College Bowl Game Predictions

Its almost that time of year again! I'm sure we have all done our yearly "I hate the BCS" complaints to neighbors and friends and probably mentioned that a playoff system would be better to our co-workers. But the time to watch college football once again is fast approaching so lets take a look at whats coming up:

BCS Bowl Games:

National Championship-LSU vs. OSU
Once both Mizzou and WV lost their season finales, Ohio St. was declared a lock to be in the championship game. But does anyone think they will win? I don't. It almost seems to be a repeat of last year- OSU is a lock for the championship and a controversial SEC team gets in to face them. In last years championship, Florida blew OSU off the field. While I'm not sure it will be as bad as last years game, I do expect LSU to win handily. LSU has a defense that is recovering from some nagging injuries, and when healthy is most likely the best D in the nation. I do not think they will have trouble stopping a mediocre Buckeye offense. The other factor that plays a big role is LSU's quaterbacks. LSU has a two-man system with Matt Flynn and Ryan Perrilloux. Flynn is more of a pocket passer while Perrilloux is more of the athletic-running type. OSU's only loss of the season came against Illinois and their athletic QB Juice Williams who exploited the OSU defense. Perrilloux has a very similar style to Williams and I would expect LSU to study what Illinois did and use Perrilloux a lot in the game.

Final Prediction-LSU 38 OSU 17

Fiesta Bowl-West Virginia vs Oklahoma
This matchup sparks alot of interest between two of the bigger names in college football and pre-season favorites. For me, I think this will be a great test not only for WV, but for the Big East as a conference. The Big East has been widely regarded as a weak conference, but a win for WV against powerhouse Oklahoma would undoubtedly give some respect to the Big East. WV has been bi-polar this season. At times they can put up 40-50 points and totally dominate, or turn the ball over alot and look very sloppy. Oklahoma has beaten Missouri twice and also beat Texas, but inexplicably lost to two very mediocre teams in Texas Tech and Colorado. Oklahoma looked very good though in the Big 12 championship against West Virginia. My opinion is that the Big East is a weak conference, WV has played weak competition, and they will not be able to keep up with Oklahoma.

Final Prediction-OK 34 WV 24

Rose Bowl-Illinois vs. USC

Now I like Illinois and what they've done to bring their football program back from the dead, but I don't like this matchup. Sure they beat OSU, but I don't see them hanging with USC in this one. John David Booty is now healthy and had the Trojans rolling at the end of the season. I don't see Illinois' defense being able to even touch the USC offense.

Final Prediction-USC 48 Illini-21

Orange Bowl- Kansas vs. Virginia Tech

I can't recall there ever being a more un-interesting BCS bowl game. Kansas played a very weak schedule that avoided them playing Texas and Oklahoma. We all saw that Kansas just wasn't as good as Missouri when they played in the season finale. Now Kansas is a decent team, but they should not have gotten a BCS bid over Missouri. Virginia Tech started out their season getting wiped off the field against LSU 49-7, but then lost only once more the rest of the season. The question is, did they really get that much better, or was their ACC schedule just that inferior to that of a SEC schedule? IMO, these are two teams that are overrated and I really could care less what happens. Hopefully it is an even matchup however and is a good game

Final Crapshoot- Kansas 28 Virginia Tech 27

Sugar Bowl- Georgia vs. Hawaii

This one should be interesting, everyone wants to see how legit Colt Brennan and Hawaii is after going undefeated but playing the weakest schedule possible. I give Hawaii credit, they wanted to play a big-time out of conference schedule, but no one wanted to play them. After last year's incredible Boise St. upset of Oklahoma, could Hawaii do the same to Georgia? Not likely in my opinion. Hawaii has had some close calls against some pretty weak teams (Louisiana Tech game comes to mind) and struggled against the only power conference team they played-Washington. Georgia, led by their Freshman phenom running back Knowshon Moreno, was the hottest team in the country the last half of the season, when they won 6 straight that included wins over Florida, Auburn, Kentucky, and mid-major power Troy. I think Georgia will be Hawaii's first and only loss this season, but it will be a big one. I see Georgia running through the holes of that Hawaii Swiss Cheese Defense and putting a hurt on Colt Brennan and the Rainbows.

Final Prediction- Georgia 55 Hawaii 21

Hate the BCS? We Created a Playoff!!

Most College Football fans hate the BCS and how they try to determine the top two teams in the country. The BCS sometimes lucks out and gets the top 2 teams right, but that is mainly because the season was full of dominating teams or there just happens to be 2 undefeated teams. Fans have been screaming for a playoff, but it is most likely never going to happen. With that in mind, some rabid college football fans and I decided to make that playoff a reality. We created an eight team playoff with the 6 BCS conferences getting automatic bids, with the remaining 2 at-large bids going to the next two highest ranked teams. We used the team ranks that we had come up with after the final week and had the games played in the major bowls that happen on January 1st and in the BCS. The higher seeded team got to play in a bowl that was closer to home. Here is how the seeding ended up:

(1) LSU v. (8) Missouri --- Capital One Bowl

(4) USC v. (5 ) Virgina Tech -- Rose Bowl

(3) OSU v. (6) West Virginia -- Gator Bowl

(2) Oklahoma v. (7) Georgia -- Cotton Bowl

The voting is going on here. So far LSU, USC, and Oklahoma have commanding leads. OSU and WVU are tied at the moment. The voting ends this Wednesday at 11:59 PM and we will move into the final four. If you want your vote counted then go to the cafe and vote!! All results will be posted here with a write up.

My Votes:

LSU
USC
WVU
Oklahoma

UPDATE and FORMAT CHANGE!!!!!

