansas and Missouri. Virginia Tech would have been a heart-warming selection, but they have the same record as LSU and lost to them by 40+ at the beginning of the season. Illinois has three losses and shouldn't be considered. This leaves Hawaii, and to be fair, they beat a Ty Willingham team by only one touchdown. All else considered, LSU and Ohio State is fair.

Rose Bowl
USC v. West Virginia
Actual: USC v. Illinois
With the exception of maybe Georgia, USC is the hottest team coming into the postseason, with a top-rated defense and an offense that is finally firing on all cylinders behind a young set of receivers and running backs. On the flipside, West Virginia might be the coldest team coming into the postseason, with a horrid loss to Pittsburgh to preclude them from the title game. However, many skeptics have said that West Virginia has yet to prove itself on the big stage. While this isn't the same USC team as two or three years ago, it is still USC under the guidance of Pete Carroll, and it would be a right of passage for the Mountaineers to beat the Trojans in the Rose Bowl, familiar territory for USC. The current game pits Illinois against the Trojans, which might be the ugliest of all the BCS bowls (again, with the exception of maybe Georgia).

Orange Bowl
Virginia Tech v. Missouri
Actual: Virginia Tech v. Kansas
CFBN calls for a simple replacement in this game, with the No. 2 team in the Big XII getting the nod over the No. 3 team. It is incredibly unfair to keep Missouri out of a BCS game when they were the No. 1 in the country less than 24 hours before the bowls were slated. Also, the match up of Chase Daniel's spread offense against Virginia Tech's defense is much more appealing than Kansas' lesser version of the same. The current system rewarded Kansas for not winning the Border War in the regular season and that should not be the precedent set for future bowls.

Fiesta Bowl
Oklahoma v. Arizona State
Actual: Oklahoma v. West Virginia
After another "rebuilding" year, Bob Stoops and his Oklahoma Sooners find themselves back in the Fiesta Bowl as the Big XII champions. CFBN would pair the Sooners against the local favorites, Arizona State. The Sun Devils had two losses all season, coming against teams that at one point were considered for the national championship. Meanwhile, the Arizona State offense has been extremely volatile at times, making it happen through big plays -- much the same as Boise State last season. A steady offense like Oklahoma's going against an explosive one like Arizona State would make the Fiesta Bowl much more exciting and unpredictable than the current match against the Mountaineers. If only Arizona were as talented as Arizona State, we could have seen a sibling rivalry between the Stoops' brothers.

Sugar Bowl
Georgia v. Hawaii
Actual: Georgia v. Hawaii
Hawaii went undefeated and does deserve a chance in a BCS Bowl. However, they couldn't have it any other way than a match in the Sugar Bowl against Georgia because of the constraints of the system. We expect this to be an ugly game with Georgia winning by a 24-point margin. However, if Hawaii can win this one, they make another bold statement for the WAC and mid-majors everywhere.

Mid-Major Champions: 1998-2009

2007-12-09T17:06:00.002-05:00

1998 -	Tulane	(12-0-0)
1999 -	Marshall	(13-0-0)
2000 -	Colorado State	(10-2-0)
2001 -	Louisville	(12-2-0)
2002 -	Boise State	(12-1-0)
2003 -	Miami (OH)	(13-1-0)
2004 -	Utah	(12-0-0)
2005 -	TCU	(11-1-0)
2006 -	Boise State	(13-0-0)
2007 -	Hawaii	(12-1-0)
2008 -	Utah	(13-0-0)

Decade Tally

	2 -	Boise State
	2 -	Utah
	1 -	Colorado State
	1 -	Hawaii
	1 -	Louisville
	1 -	Marshall
	1 -	Miami (OH)
	1 -	TCU
	1 -	Tulane

Football helmet images courtesy of The Helmet Project

Mid-Major National Champs

2007-12-09T16:35:00.000-05:00

After two years of undefeated mid-majors getting snubbed from the national championship, it has become evident that no mid-major will ever be given a chance to play in the coveted BCS Championship. Since this is quite unfair to the deserving programs that run the full gauntlet from August to January, CFBN is proud to introduce its annual mid-major National Championship.

CFBN would love to see some sort of play-off system for mid-major programs, so that an actual Division I-A mid-major national champion could be crowned. As of now, CFBN can only backlog as to which non-BCS programs had the best season since the inauguration of the BCS system.

Tim Tebow Wins NCAA Heisman

2007-12-09T01:06:00.001-05:00

Florida quarterback Tim Tebow became the first underclassman to win the Heisman in the trophy's illustrious history. The Gator sophomore barely edged out Arkansas halfback Darren McFadden, who finished number two for the second consecutive year. Tebow certainly had the resume to compete with the probable No. 1 pick in the NFL Draft. Tim was the first "20-20" player in NCAA Division I-A history, passing for 29 touchdowns and rushing for 22 more. Last season, he contributed to Florida's national championship victory over Ohio State.

CFBN will announce its Heisman winner following the bowl season, as the postseason is the truest measure of a player's worth (as seen by Troy Smith in 2006 and Reggie Bush in 2005). Nonetheless, CFBN congratulates Tim Tebow on an incredible record-breaking season.

Tebow and the Gators will be prepping for their bowl game against the coachless Michigan Wolverines.

West Virginia Chokes, Rich Rodriguez Whines

2007-12-02T13:06:00.000-05:00

West Virginia proved why the Big East is the worst BCS conference last night, choking against a hapless Pittsburgh team. The score doesn't do justice to the level of embarrassment the Mountaineers should feel this morning. Even with the referees in their pockets, West Virginia managed to bite the bullet and lose an undeserved chance at the National Championship.

The behavior of the Big East officials was simply reprehensible. It was perfectly clear that they were attempting to hand the game to the Mountaineers to ensure a title-bound Big East team. They were willing to sell one of their own teams down the river in order to do so, leaving Dave Wannestadt and the Panthers kicking and screaming (justifiably) the whole way. While there were several questionable calls in the game, two were particularly biased. The referees managed to call TWO (2) holding penalties on the same player on PERFECT blocks. One cheated the Panthers out of a touchdown, and the other out of a first down and potential scoring situation. Tack 14 points on for Pittsburgh ... the Panthers embarrassed the Mountaineers -- no matter what the score said.

Rich Rodriguez addressed the situation as a "nightmare." It certainly is a nightmare when you can't win with the authority of the game on your side. It certainly is a nightmare when every available media outlet is on your side, pushing you into the title over much more qualified programs. It certainly is a nightmare when you can't call a respectable game without resorting to the "Vince Young [read: Pat White] is going to do whatever the hell he wants to do" offense. I will give Rich Rodriguez some credit for his composure after this game. Instead of his usual temper tantrum, dropping to the floor and crying "GIVE US A CHANCE, WE DESERVE A CHANCE!!!", he simply said he was disappointed. His disappointment salvages the integrity of college football though. The referees did not cheat the game of its rightful championship match up. The lack-luster scheduling of the Mountaineers was not rewarded in the end. Rich, my hat is off to you ... good luck against the Sooners in the Fiesta Bowl. Just try not to spoil the tradition of that game, like you almost did to the National Title.

And for all those that are interested, Virginia Tech won the Big East/ACC title, beating Boston College. I'm sure the traditional ACC powers were excited to watch the two programs they didn't want win their conference. On the positive side, either one of them would have embarrassed any program in the Big East this season.

