Pryor Trims List to Two

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

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.

Ryan Mallett out at Michigan?

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.

Ramifications of Oregon, Oklahoma Losses

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

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.

Scheduling: A Disturbing Trend

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.

2007 Heisman Race

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

Florida Captures 261st Challenge Cup

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.

A Modest Proposal

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?

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

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

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.

Week 9 Games of Note

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

Congratulations Miami

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

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

BCS Predictions

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.

Peterson, Wolfe Exit Heisman Race

Saturday was a bad day for halfback Heisman hopefuls.

Adrian Peterson of Oklahoma and Garrett Wolfe of Northern Illinois performed poorly yesterday, leaving a clear two-man race for the Heisman -- Ohio State's Troy Smith and Notre Dame's Brady Quinn.

Peterson rushed for 179 yards and a pair of touchdowns, but broke his collarbone and will miss the rest of the season. Peterson is no stranger to the disabled list, with season-ending injuries both of his previous years with the Sooners. Without Peterson, Oklahoma will have difficulty advancing through its Big XII South schedule unscathed.

Wolfe exited the race due to inefficiency. Overhyped by ESPN, Wolfe carried for only 42 yards against conference foe Western Michigan. In order to stay a contender, Wolfe would have needed to step up every single weekend. A performance this poor by a player in a mid-major conference is the kiss of death to Heisman voters.

This exodus of running back talent leaves Steve Slaton (West Virginia), Mike Hart (Michigan), and Ian Johnson (Boise State) as the top backs in the country. But in all fairness, 2006 is now officially the year of the quarterback. Good luck to Troy and Brady on their campaigns.

Week 7 Games of Note

Top Three of the Week:
No. 24 Rutgers at Navy
Chris' Take: Rutgers 35, Navy 17
Gerry's Take: Navy over Rutgers

No. 1 Michigan at No. 25 Penn State
Chris' Take: Michigan 42, Penn State 24
Gerry's Take: Michigan over Penn State

GotW: No. 3 Florida at No. 11 Auburn
Chris' Take: Florida 27, Auburn 21
Gerry's Take: Florida over Auburn

Calling the Upset:
Wake Forest at N.C. State
Chris' Take: N.C. State 24, Wake Forest 14
Gerry's Take: Wake Forest over N.C. State

Mismatch of the Week:
Florida International at Miami
Chris' Take: Miami 55, FIU 14
Gerry's Take: Miami over FIU

Chris' Season Record: 20-10
Gerry's Season Record: 23-7

The Football Gods Conspire

I am not here to say that I believe this is going to happen ... simply that it is an awkward link of coincidences ...

Last year, Michigan and Penn State faced off in the Big House. Penn State was undefeated, with rumors that Joe Paterno should leave the program starting to finally subside. After all, Paterno's Nittany Lions had a stretch of substandard years as of late. Nonetheless, Penn State was back on top of college football with talk of a national championship floating from every corner of Happy Valley.

In Ann Arbor, that all changed. It was one of the most dramatic games in the 2005 college football season; Penn State was up late in the fourth quarter. This would be the last barrier between the Nittany Lions and a title game. Enter Mario Manningham -- a relatively unknown receiver for the Wolverines, who scored with seconds remaining on the clock to beat Penn State and salvage Michigan.

Now we turn to 2006. Michigan is undefeated, with rumors that Lloyd Carr should leave the program starting to finally subside. After all, Carr's Wolverines had a stretch of substandard years as of late. Nonetheless, Michigan is back on top of college football with talk of a national championship floating from every corner of Ann Arbor. However, Michigan will have to face Penn State without last year's difference maker -- Mario Manningham. Perhaps, this will be the game that changes the landscape of the 2006 season.

Michigan and Penn State will play on Saturday at 8 p.m. on ABC. Will history repeat itself?

Week 6 Games of Note

Top Three of the Week:
No. 11 Oregon at No. 17 California
Chris' Take: Oregon 35, California 17
Gerry's Take: Oregon 28, California 21

No. 13 Tennessee at No. 12 Georgia
Chris' Take: Tennessee 42, Georgia 24
Gerry's Take: Tennessee 27, Georgia 23

GotW: No. 9 LSU at No. 6 Florida
Chris' Take: LSU 24, Florida 21
Gerry's Take: LSU 21, Florida 17

Calling the Upset:
No. 7 Texas at No. 16 Oklahoma
Chris' Take: Oklahoma 27, Texas 24
Gerry's Take: Texas 28, Oklahoma 14

Mismatch of the Week:
Bowling Green at No. 1 Ohio State
Chris' Take: Ohio State 45, Bowling Green 12
Gerry's Take: Ohio State 41, Bowling Green 10

Chris' Season Record: 18-7
Gerry's Season Record: 20-5