This is my first post in a week due to the fact that I just got a new job working in the legal field and my time has become a bit more limited. I will be posting more as I figure out how to manage my time a bit more efficiently, which will be very soon. As far as the format change. As I said in a previous post I am now a part of the crew at The Stat Pack. With being a part of that and still keeping up here I have decided to post all my baseball content over at The Stat Pack as well as some of the Football articles that I write here. This Blog is now going to focus solely on Football, but it will expand the content in that area. I have some help coming aboard that will increase the posts and knowledge of the blog. We are going to delve into all College and Pro Football, no matter the team or conference. I will obviously still be posting more about USF, Florida,FSU, and the Bucs than any other team, but we will not focus solely on them. I hope you enjoy the format change and to keep up with my baseball takes, just head over to The Stat Pack.

Final College Football Rankings

The BCS uses all sorts of formulas with computers and people rankings as well. Many people think the BCS is wrong and also believe that the voters do not get it right. With this in mind I have got together knowledgeable football fans from across the country with representation of each conference in the polls. The fans come from members of the Fantasy Football Cafe College Sports Forum. These fans watch more football than most of the voters and are extremely knowledgeable. They are allowed to vote however they want, just like if they were a Harris or AP voter. Some vote based on based performance, some on future, some on a combination of those, while others vote based on which team would win on a neutral field. They send me their top 35 and I calculate it to come up with the top 25 and we compare it to the BCS. I have included the averages for the top teams to show just how close they are packed together. Here is the final BCS standings and than our final standings:

BCS

1. Ohio State 11-1
2. LSU 11-2
3. Virginia Tech 11-2
4. Oklahoma 11-2
5. Georgia 10-2
6. Missouri 11-2
7. USC 10-2
8. Kansas 11-1
9. West Virginia 10-2
10. Hawaii 12-0
11. Arizona State 10-2
12. Florida 9-3
13. Illinois 9-3
14. Boston College 10-3
15. Clemson 9-3
16. Tennessee 9-4
17. BYU 10-2
18. Wisconsin 9-3
19. Texas 9-3
20. Virginia 9-3
21. South Florida 9-3
22. Cincinnati 9-3
23. Auburn 8-4
24. Boise State 10-2
25. UConn 9-3

Rankings

1. LSU 1.7 (6)
2. Oklahoma 3.1
3. Ohio State 3.5 (2)
4. Georgia 3.6 (1)
5. USC 5 (1)
6. Missouri
7. Virginia Tech
8. Kansas
9. Florida
10. West Virginia
11. Arizona State
12. Illinois
13.Clemson
14.Boston College
15. Tennessee
16. Auburn
17. Hawaii
18. Texas
19. Wisconsin
20. Cincinnati
21. Virginia
22. USF
23. Texas Tech
24. BYU
25. Arkansas

Obviously the major difference in the rankings is the top 2 teams. Both rankings include LSU, but the fans think it should be Oklahoma playing against LSU and not Ohio State. Just to remind everyone, these fans are representative of every conference across the country so there is no SEC or other conference bias. OSU has played a soft schedule and the only team they played with a decent offense, Illinois, beat them. Oklahoma beat the number 1 team last week for the second time this year and there second loss came when their starting quarterback was out. I think Oklahoma v. LSU would be a better game and would be the right matchup.

The other major difference that would have an effect is Hawaii. They did not make the top 16 in the fan poll, which means they do not get the at large bid to a BCS bowl game. That would allow one of the other conferences that does have 2 teams in it already to get another team in, which in this case most likely would have been Missouri, who got shafted in the real BCS bowl games.

College Football Rankings Week 7

The BCS uses all sorts of formulas with computers and people rankings as well. Many people think the BCS is wrong and also believe that the voters do not get it right. With this in mind I have got together knowledgeable football fans from across the country with representation of each conference in the polls. The fans come from members of the Fantasy Football Cafe College Sports Forum. These fans watch more football than most of the voters and are extremely knowledgeable. They are allowed to vote however they want, just like if they were a Harris or AP voter. Some vote based on based performance, some on future, some on a combination of those, while others vote based on which team would win on a neutral field. They send me their top 35 and I calculate it to come up with the top 25 and we compare it to the BCS. I have included the averages for the top teams to show just how close they are packed together. Here is the BCS week 7 and our Week 7:

BCS

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

Rankings
1. Missouri (4) 2.75
2. WVU (2) 2.88
3. Georgia 4.13
4. LSU (2) 4.37
5. Ohio State 5.25
6. USC
7. Oklahoma
8. Florida
9. Kansas
10. Virginia Tech
11. Arizona State
12. Boston College
13. Tennessee
14. Illinois
15. Clemson
16. Auburn
17. Hawaii
18. Texas
19. Cincinnati
20. Oregon
21. Virginia
22. Wisconsin
23. Texas Tech
24. USF
25. Arkansas

As you can see the top two teams are the same, which makes sense in my mind. Those two should be the top two in this case, but I don't believe they are the best two teams in the country right now. A big difference in the rankings that would effect teams trying to get into that BCS title game is the case for the 3-5 teams. The BCS has OSU at 3 and all the OSU fans are just waiting for one of the top two to fall so they can jump in. In our rankings UGA and LSU are ahead and OSU most likely would not jump them because their season is already over. Strength of schedule seems to have come into play here and the teams that played the tougher schedule are getting the benefit of the doubt over a one loss OSU team that did not play a very tough schedule. Also, Hawaii is not in the top 16 and thus would not be headed to a BCS bowl game like they would in the BCS standings. I think this is how it should be because Hawaii is dead last in SOS in all of the NCAA. Hawaii has played no one all year and at times struggled against terrible opponents.

Gator Transfer Looking at USF?

Lost in the transfer of Jarred Fayson was that former Jefferson stand out Tight End, Trent Pupello, was also granted a release from his scholarship. Pupello was a two way star at Jefferson and a four star recruit coming out of high school. Pupello was not used much in his two seasons at Florida and with the emergence of Cornelius Ingram and Aaron Hernandez at TE he knew he was the odd man out.

Unlike Fayson, Pupello was not restricted in the schools he could transfer to and he has said he is looking at USF. Pupello grew up in the Tampa Bay area and his family still lives here and when you combine that with the fact that USF is an up and coming program in need of someone to catch the ball it makes perfect sense for him to come to USF.