Bowl Games

2007-11-25T21:36:00.001-05:00

BCS Championship	LSU	Ohio State
Rose Bowl	Illinois	USC
Orange Bowl	Kansas	Virginia Tech
Fiesta Bowl	Oklahoma	West Virginia
Sugar Bowl	Georgia	Hawaii
Capital One Bowl	Florida	Michigan
Cotton Bowl	Arkansas	Missouri
Outback Bowl	Tennessee	Wisconsin
Chick-Fil-A Bowl	Auburn	Clemson
Holiday Bowl	Arizona State	Texas
Gator Bowl	Texas Tech	Virginia
Alamo Bowl	Penn State	Texas A&M
Champs Sports Bowl	Boston College	Michigan State
Insight Bowl	Indiana	Oklahoma State
Sun Bowl	South Florida	Oregon
Emerald Bowl	Maryland	Oregon State
Meineke Bowl	Connecticut	Wake Forest
Music City Bowl	Kentucky	Florida State
Liberty Bowl	Central Florida	Mississippi State
Las Vegas Bowl	BYU	UCLA
Motor City Bowl	Central Michigan	Purdue
GMAC Bowl	Bowling Green	Tulsa
Humanitarian Bowl	Fresno State	Georgia Tech
International Bowl	Ball State	Rutgers
Armed Forces Bowl	Air Force	California
Papajohns.com Bowl	Cincinnati	Southern Miss
Independence Bowl	Alabama	Colorado
Texas Bowl	Houston	TCU
Poinsettia Bowl	Navy	Utah
Hawaii Bowl	Boise State	East Carolina
New Mexico Bowl	Nevada	New Mexico
New Orleans Bowl	Florida Atlantic	Memphis

Arkansas Becomes 264th Challenge Cup Champion

2007-11-23T20:08:00.000-05:00

It took three overtimes and almost 30 years, but with a 50-48 victory over LSU, the coveted CFBN Challenge Cup is headed back to Fayetteville. Arkansas' offense was powered by a Heisman-worthy performance from Darren McFadden. The superstar halfback rushed for 206 yards on 32 carries (6.4 ypc) and was also 3-for-6 through the air, totaling four all-purpose touchdowns.
The defeat eliminates LSU from the national championship picture.

Ramifications of Oregon, Oklahoma Losses

2007-11-18T09:51:00.000-05:00

If the season were to end today, LSU would face Kansas for the national championship, and most people would have no problem with that. After all, Kansas is the only legitimate undefeated team (sorry Hawaii, but your signature victory this year over 6-4 Fresno State doesn't do it for me) and LSU is the strongest of the once-beaten squads. However, odds are pretty good that Kansas will trip up either against Missouri or in the Big XII title game, leaving the BCS door wide open again.
Let's entertain the possibility of one or both of the top two teams losing a game in the next couple of weeks. Who would replace them in the championship picture?

1) Missouri (10-1): I could live with this. If the Tigers defeat Kansas and win the Big XII title, it would be hard to discredit their accomplishments. Of course, a Missouri-LSU championship game would be awfully confusing ... Tigers, Tigers everywhere!

2) West Virginia (9-1): If the Mountaineers advance to the title game, with a nonconference schedule consisting of Western Michigan, Marshall, Maryland, East Carolina, and Mississippi State, this would only further bolster my argument from earlier this year. How could this team be ranked ahead of Ohio State or Arizona State? Granted, I'm not impressed with these two teams' out-of-conference schedules, either, but at least their in-conference schedule isn't laughable. I don't care how many Big East teams were ranked at some point this year ... this conference isn't very good. The Top 25 has been a revolving door, anyway. The entire Big East conference has been padding its record and reputation by playing mediocre out-of-conference games, and the media is rewarding them for it. It's thinking like that of Jason Whitlock, who said at the beginning of last year that he was ranking West Virginia #1 because they were the most likely to run the table, that makes the current system so defective.
West Virginia needs to be the sacrificial lamb that saves college football. Vote them out, fellas.

3) Ohio State (11-1): The Big Ten isn't that strong this year, but the Buckeyes almost ran the gauntlet, losing narrowly to a very strong Illinois squad. However, it is unlikely West Virginia will lose to Connecticut or Pittsburgh, so the Buckeyes may have to settle for the Rose Bowl.

4) Arizona State (10-1): The Sun Devils have a huge game against Southern California coming up. Victory over the Trojans might give this program a lift in the polls. ASU was leading WVU in the computer rankings going into this week, so if they could narrow the game in the polls, they might leapfrog the Mountaineers.

Of the four major contenders to supplant LSU or Kansas, three of them would qualify as legitimate, but it is the illegitimate contender who has the best shot at New Orleans. Once again, the BCS is starting to smell rotten as we approach December.

Complicating the Title Game

2007-11-18T02:04:00.000-05:00

After Oregon and Oklahoma's topple from the top, Kansas is finally sitting in the catbird seat at No. 2. Unless one of them loses, LSU and Kansas will face off in the BCS Championship game in January. However, let's look at each of the undefeated and one-loss teams' roads to the title game.

LSU (10-1)
Predicted Finish: 12-1
Aside from Kentucky, LSU has gone without fault all season. They have played close games against Florida, South Carolina, Auburn and Alabama, but such is life in the SEC. In order to get to the title game, LSU has to stop Heisman-contender Darren McFadden and his Arkansas Razorbacks. While the Tigers shouldn't have much difficulty putting away Arkansas, Darren McFadden is always a question mark and can transform the nature of the game depending on which one of his Jekyll-and-Hyde personalities shows up that day. Even after that, LSU will have to play the winner of the SEC East, which will most likely be Georgia -- possibly the hottest team in college football right now. Even with that schedule, I give LSU a fairly good chance at making it to the title game.

Kansas (11-0)
Predicted Finish: 11-1
The Jayhawks have done what no one expected of them thus far ... and to make it to the title game, they will have to do more of the same. Kansas will have to play against two explosive offenses anchored by two extraordinarily good quarterbacks to end the season. Next weekend, they will face off against No. 4 Missouri. If they down the Tigers, the Jayhawks will face Boomer Sooner in the Big XII title game. Both Chase Daniel and Sam Bradford have the ability to put these birds out of their misery. I believe that Kansas won't have enough to hold off Missouri and Chase Daniel's spread offense.

Hawaii (10-0)
Predicted Finish: 10-2
Quite the opposite of Kansas, Hawaii has done what everyone expected them to do thus far this season. Colt Brennan has tossed his way into the record books over the last two seasons, leading the Warriors to a perfect record in the WAC. However, a one-man show isn't very successful when that man is riding the pine. After Colt Brennan's injury in the game against Fresno State, Hawaii has looked very ordinary. They nearly lost to Nevada on Friday night, and now they will face the toughest two games on their schedule -- Boise State and Washington. I don't believe Hawaii can win either without their high-scoring quarterback. The dream will die next weekend and be buried the weekend after.

Missouri (10-1)
Predicted Finish: 11-2
Missouri is a dark horse for the title game, garnering very little attention within the college football community. However, Missouri is for real. Chase Daniel has put up better numbers than anyone not named "Tebow" and has put the Tigers in a position to down Kansas and face Oklahoma in the Big XII championship game. Next weekend's game with Kansas will be a national affirmation for the winner. However, I don't believe either team will be strong enough to beat the Sooners. Missouri wins against Kansas, loses to Oklahoma and finishes No. 2 in the Big XII.

Ohio State (11-1)
Predicted Finish: 11-1
The easiest predicted finish I have ever had to make. Ohio State finished off their regular season with the annual victory over the Wolverines. While the Buckeyes have been lackluster all season, they are among the one-loss teams, staring at a potential title game appearances. In some ways, they are in an enviable position. With Oregon and Oklahoma out of the way, Ohio State can root for LSU to lose to either Arkansas or Georgia, Oklahoma to down the winner of Kansas-Missouri, Hawaii to lose to Boise State and Washington (if Hawaii is even considered a legitimate contender) and West Virginia to fall to either Connecticut or Pittsburgh. While I believe that Kansas, Missouri and Hawaii will drop out of the picture, Ohio State and West Virginia will have a tough fight for the No. 2 position in the BCS. I would give the slight edge to the Buckeyes, as the Big Ten is slightly better than the Big East, even if it wasn't readily apparent this season.