Pupello would be a great fit in the USF offense and would give Matt Groethe a dependable target that he could go to not only in the red zone, but all over the field. Pupello has played on special teams at Florida and also some on defense, but he wants to get back to tight end and making plays. The Gators do not need him on offense and USF would be a great place for him to land to showcase his abilities.

Heisman Top 5 -- Week 14

My disclaimer as always: The Heisman trophy is given to the best player in the country and that is how I look at the award. The best player may not be on the best team in the country. There are many things that go into being the best player including stats, leadership, and what you mean to your team. Here is my Top 5 this week:

Tim Tebow - Quarterback - Florida
Stats - 12 Games 177.9 Rating 68.5 % 3,132 Yards 29 TD 6 INT 838 Rush Yards 22 TD
Last Week: 19-28 262 Yards 3 TD 89 Yards Rushing 2 TD
Tebow had another dominating effort last week against the Seminoles. Tebow has the award won in my mind no matter what any other player does in the coming week. Tebow has shown that not only does he have the talent and statistics to win the award, but also the fact that he never had a bad game all season. Tebow was in the spotlight and teams knew that he was going to be the Gator offense all season, yet he was able to compile unheard of statistics in the toughest conference in the season. It does not matter that he is a Sophomore or that the Gators have 3 losses, he is the best player in college football this season.

Dennis Dixon - Quarterback - Oregon
Stats: 10 Games 161.2 Rating 67.7% Passing 2,136 Yards 20 TD 4 INT 583 Rush Yards 9 TD
Last Week: DNP Injured for Season
Dixon?? Isn't he done for the year? Dixon is done for the year and I said last week that I took him out for a healthy player, but the fact remains that this is where he belongs. The Oregon v. UCLA game illustrated exactly how important Dixon was to the Ducks. As I was told, "The Ducks went from a National Champion Contender, to being shut out by UCLA," all due to the fact that they lost Dixon. Dixon was not only the Duck offense, but also the heart and soul of the entire team. Dixon's stats were great before he was injured and he may be the most important player to his team in the country. The only person who belongs in the talk with Tebow is Dixon.

Pat White - Quarterback - West Virginia
Stats: 11 Games 153.2 Rating 69% 1,498 12 TD 4 INT 1,144 Rush Yards 14 TD
Last Week: 9-13 107 Yards 1 TD 1 INT 186 Rush Yards 2 TD
White and the Mountaineers are set up to play for the National Championship after demolishing UConn last week. White is more of a runner than Tebow and Dixon and less of a passer, but his importance to the team is about the same. WVU has only lost one time this season and that was when White was out for most of the game against USF. WVU loves to run the ball and Steve Slaton is a great weapon, but if they were to lose him they could still win, but if White misses a game the Mountaineers are done. White is a great athlete and has his team in line for a National Championship, but as great as he is, he is still behind Dixon and Tebow.

Chase Daniel - Quarterback - Missouri
Stats: 12 Games 155.9 Rating 70.5 % 3,951 Yards 33 TD 9 INT 258 Rush Yards 3 TD
Last Week: 40-49 361 Yards 3 TD
Daniel had a great game against Kansas last week and has Missouri in line for a shot at the National Championship if he can get them past Oklahoma this week. He struggled last time they played Oklahoma, which is there only loss on the season, and this game will be tough for them once again. Daniel is a great quarterback and has good numbers, but he has not played the same tough schedule as some of the above players. Daniel is a great story and what he is doing for Missouri is great, but he is not the best player in college football.

Darren McFadden - Running Back - Arkansas
Stats: 12 G 1,725 Rush Yards 15 TD 6-11 Passing 4 TD 164 Receiving Yards 1 TD
Last Week: 32 Rush 206 Yards 3 TD 3-6 Passing 34 Yards 1 TD
Face it, the guy is the most talented player in college football. He has scored a touchdown by running, passing, and receiving. The Wild Cat formation that the Razorbacks run contribute to some of his success and the fact that he has Felix Jones on the field with him at times definitely help him at times, but this guy still does it all. Everyone on defense knows that McFadden is the guy to stop if you want to beat Arkansas, but he still manages to get his stats. The problem with McFadden is that he went missing for a couple games this season and Heisman winners do not do that. His numbers against similar opponents to Tebow's are not even close with Tebow having much better numbers. McFadden should be the number 1 pick overall in the draft, but that is not what the Heisman is supposed to measure.

College Football Rankings Week 6

The BCS uses all sorts of formulas with computers and people rankings as well. Many people think the BCS is wrong and also believe that the voters do not get it right. With this in mind I have got together knowledgeable football fans from across the country with representation of each conference in the polls. The fans come from members of the Fantasy Football Cafe College Sports Forum. These fans watch more football than most of the voters and are extremely knowledgeable. They are allowed to vote however they want, just like if they were a Harris or AP voter. Some vote based on based performance, some on future, some on a combination of those, while others vote based on which team would win on a neutral field. They send me their top 35 and I calculate it to come up with the top 25 and we compare it to the BCS. I have included the averages for the top teams to show just how close they are packed together. To me it looks like you can interchange the 2-4 spots. Here is the BCS week 6 and our Week 6:
BCS

1. LSU 10-1
2. Kansas 11-0
3. West Virginia 9-1
4. Missouri 10-1
5. Ohio State 11-1
6. Arizona State 9-1
7. Georgia 9-2
8. Virginia Tech 9-2
9. Oregon 8-2
10. Oklahoma 9-2
11. USC 8-2
12. Florida 8-3
13. Texas 9-2
14. Boston College 9-2
15. Hawaii 10-0
16. Virginia 9-2
17. Illinois 9-3
18. Tennessee 8-3
19. Boise State 10-1
20. Connecticut 9-2
21. Wisconsin 9-3
22. Clemson 8-3
23. South Florida 8-3
24. Cincinnati 8-3
25. BYU 8-2

Rankings

1. LSU (9) 1.1
2. Kansas (1) 4.2
3. WVU 4.6
4. Missouri 4.7
5. Georgia 5.1
6. Ohio State 5.4
7. Arizona State
8. Oklahoma
9. USC
10. Virginia Tech
11. Florida
12. Oregon
13. Texas
14. Boston College
15. Virginia
16. Illinois
17. Tennessee
18. Wisconsin
19. Clemson
20. Uconn
21. Auburn
22. Hawaii
23. Boise State
24. Cincinnati
25. USF

Again the top four are the same as the BCS, but the difference is how close they are in this cote than in the BCS. The difference between Missouri and Kansas is a lot further in the BCS than in our rankings. The Kansas and Missouri game will put an end to that and I think if Missouri wins they will jump WVU. Georgia is higher in our rankings than in the BCS and I think that is due to the fact that the voters in our poll take SOS into account while they are determining the selection. Once again Hawaii is much lower than the BCS. I can tell you that many left them very far down on there list or off of it all together. In my opinion it will all be a moot point after this weekend because I believe Boise State will beat Hawaii.

College Football Rankings Week 5

The BCS uses all sorts of formulas with computers and people rankings as well. Many people think the BCS is wrong and also believe that the voters do not get it right. With this in mind I have got together knowledgeable football fans from across the country with representation of each conference in the polls. The fans come from members of the Fantasy Football Cafe College Sports Forum. These fans watch more football than most of the voters and are extremely knowledgeable. They are allowed to vote however they want, just like if they were a Harris or AP voter. Some vote based on based performance, some on future, some on a combination of those, while others vote based on which team would win on a neutral field. They send me their top 35 and I calculate it to come up with the top 25 and we compare it to the BCS. Here is the BCS week 5 and our Week 5:

BCS

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

Rankings

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

This is by far the closest the rankings have been to the BCS this season. With the more games being played the rankings have become a little more a like because the basics seem to be obvious, but there are some minor differences that would be important to the Bowls and National Championship. The difference between Kansas and Oregon in the BCS is not very much and many believe if Kansas wins out they will definitely jump Oregon in the BCS, while that may not happen in these rankings. Kansas does have it's biggest tests coming up and if they can go undefeated I think they will be number 2 in the country.

The other major thing with Bowl implications is Hawaii and Boise States rank. To get into a BCS bowl the Hawaii or BSU would need to get into the top 12 or in the top 16 and is ahead of one of the BCS conference champions. The BCS rankings would most likely have Hawaii in a BCS game if they win out, but by these rankings Hawaii would not see a BCS bowl game. I personally would love to see Hawaii in a bowl game because they would get run off the field by these other teams and it would put in end to their complaining about getting no respect.

Heisman Top 5 -- Week 12

My disclaimer as always: The Heisman trophy is given to the best player in the country and that is how I look at the award. The best player may not be on the best team in the country. There are many things that go into being the best player including stats, leadership, and what you mean to your team. Here is my Top 5 starting this week:

Tim Tebow - Quarterback - Florida
Stats - 10 Games 177.1 Rating 67.8 % 2,532 Yards 23 TD 5 INT 718 Rush Yards 19 TD
Last Week: 22-32 304 Yards 2 TD 1 INT 120 Yards Rushing 5 TD
The Gators were without their star wide receiver Percy Harvin for the game which meant they had to lean on Tebow, and he responded. Tebow was the offense against South Carolina and dispelled any rumors that he is not the most important person on that team. Harvin can take a lot of pressure off of Tebow, but he showed in the South Carolina game that he can take the team on his back when he needs to. He has some of the best talent on the field and should be the Heisman front runner right now.

Dennis Dixon - Quarterback - Oregon
Stats: 9 Games 163.1 Rating 67.9% Passing 2,074 Yards 20 TD 3 INT 549 Rush Yards 8 TD
Last Week: IDLE
Dixon got a break this week and got a chance to rest up his ankle so that he can be healthy for a run at the National Championship game. Oregon has a Thursday night game against Arizona coming up and if he goes off like he is capable of on Thursday it will help his Heisman hopes. I think that Dixon will win it because he is a senior and they will be in the National Championship game in my opinion, but I still believe Tebow is the better talent and should get the award.

Mike Hart - Running Back - Michigan
Stats: 8 Games 215 carries 1,188 yards 12 TD
Last Week: DNP Injured
Why is he still here? The game against Wisconsin showed exactly why Hart should still be in the Heisman talk. Had Hart played in the game against Wisconsin than Michigan wins that game in my opinion and are undefeated in the Big 10. No one on the Wolverine team could get anything going on the ground and without a ground game the Wolverines were forced to rely on freshman Quarterback Ryan Mallet to try and win the game through the air. Hart is a great talent and when healthy is one of the best players in the country. His numbers are not what they would be if he was healthy, but without him the Wolverines have no shot against OSU.

Chase Daniel - Quarterback - Missouri
Stats: 10 Games 154.7 Rating 69.4 % 3,306 Yards 26 TD 9 INT 279 Rush Yards 4 TD
Last Week: 27-35 352 Yards 3 TD
Daniel carried Missouri against TAMU over the weekend. He has the Tigers set up for a hug game against Kansas for the Big 12 North Title and a rematch against Oklahoma, who gave them their only loss. Daniel has great athleticism and has a knack to be able to keep his team in any game and dominate the competition that he needs to. If they can beat Kansas and Oklahoma he may vault up this board even more.

Pat White - Quarterback - West Virginia
Stats: 9 Games 157.7 Rating 69% 1,251 11 TD 2 INT 803 Rush Yards 10 TD
Last Week: 16-25 181 Yards 2 TDS 147 Rush Yards 1 TD
White dominated the Louisville Cardinals on Thursday night and won the game for the Mountaineers to make sure that the Big East championship has to go through Morgantown. The Mountaineers should be undefeated and lost to USF without Pat White. While White does have Slaton and Devine on that team, it has been shown that they can win without Slaton, but can't win without White. White is one of the most talented athletes in the country and while he won't be a quarterback in the NFL, he is a great QB in college and has come into his own this year as a passer.