West Virginia (9-1)
Predicted Finish: 11-1
The Mountaineers haven't had to play anyone all year, so why change now. West Virginia ends the season with games against Connecticut and Pittsburgh. While Connecticut is a potential trap game for West Virginia, I believe that Connecticut might be the only team more overrated than the Mountaineers. Meanwhile, Rich Rodriguez shouldn't lose any sleep over Pittsburgh. West Virginia will be a serious contender for the title game, finishing 11-1.

With four one-loss teams, the process gets more difficult. LSU, as the SEC winner, deserves to get the top spot (anyone who can survive that schedule belongs in the title game, or at least Tommy Tuberville would argue so). Kansas should be ineligible if they lose a game, as they would not even be their conference champion. So, West Virginia or Ohio State? Both teams had one surprisingly decent non-conference game (Ohio State v. Washington, West Virginia v. Maryland), but neither made any effort to schedule any real powerhouses out of conference. Therefore, we turn to strength of conference, and the Big Ten wins. Moreover, the BCS would profit more from a game between LSU and Ohio State. Therefore, CFBN's newest prediction is LSU v. Ohio State for the title.

Week 11 Top 25

2007-11-17T23:24:00.000-05:00

Top 25
1. LSU
2. Kansas
3. Hawaii
4. Missouri
5. Ohio State
6. West Virginia
7. Arizona State
8. Georgia
9. Virginia Tech
10. Oregon
11. Oklahoma
12. USC
13. Texas
14. Boston College
15. Virginia
16. Boise State
17. Florida
18. Illinois
19. Tennessee
20. Connecticut
21. Clemson
22. Wisconsin
23. Cincinnati
24. BYU
25. South Florida

Five Contenders for the Crown

2007-11-11T03:16:00.000-05:00

As this season has been topsy-turvy (for both the competitors and the authors of this blog), it seems as if no team will escape the season completely unscathed. At this point, there are five strong contenders for the title game, three of which have a single loss. CFBN will set the record straight and make its early prediction for the title game:

Kansas
The Jayhawks have certainly been impressive this season, starting 10-0 for the first time since the Cubs won the World Series. Although Kansas is subject to the usual suspicion of a "nontraditional" power, there are plenty of arguments to be made on their behalf.
Pros: They are one of only two remaining undefeated teams in Division I-A football, and the only one to do so in a major conference. While the Big XII North is roughly as competitive as the Sun Belt or admissions to the Thomas M. Cooley School of Law, it has been a big enough stage to lift the Jayhawks to the No. 4 spot in the polls (and probably climbing to No. 3 with Ohio State's loss) and will also provide them with adequate opportunity to prove their worth as the regular season concludes. And if style points count, keep this in mind -- Kansas' average margin of victory is over 30 points. Jayhawk enthusiast(s) can chalk that up to either a great offense or a lack of competition. Over the next couple weeks, we will hear plenty of both.
Cons: "They haven't played anyone." While this isn't entirely true (you don't get 10 wins without 10 opponents), Kansas certainly has had one of the easiest roads to the Top 10. They have faced floundering Nebraska and Colorado programs, and their skirmishes with the South division were with lowly Baylor and Oklahoma State. Given a game against a real competitor like an Oregon or an LSU (two completely randomly selected programs), the Jayhawks could be embarrassed. And no program likes getting blown out in the title game ... just ask Oklahoma circa 2004.
Chances: Very slim. In order for Kansas to get to the coveted BCS National Championship, they will need to win out. While Iowa State doesn't pose much of a threat, Missouri does. And even if they don't stumble against the Tigers, they will have a real game against the winner of the Big XII South (Oklahoma). I don't expect Kansas to escape the season with more than 11 wins.

Oregon
The Ducks have all the buzz in college football this season. Their schedule has been tough, their play has been electric, and their uniforms have been just hideous. They have one loss this season, but it was a close one against then-No. 2 California.
Pros: Dennis Dixon is likely to win the Heisman Trophy this year, so long as Darren McFadden doesn't pull out another record-breaking game performance. Jonathan Stewart has been quietly just as electric as Dixon and has also helped Oregon establish one of the fastest paced tempos in college football. Meanwhile, Oregon has had all the big wins necessary to be a contender in the computers. Thus far, the Ducks have trumped USC, Michigan and Arizona State, with their lone loss coming against a Jekyll-and-Hyde California team. Overall, they are frustrating to play against, but enthralling to watch.
Cons: They have a loss and they play in the Pac-10. USC has set the bar pretty high for Pac-10 teams looking to get to the title game. In 2003, USC had only one loss, and the BCS decided to choose Oklahoma and LSU (funny how history repeats) to play in the title game, despite USC's higher ranking in the AP and Coaches' Polls. Also, LSU and Oklahoma are traditional powers with better name recognition. It remains to be seen how the Ducks will travel for a BCS game, but the Committee knows that they have followers with LSU and Oklahoma.
Chances: Fairly good. Oregon has bested the better half of their schedule and now only face Arizona, Oregon State and UCLA. While all three could prove to be traps, Oregon has shown the confidence and the preparation to hang tough with anyone in college football, while all three opponents have stubbed their toe against inferior competition.

LSU
Slated to play in the title game since trouncing the Irish in last year's Sugar Bowl, LSU has seemingly been predestined to play in this game. However, LSU has shown several kinks in its armor thus far this season and will still have to survive an SEC Championship game at season's end.
Pros: LSU plays in the "toughest conference in college football," and has faired quite well in it. The Tigers have taken down the likes of Auburn and the reigning national champion Florida Gators. Their only loss came in overtime on the road against a team that hasn't had a decent football team since the Carter administration. They have possibly the best defense in college football and an adequate offense. As mentioned above, everyone is expecting them to be in the title game and that is sometimes enough to propel a team there.
Cons: They lost to Kentucky. I understand that Kentucky is playing well this year, but they still lost to Kentucky. They have also struggled against SEC foes such as Florida (who has the same record as Kentucky). Their offense has been underwhelming, with very few real playmakers and an injury-prone star receiver. LSU games have been prescribed by doctors in lieu of Ambien.
Chances: Very good. LSU has been predestined to be in the title game since last season. The voters have not swayed, and that is all it takes to play in a game like this.

Oklahoma
The Sooners have been in rhythm since the first snap, with Sam Bradford putting up a higher passer efficiency rating than Mark Mangino's weight. They suffered a serious setback against a hapless Colorado squad, but have looked very good otherwise.
Pros: Oklahoma sits at the head of the "grown up" table in the Big XII, with a solid win against rival Texas. The Sooner offense has been very impressive for a "rebuilding" program without Rhett Bomar or Adrian Peterson. Meanwhile, the Oklahoma defense has been what you'd expect from Bob Stoops -- more consistent than a 60-year old on fiber pills. They have the talent and the exposure.
Cons: They are on the outside looking in. It is difficult for a program to usurp a team with an equal record in front of it. LSU has been in front of Oklahoma since day one, and Oregon jumped in front with three big time victories. Oklahoma's loss to Colorado has seriously hurt their credibility, as they looked virtually unstoppable before that point. In order for Oklahoma to get their chance, they are going to need a loss from someone in front of them, and as everyone knows, it sucks to have to rely on someone else.
Chances: Fairly good. Kansas will likely drop in their match against Missouri, but even so, Oklahoma will get a chance to down them in the Big XII title game. Oregon has three trap games coming up, and LSU still has an SEC title game to win. Oklahoma has to sit back and hope they are dealt the right cards, but many different situations will win them the hand.