College Football Rankings Week 4

The BCS uses all sorts of formulas with computers and people rankings as well. Many people think the BCS is wrong and also believe that the voters do not get it right. With this in mind I have got together knowledgeable football fans from across the country with representation of each conference in the polls. The fans come from members of the Fantasy Football Cafe College Sports Forum. These fans watch more football than most of the voters and are extremely knowledgeable. They are allowed to vote however they want, just like if they were a Harris or AP voter. Some vote based on based performance, some on future, some on a combination of those, while others vote based on which team would win on a neutral field. They send me their top 35 and I calculate it to come up with the top 25 and we compare it to the BCS. Here is the BCS week 4 and our Week 4:

BCS

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

Rankings

1. LSU (6)
2. Ohio State (2)
3. Oregon
4. Oklahoma
5. West Virginia
6. Kansas
7. Missouri
8. Georgia
9. Arizona State
10. Virginia Tech
11. Michigan
11. USC
11. Auburn
14. Boston College
15. Florida
16. Texas
17. UConn
18. Clemson
19. Alabama
20. Virginia
21. Hawaii
22. Boise State
23. Tennessee
23. California
25. Kentucky

This is the new rankings that have come out this week. They look a little more like the BCS rankings than last week and the week before. It does look like maybe in the end the polls will be close together, unless one of the top teams falls and others falter. The big differences are obviously who the number one team in the country is. Again the thing you will notice is that just because OSU has no losses does not mean that people are voting them number 1 overall. The other main differences are USC, UConn, Hawaii, and Auburn. The USC difference does surprise me because the media normally has them higher than most fans I know, but in this case it seems that people think the Pac 10 is not what it really is. UConn and Hawaii being lower do not surprise me at all. Hawaii has not played anyone and if you look at their schedule and Troy's schedule the only reason Hawaii is undefeated and Troy is not is because Troy took it upon itself to play 3 SEC schools while Hawaii plays no one. UConn has its toughest games ahead of it and could move itself up the ranks.

Heisman Top 5 -- Week 11

My disclaimer as always: The Heisman trophy is given to the best player in the country and that is how I look at the award. The best player may not be on the best team in the country. There are many things that go into being the best player including stats, leadership, and what you mean to your team. Here is my Top 5 starting this week:

Tim Tebow - Quarterback - Florida
Stats - 9 Games 179.5 Rating 67.7 % 2,228 Yards 21 TD 4 INT 598 Rush Yards 14 TD
Last Week: 22-27 281 Yards 3 TD 1 INT 35 Yards Rushing 2 TD
Tebow had another great game last week against a good defense in Vanderbilt. Vanderbilt was leading the SEC in sacks and interceptions and had a top 15 defense in the country going into the game and they were carved apart by Tebow. Tebow showed that he does not have to run to be an effective quarterback and that he is a great passing quarterback as well. He led the Gator offense down the field for scores in almost every drive, and may have had another touchdown if not for a bad snap. He is a sophomore and the Gators have three loses, but he has yet to have a bad game this season.

Dennis Dixon - Quarterback - Oregon
Stats: 9 Games 163.1 Rating 67.9% Passing 2,074 Yards 20 TD 3 INT 549 Rush Yards 8 TD
Last Week: 13-22 189 Yards 4 TD 57 Yards Rushing
Dixon started the game against ASU on fire and was pretty much unstoppable. Dixon moved the ball easily down the field and had his team up 21-3 real quick. Dixon has great vision as a runner and a thrower and is a great athlete. His numbers last week against ASU could have been better, but he left the game with an injury. Dixon has had only one poor game this season and that was in the loss to CAL. The Ducks have a great shot to make the BCS title game and that is because of how well Dixon has been playing.

Mike Hart - Running Back - Michigan
Stats: 8 Games 215 carries 1,188 yards 12 TD
Last Week: 15 Carries 110 Yards
Hart finally played this week against MSU and had a great game. You could see that Hart had to fight through his injury all game, much like he has this entire season. The guy has more hart and determination than anyone on the field playing against him. The guy just wants the yards more than anyone else on that field and his leadership is unmatched. If he was healthy I think he would be a top of this list. If he continues to go out and play and Michigan wins the Big 10, he will win this trophy.

Chase Daniel - Quarterback - Missouri
Stats: 9 Games 151.4 Rating 68.6 % 2,954 Yards 23 TD 4 INT 233 Rush Yards 3 TD
Last Week: 26-44 421 Yards 5 TD 1 INT 24 Rush Yards
Daniel continued his great play last week against Colorado. He has gone unnoticed by many people across the country because he plays at Missouri and not a more well known team. Daniel has taken this team on his back and led them to an 8-1 record and has them in position to win not only the Big 12 North, but the whole Big 12. He has only had one bad game this season and that was against Oklahoma. The competition that he has played has not been the greatest, but he has not faltered in those games that he needed to put up those numbers. He is a great athlete, leader, and without him Missouri would not even be close to this record.

Darren McFadden - Running Back - Arkansas
Stats: 222 carries 1,314 Yards 12 TD Passing: 2-3 65 Yards 2 TD
Last Week: 35 carries 323 yards 1 TD Passing 1-1 23 yards 1 TD
McFadden is one of the most talented players in college football, and he showed that in an explosion last week against South Carolina. Arkansas asks him to be Mr. Everything for them on their team. McFadden is a great runner and has the power and speed that you look for in a great back. He has great vision and sees the field very well. His vision also helps him when the Razorbacks run the Wildcat formation in which he is the "quarterback". Felix Jones takes away from some of his stats and has an effect on how you look at his importance to the team.

USF/Cincy Gameday Thread

Big Game in the Big East today for USF. Their slim Big East title hopes can only stay alive with a win in this game. They cannot turn the ball over against this great Cincy defense, or they will lose this game.

Comments posted throughout the game here.

Preview of USF v. Cincy

Two weeks ago this match up was supposed to decide not only the Big East, but also maybe shape the national championship picture. USF was the number 2 team in the country and both Cincinnati and USF were undefeated. Since then both teams have lost two straight games in conference and are now hoping to stay alive. Cincinnati is in better shape in the Big East because they have not played UConn or WVU, the two teams in front of these teams in the Big East. This game means a lot to both of these teams, and should be a great game.

Many of the USF fans have jumped off the bandwagon, so it will be interesting to see how many people show up to the game. The past two home games have had students lining up for days in advance, but none of that has happened with this game. I expected some fans to jump off, but it seems more than I thought have left. Bulls fans need to come out and get this team fired up. The Bulls have had two straight rough road games and they need the home crowd to help them get back what they have lost and get them fired up to play. Cincinnati is a tough team and will be a tough match up for the Bulls.

The Bulls are hurting, especially on offense and against a tough Bearcat defense, it could mean big trouble. USF is still without their best offensive tackle Walt Walker, which has caused them problems already trying to protect Matt Groethe. The Bulls are also going to be without their top two wide receivers with Amarri Jackson and Taurus Johnson out with injuries. The Bulls wide outs have not been good all year and the loss of their two best ones are going to hurt, especially against the Bearcat secondary. Also, the Bulls may be without running back Mike Ford who left the UConn game. Ford has been the Bulls best back behind Matt Groethe and if he cannot play it will put even more pressure on Groethe to carry the team. Groethe has been great running the ball, but has made mistakes throwing the ball if teams can keep him in the pocket. Cincinnati has been great all year at not only forcing turnovers, but making the most of those turnovers. If they keep Groethe in the pocket, he will make mistakes, and the Bearcats will take advantage.

The Bull defense has been good all season long, with its only real bad game coming against Rutgers and power runner Ray Rice. The Bearcats do not have the power type runner like Ray Rice and their offense really fuels off of turnovers. Quarterback Ben Mauck has been pretty good on the year with 15 touchdowns and 5 interceptions. The Bulls will need to get to Mauck and make him uncomfortable in the pocket. To do this the USF will need George Sealvie to return to early season form and get some sacks and pressures on the quarterback. This is not a high powered offense, like WVU, but they are good enough to win and if the Bulls do not get pressure they will find themselves in a bad spot.

The key in this game will be turnovers. Neither of these teams has a great offense, but both have great defenses. Whoever wins the turnover battle will win this game and the Bearcats seem to be better at getting the turnovers. Expect Cincinnati to keep Groethe in the pocket and make him try to beat them through the air. If Cincy is successful at that they will win the game because they will have at least two interceptions. This is an important game in the Big East and the Bulls will be fired up, but I think Cincy takes this game.

Prediction: Cincy 24 USF 20

College Rankings Week 3

The BCS uses all sorts of formulas with computers and people rankings as well. Many people think the BCS is wrong and also believe that the voters do not get it right. With this in mind I have got together knowledgeable football fans from across the country with representation of each conference in the polls. The fans come from members of the Fantasy Football Cafe College Sports Forum. These fans watch more football than most of the voters and are extremely knowledgeable. They are allowed to vote however they want, just like if they were a Harris or AP voter. Some vote based on based performance, some on future, some on a combination of those, while others vote based on which team would win on a neutral field. They send me their top 35 and I calculate it to come up with the top 25 and we compare it to the BCS. Here is the BCS week 3 and our Week 3:

BCS

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

Cafe Rankings


1. LSU (7)
2. OSU (2)
3. Oregon
4. Oklahoma
5. ASU
6. WVU
7. Missouri
8. UGA
9. BC (1)
10. Kansas
11. USC
12. VT
13. Auburn
14. Michigan
15. UF
16. Alabama
17. Texas
18. Uconn
19. USF
20. Clemson
21. South Carolina
22. Wisconsin
23. Tennessee
24. Wake
25. Hawaii

Some of the differences you will notice is that just because you are undefeated does not mean that they were ranked above other teams. The voters also took the strength of the schedule in mind in their rankings in my opinion. One of the voters who is an Ohio State fan did not rank them number 1, but had LSU number 1 because in his mind OSU has not done enough thus far to warrant it. In my opinion, BC is much further down in the rankings and that has to do with the fact that BC has played no one all season and should have lost to Virginia Tech last week. I have some difference of opinion in the rankings, but I like them better than the BCS. Thoughts???

Heisman Top 5 -- Week 10

My disclaimer as always: The Heisman trophy is given to the best player in the country and that is how I look at the award. The best player may not, and usually is not, on the best team in the country. Team does effect how a player is ranked, but just because that team is not in the top 5 does not mean they are not deserving. Here is my Top 5 starting this week:

Tim Tebow - Quarterback - Florida
Stats: 8 Games 176.5 Rating 65.8 % Passing 243.4 Y/G 18 TD 3 INT 125 Rush 563 Yards 12TD
Last Week: 14-22 236 Yards 1 TD 13 Rush -15 Yards 2 TD
The Gators lost to Georgia over the weekend and it was apparent that Tebow was not himself. Struggling with a bad shoulder, Tebow played as best he could, but was without his running ability most of the game. While the Gators lost because the defense was not good enough, they also lost in part because of no running game, which is usually made up of Tim Tebow. He is the most important player to his team in the country and has some of the most impressive stats.

Mike Hart - Running Back - Michigan
Stats: 8 Games 200 carries 1,078 yards 12 TD's
Last Week: Did not Play with injury.

Dennis Dixon - Quarterback - Oregon
Stats: 8 Games 160.3 Rating 68.8% Passing 235.6 Y/G 16 TD 3 INT 499 Rush Yards 8 TD
Last Week: 16-25 157 Yards 17 Rush 76 Yards 1 TD
Dixon did not have a spectacular game last weekend against USC, but he did what he needed to win the game. Dixon has led the Ducks to heights they have not seen and have them on the verge of being a national championship contender. This week is a huge showdown with ASU for control of the Pac-10. A good showing in that game may move him higher in the rankings. Dixon does not make mistakes and has the ability to make plays when there are none to be made.