Hawaii
Colt Brennan and his WAC Warriors have stirred the Pacific and put themselves in a position to play in a BCS game. However, it doesn't seem entirely likely that they will get a chance to play in the BCS game.
Pros: Everyone likes an underdog. Hawaii plays in a mid-major conference and is on pace to finish undefeated, 12-0. Utah and Boise State have set the precedent for mid-majors, winning their BCS games in thrilling fashion. As both the Utes and Broncos went undefeated, analysts questioned the fairness of a system that leaves half the programs in Division I-A without any avenue to win a national title. After Ohio State's ugly finish to last season, many wondered how a fundamentally sound Boise State team would have faired against them. As the players noted, it is unfair to punish the players for the conference in which they play and the schedule which is slated. Even further, Hawaii has been as fun to watch as anyone in the nation, with Colt Brennan breaking Ty Detmer's touchdown record. With so few undefeated squads, its tough to ignore one that remains.
Cons: They are a mid-major, and the precedent has been set that no team will get to the title game without the proper strength of schedule. Even though the schedule is set years in advance, before teams are even aware of their future potential, programs must properly align their success with their schedule in order to reach the coveted game. Meanwhile, Hawaii is not out of the woods yet. Brennan, the sole offensive weapon for the Warriors, left last night's game with a serious concussion and is questionable for future games. And it couldn't come at a worse time, as Hawaii will take on Boise State and Washington to end the year.
Chances: Poor. Hawaii has a 50-50 chance of escaping unbeaten, and even so, a very slim chance of being selected by the computers because of their strength of schedule. Hawaii should be looking forward to an appearance in the Rose Bowl, Fiesta Bowl, Orange Bowl or Sugar Bowl.

CFBN Prediction:
Oregon-LSU

Top 25: Week 11

2007-11-11T03:13:00.000-05:00

Top 25:
1. Kansas
2. Oregon
3. LSU
4. Oklahoma
5. Hawaii
6. Ohio State
7. Missouri
8. West Virginia
9. Arizona State
10. Virginia Tech
11. Georgia
12. USC
13. Texas
14. Florida
15. Boston College
16. Illinois
17. Virginia
18. Clemson
19. Cincinnati
20. Boise State
21. Kentucky
22. Tennessee
23. Wisconsin
24. Michigan
25. Penn State

Top 25: Week 4

2007-09-23T11:36:00.000-04:00

1. USC
2. LSU
3. Florida
4. Oklahoma
5. West Virginia
6. Ohio State
7. California
8. Texas
9. Boston College
10. Rutgers
11. Clemson
12. Wisconsin
13. Oregon
14. Cincinnati
15. South Florida
16. Arizona State
17. Kentucky
18. Michigan State
19. Missouri
20. Hawaii
21. Purdue
22. Kansas
23. Connecticut
24. Virginia Tech
25. Georgia

Scheduling: A Disturbing Trend

2007-07-28T11:48:00.000-04:00

Like all of you, nothing gets my blood running faster than a Saturday slate full of compelling gridiron matchups. Lately, that means Notre Dame's early schedule, followed by conference play. After early October, Notre Dame doesn't play anybody (except on even years where they play Southern California in November), and conference big boys are scheduling fewer interesting interconference matchups each year. I've listed the nonconference schedules of what I consider the upper half of each conference.

Atlantic Coast Conference
Boston College: Army, UMass, Bowling Green, Notre Dame
Clemson: Lousiana-Monroe, Furman, Central Michigan, South Carolina
Florida State: UAB, Colorado, Alabama, Florida
Georgia Tech: Notre Dame, Samford, Army, Georgia
Miami: Marshall, Oklahoma, Florida International, Texas A&M
Virginia Tech: ECU, LSU, Ohio, William & Mary

Top 5 Matchups:
1) Virginia Tech vs. LSU
2) Florida State vs. Florida
3) Miami vs. Oklahoma
4) Florida State vs. Alabama
5) Georgia Tech vs. Notre Dame

Verdict: Half of these schools (FSU, GT, Miami) have scheduled two marquee games. A lot of these other games are not only not marquee, but are downright uninteresting. Clemson vs. Furman? Virginia Tech vs. William & Mary? Sign me up!

Big East Conference
Louisville: Murray State, Middle Tennessee, Kentucky, Utah, NC State
Pittsburgh: Eastern Michigan, Grambling State, Michigan State, Virginia, Navy
Rutgers: Buffalo, Navy, Norfolk State, Maryland, Army
West Virginia: Western Michigan, Marshall, Maryland, East Carolina, Mississippi State

Top 5 Matchups
1) West Virginia vs. Maryland
2) Louisville vs. NC State
3) Louisville vs. Kentucky
4) Pittsburgh vs. Virginia
5) Rutgers vs. Maryland

Verdict: This is utterly embarrassing. No Big East team should be considered for national championship contention (are you listening, West Virginia?) until these schools schedule someone of note outside conference play. These guys are lucky Notre Dame athletic director Kevin White has pledged to play this conference three games per year starting in 2009.

Big Ten Conference
Iowa: NIU, Syracuse, Iowa State, Western Michigan
Michigan: Appalachian State, Oregon, Notre Dame, Eastern Michigan
Ohio State: Youngstown State, Akron, Washington, Kent State
Penn State: Florida International, Notre Dame, Buffalo, Temple
Wisconsin: Washington State, UNLV, The Citadel, Northern Illinois

Top 5 Matchups
1) Michigan vs. Notre Dame
2) Penn State vs. Notre Dame
3) Michigan vs. Oregon
4) Ohio State vs. Washington
5) Wisconsin vs. Washington State

Verdict: Remove Notre Dame from the equation and these out-of-conference matchups look very ordinary. Michigan vs. Oregon should be fun. Ohio State can't be faulted for how badly Washington has fallen, but this game could drive one of the final nails into Tyrone Willingham's coffin.

Big XII Conference
Colorado: Colorado State, Arizona State, Florida State, Miami (OH)
Nebraska: Nevada, Wake Forest, Southern California, Ball State
Oklahoma: North Texas, Miami, Utah State, Tulsa
Texas: Arkansas State, TCU, UCF, Rice
Texas A&M: Montana State, Fresno State, Louisiana-Monroe, Miami
Texas Tech: SMU, UTEP, Rice, Northwestern State

Top 5 Matchups
1) Nebraska vs. Southern California
2) Oklahoma vs. Miami
3) Texas A&M vs. Miami
4) Nebraska vs. Wake Forest
5) Colorado vs. Florida State

Verdict: An unusually heavy schedule for Nebraska makes this top 5 interesting. Nebraska will probably keep it closer with the Trojans than folks are expecting, but that still doesn't look like a winnable game for the Cornhuskers. Colorado vs. Florida State could be funny.

Pacific-10 Conference
Arizona State: San Jose State, Colorado, San Diego State
California: Tennessee, Colorado State, Louisiana Tech
Oregon: Houston, Michigan, Fresno State
UCLA: BYU, Utah, Notre Dame
Southern California: Idaho, Nebraska, Notre Dame

Top 5 Matchups
1) Southern California vs. Notre Dame
2) Southern California vs. Nebraska
3) California vs. Tennessee
4) UCLA vs. Notre Dame
5) Oregon vs. Michigan

Verdict: Say what you want about USC, but they don't build a light schedule ever. Notre Dame and Nebraska may be their two toughest games in 2007, and they're both out of conference. California will be looking for revenge against Tennessee, as will UCLA against Notre Dame.