Matt Ryan - Quarterback - Boston College
Stats: 8 Games 131.5 Rating 63.2% Passing 304.1 Y/G 19 TD 8 INT 1 Rush TD
Last Week: 25-52 285 2 TD 2 INT
Many people talked about Matt Ryan as the leading candidate after the game against Virginia Tech on Thursday night because he brought them back in the end. While Ryan did win the game in the end, he was owned by the VT defense all game and looked terrible for most of the game. His yards and numbers came when VT went into a prevent shell and were not trying to put pressure on him towards the end. While some thought it was a gutsy performance, I saw a guy that was dominated by a defense for almost a whole game and exploded when they gave him space.

Andre Woodson - Quarterback - Kentucky
Stats: 9 Games 147.7 Rating 63.8% Passing 270.1 Y/G 28 TD 7 INT 3 Rush TD
Last Week: 24-42 230 Yards 2 TD 3 INT
He is still the best quarterback in the nation talent wise in my opinion, but he has had some mental collapses that cost his team dearly last weekend against MSU. Woodson had more interceptions than touchdowns and the Wildcats are in a downward spiral. He will need to be the guy that gets them out of it, but last week he was unable to do so.

USF v. UConn -- Open Thread

Big Time Battle in the Big East. This has huge implications for USF in their quest for the Big East Title. They can not afford to lose two games in the Big East, especially to UConn who has not lost a game in the Big East yet. Special Teams and the Bulls offensive line will decide this game. Open for Comments during the game!!

Preview of USF v. UConn

The Bulls have another battle this week with huge Big East ramifications. UConn is undefeated in Big East play thus far and their only loss on the season was a one point loss at Virginia. UConn is coming off of a rainy victory against Louisville, while USF is coming off of a devastating loss to Rutgers. The big thing for the Bulls will be if they forgot about the Rutgers game and were able to focus on UConn and the Big East Title. The Bulls have had trouble at UConn in the past and this game will be tough one for them to win.


The UConn defense has very good on the year thus far. They are only allowing 98 yards on the ground and 174 yards through the air during the game. They are also third in points allowed in the nation, giving up only 12.7 ppg. They have a stout run defense and a ball hawking secondary that has 16 interceptions on the year. They shut down Brian Brohm and the Louisville offense last week. They allowed Brohm to throw for only 228 yards in the game and picked him off 2 times. This defense looks to make things happen for their team because the offense has not been great. UConn reminds me a lot of this USF team, a great defense and an Offense that does just enough to win the game.

The UConn offense is based around the run and they will look to pound the rock against USF. The Bulls have been good against the run, when those backs are speed backs and trying to get to the outside, but have struggled against power backs running down hill, Ray Rice. Andre Dixon is the leader in the backfield for the Huskies and he is more of a power runner and in fact scored a touchdown last week dragging 4 Cardinals with him for 5 yards into the end zone. The Bulls are going to need to be very physical and hit him in the backfield or make him try to go to the outside so that they can use their speed to an advantage. George Selvie will need to show up this week, which he did not last week. His pressure in the backfield on passing and running plays is vital to disrupting the pass and run game. Pressure causes problems, which will lead to turnovers and good field position for the Bulls.

Expect UConn to follow the Rutgers model on how to defend this USF offense. Rutgers was torched in the first half of the game by Matt Groethe's legs. Groethe was able to break containment and picked up huge chunks of yardage and helped move the ball down field. During half time the Knights adjusted and played containment or had a spy on Groethe the rest of the game. For most of the second half Groethe was not able to move out of the pocket and was eother sacked or made bad throws. Groethe is a good quarterback, but when you make him sit in the pocket and pass he becomes very average and the secondary could take advantage of that.

Injuries on the offensive side of the ball will also effect the Bulls this week. They lost senior offensive tackle Walt Walker with a sprained MCL for 2-4 weeks. His loss is very devastating to the Bulls offensive line, which has had injuries since the beginning of the year. of the 7 sacks that the Knights got on Groethe last Thursday, 5 came after Walker was out of the game. Groethe will need to be able to feel that pressure and move around to avoid it. The Bulls also lost their top wide out Taurus Johnson for 2-3 weeks with an ankle sprain. Johnson led the Bulls in receptions and yards so far on the year. While this loss is a problem, the Bulls have spread the ball out a lot this year and Groethe has confidence in other guys. Amari Jackson will need to step up and make some plays in the receiving game and freshman Hester Jr. will also need to help out and give Groethe a good target to throw to.

The final aspect of this game that may be the most important will be special teams. UConn returner Larry Taylor is the best in the nation in returning kicks and punts. Last week the Bulls struggled in their special teams coverage and if they do that this week, Taylor will take the ball to the house. The Bulls will need to have great coverage on the kicks and perhaps kick away from Taylor if possible. Let's hope when they do kick it, the Refs remember what a fair catch symbol looks like though.

Heisman Top 5 -- Week 9

The past week gave us some great performances from some of the top players, but also some disappointing games by others. My disclaimer as always: The Heisman trophy is given to the best player in the country and that is how I look at the award. The best player may not, and usually is not, on the best team in the country. This year their is no clear cut favorites to win the award and hopefully one of these guys will emerge later on in the year. Here is my Top 5 starting this week:

Mike Hart - Running Back - Michigan

Stats - 7 Games 200 carries 1,078 yards 12 TD's

Last Week: Did not Play with injury.

Hart did not play the past week against Illinois with an injury, but that does not move him from the top spot in my mind. Hart is still top 4 in rushing in the nation and is still the most important person to the Wolverines. He was seen on the sideline yelling and getting after his teammates during the Illinois game and looked like another coach out there. For him not to play it must have been serious because he is one of the toughest guys out there. Hart still at the top for now.

Andre Woodson - Quarterback - Kentucky
Stats - 8 Games 153.8 Rating 64.7% Passing 275.1 Y/G 26 TD 4 Int 3 Rush TD

Last Week: 35-50 415 Yards 5 TD

Kentucky was upset last week at home, but it was not for a lack of play by Andre Woodson. He dominated the Gator defense and led the Wildcats on long scoring drives the entire game. He is the best quarterback in the nation and is close to overtaking Hart as the number 1 candidate on my list. He has the leadership and skills necessary to be that guy. It will be interesting to see how he rebounds after the tough loss.