Southeastern Conference
Alabama: Western Carolina, Florida State, Houston, Louisiana-Monroe
Arkansas: Troy, North Texas, UT-Chattanooga, Florida International
Florida: Western Kentucky, Troy, Florida Atlantic, Florida State
LSU: Virginia Tech, Middle Tennessee, Tulane, Louisiana Tech
Georgia: Oklahoma State, Western Carolina, Troy, Georgia Tech
Tennessee: California, Southern Miss, Arkansas State, Louisiana-Lafayette

Top 5 Matchups
1) LSU vs. Virginia Tech
2) Florida vs. Florida State
3) Tennessee vs. California
4) Alabama vs. Florida State
5) Georgia vs. Georgia Tech

Verdict: A few of these games should be interesting, as listed above. Most of them are not. The SEC may be "the toughest conference in college football," but their out-of-conference schedule is far from it. On the bright side, it's not as bad as the Big East's.

Fortunately, there are still some good intersectional football games left in the modern college football landscape. That said, probably half of them are due to longstanding rivalries, like Notre Dame vs. Southern California, Florida vs. Florida State, Georgia vs. Georgia Tech and the like. As long as those rivalries stay alive (c.f. Penn State vs. Pitt), we'll at least have some interesting games outside conference play. But until teams are dinged for playing doormats, this trend will only get worse.

Anonymous Excel Mastermind Deserves Props

2007-07-24T16:23:00.000-04:00

Some anonymous Excel mastermind has created and hosted a spreadsheet of all Division 1-A games for the upcoming season. This spreadsheet includes each team's schedule categorized by conference, and then specific games thrown into a "Games of the Week" sheet.

For those of you that are interested in this rather amazing resource, you can click here and follow download instructions. The one piece of the puzzle missing from this sheet is start times, which would be nice, but are not all finalized and will be readily available elsewhere.

Upgrades and Promises

2007-07-19T22:50:00.000-04:00

CFBN had its ups and downs in 2007. Chris and I carried the bulk of the work ... and by that I mean 100% of it, which meant when the two of us were both drudging through difficult stretches of our other schedules, this site suffered.

Well, I just invested a hefty amount of time tonight into revamping this page's template, as well as installing tags onto all of this blog's posts. There is now an index in the right-hand column, allowing readers to sort through content by year, conference or subject matter.

We at CFBN can't wait for the start of the 2007 football season. Fresh content will be coming from this site soon, so be sure to check back.

2007 Heisman Race

2007-06-10T22:30:00.001-04:00

After a disappointing bowl season for our Heisman contenders, Tim Tebow erked out as the 2007 CFBN Heisman Winner. Tebow, who struggled against Michigan, was still fairly strong in his last game of the season, while competitors Darren McFadden and Colt Brennan were humiliated in the bowls. Chase Daniel gets a tremendous boost in the bowls following his thumping of the Razorbacks, finishing second. Pat White reappeared in the top 5 with his win in the Fiesta Bowl.

Here are the final 2007 Heisman Standings:

Po.	Name	Team	Votes
1	Tim Tebow, QB	Florida	5
2	Chase Daniel, QB	Missouri	4
3	Darren McFadden, HB	Arkansas	3
4	Pat White, QB	West Virginia	2
5	Michael Crabtree, WR	Texas Tech	1

Weis vs. Willingham

2007-03-18T10:40:00.000-04:00

In a recent article in the San Jose Mercury News, author Jon Wilner builds the argument that if Notre Dame dismissed Tyrone Willingham for losing badly against elite teams, then the same standard should be held to Charlie Weis. He goes so far as to say that should Notre Dame not tighten the screws on Weis in 2007 -- pending lopsided defeats against foes like USC and Michigan -- then it would appear to be racially charged.

"Notre Dame" and "racist" are two phrases that have been coupled together with some regularity since the dismissal of Willingham, so this warrants some discussion. So let me make it clear: Notre Dame's termination of Willingham was a business decision, not an act of racism. Furthermore, dismissal of Weis after next season would be a poor business decision, and that is why Wilner is somewhat misguided. Allow me to explain before you either write me off or nominate me for a Pulitzer (depending on your stake in the debate).

First of all, let's look at the data. Here are the two men's respective bodies of work.

Tyrone Willingham			Charlie Weis
Opponent			Opponent
(N) Maryland	W	22-0	@ Pittsburgh	W	42-21
Purdue	W	24-17	@ Michigan	W	17-10
Michigan	W	25-23	Michigan State	L	41-44
@ Michigan State	W	21-17	@ Washington	W	36-17
Stanford	W	31-7	@ Purdue	W	49-28
Pittsburgh	W	14-6	USC	L	31-34
@ Air Force	W	21-14	Brigham Young	W	49-23
@ Florida State	W	34-24	Tennessee	W	41-21
Boston College	L	7-14	Navy	W	42-21
(N) Navy	W	30-23	Syracuse	W	34-10
Rutgers	W	42-0	@ Stanford	W	38-31
@ USC	L	13-44	(N) Ohio State	L	20-34
(N) NC State	L	6-28	@ Georgia Tech	W	14-10
Washington State	W	29-26	Penn State	W	41-17
@ Michigan	L	0-38	Michigan	L	21-47
Michigan State	L	16-22	@ Michigan State	W	40-37
@ Purdue	L	10-23	Purdue	W	35-21
@ Pittsburgh	W	20-14	Stanford	W	31-10
USC	L	14-45	UCLA	W	20-17
@ Boston College	L	25-27	(N) Navy	W	38-14
Florida State	L	0-37	North Carolina	W	45-26
Navy	W	27-24	@ Air Force	W	39-17
Brigham Young	W	33-14	Army	W	41-9
@ Stanford	W	57-7	@ USC	L	24-44
@ Syracuse	L	12-38	(N) LSU	L	14-41
@ Brigham Young	L	17-20	Georgia Tech
Michigan	W	28-20	@ Penn State
@ Michigan State	W	31-24	@ Michigan
Washington	W	38-3	Michigan State
Purdue	L	16-41	@ Purdue
Stanford	W	23-15	@ UCLA
(N) Navy	W	27-9	Boston College
Boston College	L	23-24	USC
@ Tennessee	W	17-13	Navy
Pittsburgh	L	38-41	Air Force
@ USC	L	10-41	Duke
			@ Stanford
TOTALS	21-15	+18	TOTALS	19-6	+242

Weis holds a decisive advantage in winning percentage (.760 to .583) and point differential (+242 to +18). However, Wilner would correctly point out that he never contended otherwise. His argument was that (a) Bob Davie (35-25 .583) and Gerry Faust (30-26-1 .535) both had equal or lesser winning percentages, but were allowed to complete their five-year contracts, and (b) Notre Dame claimed its firing of Willingham was justified by lopsided defeats in big games, yet Weis isn't being pressured despite recent lopsided defeats to USC and LSU.

Both of these arguments can be addressed at once. Davie and Faust combined for seven defeats by 21 points or more in ten years of coaching Notre Dame. Willingham suffered eight defeats by at least three touchdowns in just three years. In other words, Davie and Faust were averaging less than one such defeat per season, while Willingham was averaging almost three. And some of these (NC State, Purdue, Syracuse) were in situations where Notre Dame was favored to win. In contrast, Charlie Weis has suffered two such defeats, both in 2006 and both to top-10 teams (Michigan and LSU). Wilner's position is defeated.

There are other arguments people sometimes make in addition to what Wilner contended. If you have an argument to the contrary, feel free to reply to this post. We here at College Football Nation would be happy to discuss it with you.

CFBN Rankings

2007-01-17T15:24:00.000-05:00

Final Poll

Po.	Team	Votes
1	Florida (2)	50
2	Boise State	48
3	Ohio State	45
4	LSU	44
5	Louisville	41
6	USC	40
7	Wisconsin	39
8	Michigan	35
9	Auburn	33
	Rutgers	33
11	West Virginia	32
12	Oklahoma	25
13	California	24
14	BYU	23
	Notre Dame	23
	Texas	23
17	Wake Forest	19
18	Arkansas	17
19	Virginia Tech	13
20	Georgia	11
21	Hawai'i	9
22	TCU	7
23	Boston College	5
	Oregon State	5
25	Penn State	4

Others receiving votes:
Tennessee, Texas A&M

Congrats JaMarcus

2007-01-15T21:37:00.000-05:00

Congratulations to JaMarcus Russell, winner of the 2007 CFBN Heisman Trophy. For more coverage, see the "2006 Heisman Race" link on the right.

Florida Captures 261st Challenge Cup

2007-01-14T10:25:00.000-05:00

With its thrilling 41-14 upset/pasting of the Ohio State Buckeyes, the Gators collected some serious hardware ... the BCS National Championship Trophy, and of course, the CFBN Challenge Cup.
Florida holds the prestigious title for the second time after also winning it in 1987. Ohio State's held the championship since defeating Texas at the beginning of the season in Austin, Tex.

We've Been Gone For a While

2007-01-09T00:05:00.000-05:00

But now we are back ... just in time to report on Florida's impressive 41-14 victory over Ohio State in the BCS Title Game. Coverage of the CFBN 2006 Heisman and the CFBN National Champion will commence soon enough.

Thanks for sticking with us.

CFBN Rankings

2006-11-20T10:25:00.000-05:00

CFBN Week 13 Top 25
1. Ohio State (2) 50
2. Notre Dame 47
3. Michigan 46
4. Arkansas 43
4. USC 43
6. Florida 40
7. Boise State 37
8. Wisconsin 36
9. Louisville 33
10. Texas 32
11. West Virginia 31
12. LSU 29
13. Auburn 26
14. Oklahoma 23
15. Boston College 22
16. Georgia Tech 20
17. Rutgers 18
18. Virginia Tech 17
19. Wake Forest 15
20. Tennessee 10
21. BYU 8
21. Nebraska 8
23. California 7
24. Clemson 6
25. Hawaii 3

A Modest Proposal

2006-11-16T22:35:00.000-05:00

So what about a rematch? Ohio State and Michigan in Glendale. Here is the best option: No overtime in Saturday's "Judgment Day." If the two teams get to the end of the game with a tie, we leave it a tie and settle the business in Arizona. I don't know how everyone else feels about it, but it's got an almost WWF style suspense to it.

That and Mark May eats babies.

Yours truly,

Jonathan Swift

Who Should Play for the Title?

2006-11-16T21:25:00.000-05:00

Chris gave his take on this potential BCS mess. Now it's my turn. Let me start off by saying that Rutgers will not be undefeated at the end of the season. I predict they will lose to Cincinnati and West Virginia. Nevertheless, an undefeated Rutgers should not be given the opportunity to play for the national championship. Why? For the same reason that Louisville and West Virginia should not have been given the opportunity - it sets a bad precedent. The Big East got fat this year on playing a ridiculously weak non-conference schedule. If the Big East is rewarded with a shot at the national championship, then it will only further propagate this cowardly habit. Ohio State went down to Austin and played the defending national champions. Arkansas played the Trojans. What did Rutgers do besides play a couple of overrated in-conference foes? If Rutgers goes to the title game, then college football as we know it is dead.

So who should go? Well, that's a complicated issue. The Trojans have been unimpressive this year, with the exception of a big opening victory against Arkansas. They're ranked third in the BCS largely on reputation. However, if USC can beat Cal, Notre Dame, and UCLA in the next three weeks, they might have a legitimate case. With the way things have been going since the installation of Charlie Weis as head coach of Notre Dame, the Trojans better watch out next week, provided they handle the Golden Bears on Saturday. After all, Reggie Bush isn't available to push Booty into the end zone this time.

How about Florida? Well, they've been unimpressive, also. South Carolina nearly sunk the Gators, but thanks to poor special teams, Florida chomps on. If they win the SEC and USC loses one of the last three, these guys will get the nod, but they don't really deserve it. The SEC is usually college football's strongest conference, but it isn't this year.

What about Arkansas? The Razorbacks have been white hot since opening up by taking a 50-14 drubbing at the hands of the Trojans. If Arkansas wins out, they will have a legitimate claim to a spot in the title game.

How about Notre Dame? The Irish played most of their tough games to start the year. They struggled several times this year, and have not looked like a national championship contender. Nevertheless, a big win over a one-loss USC in the Coliseum could punch Notre Dame's ticket to Glendale, setting up either a rematch of the 2006 Fiesta Bowl or with Michigan. Notre Dame looked overmatched in both of those contests.

What about an all-Big Ten final? This is a terrible idea. Contrary to what the talking heads in Bristol are saying, no one outside of the Midwest is interested in seeing Ohio State and Michigan play twice. The very idea renders the first matchup meaningless. Playing in a conference means you have to win it to contend for the title. If you lose the de facto conference championship game, well then I guess that's just how it goes. Sorry.

Having considered these choices, it is apparent there is no good answer to this question. Whatever the answer winds up being, be sure that there will be plenty of grumbling.

The Only Fair Way

2006-11-14T05:15:00.000-05:00

So, winner of Michigan-Ohio State against who in the title game? That is the debate of debates now-a-days on ESPN and all other college football headquarters. Let's analyze the possibilities very closely ...

The Loser of Ohio State-Michigan
Jim Tressel doesn't want it. Lloyd Carr doesn't want it. It would be a rematch with no games played inbetween. It doesn't make very much sense.

If this is the solution, they might as well bring the National Championship to Columbus to give after Saturday's game and call that the BCS National Championship game.

Florida
The Gators have been dangerous with the split quarterback situation, but in all honesty, this team has struggled in every game they have played. They have skidded their way to a 9-1 record and just have not been dominant enough to be considered the best in the land.

USC
A popular choice -- since they are used to being in the title game. If they win out, certainly USC gets the nod (quality wins over Arkansas, Oregon, California, Notre Dame and UCLA), but that is HIGHLY unlikely. Look for losses against Cal and ND.

Arkansas
An SEC championship would put them in a good spot, but they still would fall short if Notre Dame wins out. Strength of schedule would make this argument seem ridiculous, but if you look to the common opponent in that situation (USC), Notre Dame has to go in ahead of the Razorbacks.

Notre Dame
Another popular choice. Michigan loss looks bad and will have difficulty placing them in a rematch with the Wolverines or in ahead of the Wolverines should Ohio State win. They definitely get the nod over Arkansas in that circumstance and would eliminate USC for the discussion (Arkansas eliminates Florida from that discussion as well). This would create an interesting conundrum ...

Wisconsin, Wake Forest, Boise State
Yeah, the records look good, but there isn't all that much substance there. Wisconsin will get screwed because the Big Ten can only send two to the BCS.

Rutgers
The Knights in Scarlet Armor. This is the only clear choice. Situational analysis: Ohio State beats Michigan. Notre Dame wins out (beating Army and USC) -- USC is out of the picture. Arkansas wins out (beating LSU, Miss. State and Florida) -- Florida is out of the picture. Rutgers wins out (beating West Virginia). We have four teams vying for the spot. Michigan, Notre Dame, Arkansas, and Rutgers. Michigan claims they beat Notre Dame so they deserve the spot. Notre Dame claims that they beat USC who beat Arkansas so they deserve the spot. Ohio State claims they beat Michigan and don't need to prove themselves again against them.

An undefeated Rutgers is the only clear answer.

The arguments brought against them:

1. The game will be a blowout for Ohio State -- fine, it's a blowout and Ohio State is the best team in the country. At least it will be definitive.

2. Rutgers is unproven -- give them a chance to prove themselves. Here it is; you want your measuring stick its right there.

Any other combination gives a team a shot, leaving equivolant teams complaining through the rest of bowl season (a la Oregon last year). Rutgers is the way to go.