Tim Tebow - Quarterback - Florida

Stats - 7 Games 177.5 Rating 66.1 % Passing 244.4 Y/G 17 TD 3 INT 125 Rush 578 Yards 10TD

Last Week: 18-26 256 Yards 4 TD 20 Rush 78 Yards 1 TD

Tebow jumped into the rankings this week with his great performance against Kentucky. He was barely out of my top 5, but the dominating effort against Kentucky moved him into my top three. Many people say he is the leading candidate, but I still do not think he is as good as Woodson or Hart. He is very important to his team, which also helps his rankings. Tebow leads the team in passing and rushing. Tebow also leads starting quarterbacks in quarterback rating. If he keeps it up he has a chance, but he is a sophomore and that could hurt him.

Matt Ryan - Quarterback - Boston College
Stats - 7 Games 137 Rating 63.2% Passing 306.9 Y/G 17 TD 6 INT 1 Rush TD

Last Week: BYE

The man that people call "Matty Ice" has led the Eagles to an undefeated record and a top ranking in the BCS. He is a tough kid who is very accurate and a smart passer. His stats are not overly impressive and he has played some weak competition, which is why he is at 3 for me, but he does other things that make up for it. Ryan is a great leader on the field and keeps the team focused on driving down the field and scoring. If Ryan has success against the tougher opponents on the schedule he may move up.

Dennis Dixon - Quarterback - Oregon
Stats - 7 Games 165.8 Rating 69.3% Passing 246.9 Y/G 16 TD 3 INT 423 Rush Yards 7 TD

Last Week: 19-20 196 Yards 1 TD 1 INT 12 Rush 99 Yards 1 TD

Dixon did not have a great game against Washington last week, but he still managed to help Oregon get the win. His numbers were not bad, but against a weak Washington opponent his numbers could have been better and should have been better. Dixon was not helped with the way that some of the other Heisman quarterback candidates played this past week. Dixon is still in the running, but he needs to have better games against these types of opponents. Dixon can shoot up the rankings with a great game against USC this week.

Heisman Top 5 -- Week 8

With the season entering the BCS portion I have decided to start my Heisman watch each week. Each week I will put out who I think are the top 5 Heisman candidates in the order I would vote for them. The Heisman trophy is given to the best player in the country and that is how I look at the award. The best player may not, and usually is not, on the best team in the country. This year their is no clear cut favorites to win the award and hopefully one of these guys will emerge later on in the year. Here is my Top 5 starting this week:

Mike Hart - Running Back - Michigan

Stats - 7 Games 200 carries 1,078 yards 12 TD's

Hart is the leading rusher in the NCAA and averages the second most yards per game. Michigan lost it's first two games, but that was not due to a poor performance by Mike Hart, who ran for 315 yards and 3 touchdowns in those two games. Mike Hart has been the most important player to his team this year. Michigan lost their first two games and also lost their senior quarterback in the second game. Mike Hart put the team on his back and has carried Michigan back into the top 25 and has them on track to compete with OSU for the Big 10 title. Without Hart the Wolverines would not be in contention for anything and Lloyd Carr would be out of a job.

Andre Woodson - Quarterback - Kentucky

Stats - 7 Games 149.9 Rating 63.7% Passing 255.1 Y/G 21 TD 4 Int 3 Rush TD

Woodson is the best quarterback in college football and has led the resurrection of the Kentucky program in the SEC. Woodson is a smart quarterback who throws a great ball. Last week he led the Wildcats to an upset victory over then number ranked LSU. Woodson has only had one bad game this season and that was at South Carolina when he was blitzed and knocked around all game. Woodson is another guy, like Hart, that can carry the team on his back and whatever way he goes the team goes. Woodson has Kentucky in the top 10 of the BCS for the first time in their history.

Matt Ryan - Quarterback - Boston College

Stats - 7 Games 137 Rating 63.2% Passing 306.9 Y/G 17 TD 6 INT 1 Rush TD

The man that people call "Matty Ice" has led the Eagles to an undefeated record and a top ranking in the BCS. He is a tough kid who is very accurate and a smart passer. His stats are not overly impressive and he has played some weak competition, which is why he is at 3 for me, but he does other things that make up for it. Ryan is a great leader on the field and keeps the team focused on driving down the field and scoring. If Ryan has success against the tougher opponents on the schedule he may move up.

Dennis Dixon - Quarterback - Oregon

Stats - 6 Games 173.6 Rating 70.2% Passing 254.2 Y/G 15 TD 2 INT 324 Rush Yards 6 TD

Dixon returned for his senior season at Oregon after playing baseball for the Braves in the off season and head coach Mike Bellotti was concerned at how he would respond to the lay off. Dixon has responded just fine and has thrown only 2 interceptions all year. Dixon is very fast and is a dual threat quarterback. He has a great arm, very accurate, smart, and a great athlete. He had one bad game where he threw the two interceptions against Cal, but Oregon still had a chance to win in it at the end of the game because of Dixon marching them down the field. Dixon is a great leader and makes the plays when he has to and has the ability to make those plays.

Sam Bradford - Quarterback - Oklahoma

Stats - 7 Games 181.1 Rating 70.7% Passing 241.3 Y/G 20 TD 4 INT

Oklahoma's problem last year was that Rhett Bohmar was thrown out of school just before the start of the season and they did not have a quarterback to fill in. Bradford has come in as a freshman and has led the Sooners to a great record and has done so in exciting fashion. As you can see by his numbers he is a very accurate passer who makes the right plays when they are there and does not force the ball into bad spots. He is not overly mobile, but he does not have to be. Bradford is surprisingly composed for a freshman and is a great field general. His problem is that he is a freshman and I do not expect him to compete for the award because of this, but he is one of the best players in the country.