Let the Madness Begin

2006-11-12T08:36:00.000-05:00

As we approach the hype bonanza that will be Michigan vs. Ohio State, the BCS title picture is no clearer than it was weeks ago. Entering Saturday, it appeared that the Longhorns would have the inside track to Glendale to face the winner of UM-OSU. Enter Kansas State. Exit Texas. Same fate for Auburn vs. Georgia. And California vs. Arizona. And Florida vs. South Carolina ... no wait the Gamecocks choked on that one.

So now, the list of possible opponents for the Big Ten champion has changed. Will it be the Southern California Trojans, the Fighting Irish, the Razorbacks, or the Gators? Well, as fate would have it, Florida will play Arkansas, and Notre Dame will play Southern California.

Even so, there could be controversy. Some experts are projecting a close decision between Michigan and Ohio State, leading to a rematch in Glendale for the BCS Championship. I don't see this as a likely scenario, as the coaches will not vote this way, and the computer advantage over the one-loss teams that the loser of that game has held will be nullified.

Even still, there could be controversy. Should two of the four once-beaten title contenders win out, which one gets to go to the title game? I don't know. You don't know. Mark May certainly doesn't know. Thank you once again, BCS, for turning college football into figure skating.

Gerry's BCS Projections
BCS National Championship Game
Glendale, AZ (Jan. 8, 2007)
Michigan (12-0) vs. Notre Dame (11-1)
Prediction: Michigan thumped the Fighting Irish in September, thanks to plenty of turnovers. This won't happen a second time. Brady Quinn and the Irish offense move the ball somewhat effectively against a stout Michigan defense. However, the Irish front seven let Mike Hart run all day, opening the passing game for Chad Henne. Michigan 27 - Notre Dame 17

Sugar Bowl
New Orleans, LA (Jan. 3, 2007)
Arkansas (11-2) vs. West Virginia (11-1)
Prediction: It's easy to sell the Big East short based on their lack of competition throughout the season. Just last year, the Mountaineers faced SEC champion Georgia as a hefty underdog and pounded the stuffing out of the Dawgs. Steve Slaton is explosive. However, West Virginia's defense is very ordinary, and Arkansas is a well-rounded football team. Arkansas 31 - West Virginia 20

Orange Bowl
Miami, FL (Jan. 2, 2007)
Wake Forest (11-2) vs. Florida (11-2)
Prediction: This game will be closer than one would expect based on looking at the matchup. Wake Forest is actually pretty good. Florida is overrated. That said, this is still a mismatch. Florida 28 - Wake Forest 13

Fiesta Bowl
Glendale, AZ (Jan. 1, 2007)
Nebraska (10-3) vs. Boise State (12-0)
Prediction: Texas' reeling down the stretch opened the door for Nebraska to make their first BCS appearance since an embarrassing loss to Miami in the national championship game in the 2001 season. Boise State makes its first-ever BCS appearance, which brings tears to the eyes of the Fiesta Bowl committee ... not ones of joy. Jared Zabransky and Ian Johnson cut loose on the Huskers, shocking the college football world. Boise State 34 - Nebraska 24

Rose Bowl
Pasadena, CA (Jan. 1, 2007)
Ohio State (11-1) vs. Southern California (10-2)
Prediction: This could well be the national championship matchup, rather than the Rose Bowl game. Southern California is strong on both sides of the ball, but are no match for Troy Smith, Tedd Ginn, and the rest of the Buckeye assassains. Ohio State 38 - Southern Cal 21

How I Came to this Conclusion:
1) Arkansas loses to LSU, defeats Mississippi State, and defeats Florida in SEC title game.
2) Florida runs regular-season table, but loses to Arkansas in SEC title game.
3) Notre Dame defeats Army and Southern California.
4) Michigan defeats Ohio State.
5) Ohio State loses to Michigan.
6) Southern California defeats Cal and UCLA, but loses to Notre Dame.
7) Boise State defeats Utah State and Nevada.
8) West Virginia defeats Rutgers and wins out. The Big East finishes in a three-way tie, but West Virginia gets the automatic bid by virtue of the highest BCS ranking.
9) Wake Forest loses to Virginia Tech, but defeats Maryland and Georgia Tech.
10) Nebraska defeats Colorado and Texas.

Selection Process
1) BCS title game selects #1 Michigan vs. #2 Notre Dame.
2) ACC champion Wake Forest to Orange Bowl
3) Pac-10 champion Southern California to Rose Bowl
4) SEC champion Arkansas to Sugar Bowl
5) Big XII champion Nebraska to Fiesta Bowl
6) Rose Bowl compensated for loss of Big Ten champion with first pick. They choose Ohio State to maintain the Big Ten-Pac-10 rivalry.
7) Sugar Bowl has second pick. They choose West Virginia over Florida and Boise State.
8) Orange Bowl has third pick. They choose Florida.
9) Fiesta Bowl has fourth pick. They must choose Boise State.

Post WVU-UL Rankings

2006-11-03T11:40:00.000-05:00

1. Ohio State
2. Michigan
3. Louisville
4. Notre Dame
5. Texas
6. USC
7. Arkansas
8. Auburn
9. Florida
10. Tennessee
11. California
12. West Virginia
13. Boston College
14. Boise State
15. Rutgers
16. LSU
17. Texas A&M
18. Clemson
19. Wisconsin
20. Oklahoma
21. Georgia Tech
22. Wake Forest
23. Oregon
24. BYU
25. Tulsa

Week 9 Games of Note

2006-10-25T14:58:00.000-04:00

Top Three of the Week:
Miami at No. 20 Georgia Tech
Chris' Take: Miami 28, Georgia Tech 14
Gerry's Take: Georgia Tech 28, Miami 20

No. 21 Oklahoma at No. 22 Missouri
Chris' Take: Oklahoma 17, Missouri 10
Gerry's Take: Oklahoma 24, Missouri 19

GotW: Georgia at No. 8 Florida
Chris' Take: Florida 21, Georgia 10
Gerry's Take: Florida 30, Georgia 13

Calling the Upset:
No. 9 Tennessee at South Carolina
Chris' Take: Tennessee 27, South Carolina 17 Gerry's Take: Tennessee 23, South Carolina 21

Mismatch of the Week:
Northwestern at No. 2 Michigan
Chris' Take: Michigan 42, Northwestern 3
Gerry's Take: Michigan 35, Northwestern 10

Chris' Season Record: 27-13
Gerry's Season Record: 29-11

2006 CFBN Poll

2006-10-22T14:40:00.000-04:00

P 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Week 8

Po.	Team	Votes
1	Michigan (1)	49
	Ohio State(1)	49
3	USC	46
4	West Virginia	44
5	Notre Dame	40
6	Louisville	39
7	California	36
8	Auburn	35
	Texas	35
10	Tennessee	34
11	Florida	33
12	Arkansas	26
	Boston College	26
14	Clemson	24
15	Boise State	23
16	LSU	21
17	Rutgers	18
18	Wisconsin	16
19	Texas A&M	14
20	Georgia Tech	10
	Missouri	10
22	Nebraska	8
	Oklahoma	8
24	Wake Forest	4
25	BYU	1
	Tulsa	1

Others receiving votes:
none

Dropped from the rankings:
No. 17 Oregon, No. 22 Pittsburgh

Congratulations Miami

2006-10-18T21:12:00.000-04:00

That's right. Miami, my hat is off to you. You established yourself as the most thug school in the country, displacing reigning champ USC. In fact, college football has enough thuggery to put together a "Thug Rankings." ESPN has their Power 16 and their Bottom 10, so we over at CFBN figured "Why the hell not a Thug 8?" Here is a top 8 list that would make 50 Cent squeamish:

1. Miami
Brawling, shooting and group sex -- the U has some issues to address immediately. The Hurricanes have established carte blanche with the administration and can seemingly get away with whatever they want. If the players are angry on the field, they will pick a fight. If the players are out on the street, they will carry guns and knives. If the players are horny, they will rap about it. Larry Coker, you old fool, do something. And to the university administration, shame on you.

2. USC
Matt Leinart impregnates some chick from the women's basketball team and is then sighted wooing Paris Hilton and Jessica Simpson (no worries, I'm sure he'll be a devote parent). Reggie Bush steals money from a marketing agency and violates NCAA regulations while retaining his Heisman. LenDale White instigates a brawl in his first NFL practice, continuing his days as a spark in the powderkeg of the Trojan lockerroom. The alumns of USC are just adding to their storied program a la O.J. Simpson. I don't understand why this is happening. Haven't the teachings of Pete Carroll guests like Snoop Dawg sunk in yet?

3. Ohio State
I don't know who is worse -- the players or the fans. I could ramble on about Maurice and Co., but that's been played out. Let's talk about the fans. They are drunk, they are obnoxious, and they are violent. When they lose football games, they burn stuff. When they win football games, they burn stuff. If they don't like you, they will crap in your cooler (if you are lucky). Bowl games do not want them because they do travel in droves, are a public disturbance and are extremely cheap. They embody everything that is wrong with college football. I'm going to open up a shop in Columbus called "Flammable Furniture" and retire in style -- somewhere other than Ohio that is.

4. Colorado
Two words -- Katie Hnida. For those that are unfamiliar, Katie Hnida was a female walk-on kicker at Colorado (yes, just like in Necessary Roughness). Alright, she wasn't that good. She missed virtually every kick she took, but still she did not deserve what the Buffaloes did to her. After one practice, the Colorado football team group raped her. She transferred to New Mexico and then told her story. In response to this, Head Coach Gary Barnett simply replied, "She was a **nt. She wasn't a good football player anyway." Meanwhile, their student section is among the worst in the country (see Ohio State). They might suck this year, but Dan Hawkins is at least cleaning the program up.

5. Michigan State
The Spartans play with some sort of tribal pride that allows their emotions to get them into sticky situations. They planted their flag at the Notre Dame 35-yard line (the Irish did not respond back). However, they brought the house on Illinois for doing the same on the "S" at Spartan Stadium. I believe this raw emotion comes directly from their fearless leader, John L. Smith. He acts like a child on the sidelines, and in the pressroom, and probably in practice. The Spartans will have a revamping like Colorado when they finally can Smith this year.

6. Virginia Tech
Vick unto Vick. Virginia Tech has a reputation among college students as a rowdy, overly playful, alcoholic Disney. But thuggery? Come on, you boys are better than that. With the departure of Marcus Vick, the Hokies fall considerably on this list, but Marcus was enough to push Virginia Tech onto the thug list. Vick is documented as having numerous felonies brought against him (I believe rape and possession of a firearm top the list), but his actions in the bowl game have left a sour taste in this writer's mouth. Give it time and Tech might move off the thug list.

7. Florida International
We placed a lot of blame on Miami, as did everyone else in the media. I want to make something clear though: Miami did not instigate that fight. Florida International started that brawl. We expect more of Miami; they are an experienced program that should have not let that escalate. However, the blame for the brawl belongs to FIU.

8. South Carolina
The Gamecocks have their history of thuggish behavior. The most recent case came in Lou Holtz's last year as the head coach, when they instigated a bench-clearing brawl with instate-rival Clemson.

I'm not sure how long this installment will last, but I will take some feedback from our readers on their experiences with thuggish behavior. You have a story -- chime in on the comments board.

Week 8 Games of Note

2006-10-16T16:06:00.000-04:00

Top Three of the Week:
No. 21 Rutgers at No. 22 Pittsburgh
Chris' Take: Pittsburgh 31, Rutgers 27
Gerry's Take: Pittsburgh over Rutgers

No. 5 Texas at No. 19 Nebraska
Chris' Take: Texas 35, Nebraska 14
Gerry's Take: Texas over Nebraska

GotW: No. 12 Georgia Tech at No. 13 Clemson
Chris' Take: Clemson 27, Georgia Tech 24
Gerry's Take: Georgia Tech over Clemson

Calling the Upset:
No. 18 Boston College at Florida State
Chris' Take: BC 35, Florida State 14
Gerry's Take: BC over Florida State

Mismatch of the Week:
Indiana at No. 1 Ohio State
Chris' Take: Ohio State 49, Indiana 10
Gerry's Take: Ohio State over Indiana

Chris' Season Record: 23-12
Gerry's Season Record: 26-9

CFBN Week 7 Poll

2006-10-16T15:14:00.000-04:00

P 1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Week 7

Po.	Team	Votes
1	Michigan (1)	49
	Ohio State(1)	49
3	Louisville	44
4	USC	43
5	Texas	41
6	West Virginia	40
7	Notre Dame	39
8	California	36
9	Auburn	33
	Tennessee	33
11	Florida	31
12	Georgia Tech	29
13	Clemson	26
14	LSU	23
15	Boise State	21
16	Arkansas	19
17	Oregon	16
18	Boston College	15
19	Nebraska	14
	Oklahoma	14
21	Rutgers	13
22	Pittsburgh	7
23	Texas A&M	5
24	Wake Forest	4
25	Wisconsin	3

Others receiving votes:
Penn State 2, BYU 1

Dropped from the rankings:
No. 16 Missouri, No. 17 Virginia Tech, No. 18 Georgia, No. 23 Iowa, No. 25 Penn State

BCS Predictions

2006-10-15T23:59:00.000-04:00

With the release of the first BCS Standings, here is my prediction for the BCS games this year:

BCS National Championship:
Ohio State (12-0) vs. West Virginia (12-0)
The rules state that the championship game will be between No. 1 and No. 2. This season, it will come down to the only two unbeatens in major conferences -- Ohio State and West Virginia. Ohio State will have taken down Michigan while West Virginia eliminated Louisville.
Prediction: Ohio State wins the national championship.

Rose Bowl:
Michigan (11-1) vs. USC (11-1)
The Rose Bowl is traditionally between the Big Ten champ and the Pac-10 champ. The Big Ten champ -- Ohio State -- will be playing in the title game, so the Rose Bowl is compensated with the first pick; they use this to take Michigan who will face off against the Pac-10 championship USC Trojans. Michigan will have one loss coming against the Buckeyes; USC will be perfect in conference, but will have a loss to Notre Dame.
Prediction: Michigan wins the Rose Bowl.

Sugar Bowl:
Florida (12-1) vs. Notre Dame (11-1)
The Sugar Bowl is hosted by the SEC conference. Therefore, Florida would represent the conference, and the Sugar Bowl committee would have the first pick among the at large teams; they will select Notre Dame. Florida will win out and beat Auburn in the SEC championship game; Notre Dame will win the rest of its schedule, including the final game against USC.
Prediction: Florida wins the Sugar Bowl.

Orange Bowl:
Clemson (11-2) vs. Auburn (11-2)
The Orange Bowl is hosted by the ACC conference. Therefore, Clemson would represent the conference, and the Orange Bowl committee would have the second pick among the at large teams; they will select Auburn. Clemson will have one more loss coming against Virginia Tech, but will win the ACC championship game. Auburn will win until the SEC championship game against Florida.
Prediction: Clemson wins the Orange Bowl.

Fiesta Bowl:
Texas (12-1) vs. Boise State (12-0)
The Fiesta Bowl is hosted by the Big XII conference. Therefore, Texas would represent the conference, and the Fiesta Bowl committee would be stuck with an automatic mid-major bid; they will have to select Boise State. Texas wins out, as does Boise State.
Prediction: Boise State wins the Fiesta Bowl.