On July 26, 2007 the Pac 10 wrapped up their Media Week with the release of their predictions. USC recieved all 39 first place votes and for only the third time in media poll’s 46 year history became the unanimous No. 1. Cal was ranked #2 in this poll for the fourth year in a row.

1. USC (39) - 390
2. California - 323
3. UCLA - 305
4. Arizona St. - 242
5. Oregon St. - 237
6. Oregon - 226
7. Arizona - 162
8. Washington State - 115
9. Washington - 98
10. Stanford - 47

The SEC Media Day was held last week and here is how the media predicted the SEC would wind up.

Eastern Division
1. Florida (41) 131
2. Tennessee (16) 201
3. Georgia (12) 225
4. South Carolina (11) 272
5. Kentucky 389
6. Vanderbilt 462

Western Division
1. LSU (63) 110
2. Auburn (5) 205
3. Arkansas (5) 237
4. Alabama (7) 256
5. Ole Miss 430
6. Mississippi State 442

SEC Champion - LSU (54), Florida (7), Arkansas (5), Auburn (4), Alabama (3), South Carolina (3), Tennessee (2), Georgia (2).

I realize that Bill Walsh spent most of his career in the NFL but he did coach Stanford for a few years. None the less the man was a great offensive mind that gave the football world the West Coast Offense. He will be greatly missed.

The Big 12 held its media day on Thursday, July 19th. The writers picked Missouri to edge out Nebraska and take the North Division, with Texas barely topping Oklahoma in the South Division. Texas quarterback Colt McCoy was the preseason pick for Offensive Player of the Year. Oklahoma’s Reggie Smith was the choice for Defensive Player of the Year. Former Arizona State quarterback Sam Keller, now a senior with Nebraska, was chosen as the Conference Newcomer of the Year.

2007 Big 12 Preseason Football Poll (Media Vote)
North

1. Missouri (16) 136

2. Nebraska (8) 128

3. Kansas State 88

4. Kansas 63

5. Colorado 58

6. Iowa State 31

South

1. Texas (16) 135

2. Oklahoma (7) 126

3. Texas A&M (1) 82

4. Oklahoma State 81

5. Texas Tech 56

6. Baylor 24

Note: First place votes in parentheses

2007 Preseason All-Big 12 Football Team (Media Vote)

Offensive Player of the Year: Colt McCoy, Texas (QB, 6-3, 205, So/1L, Tuscola, Texas)

Defensive Player of the Year: Reggie Smith, Oklahoma (DB, 6-1, 197, Jr/2L, Edmond, Okla.)

Newcomer of the Year: Sam Keller, Nebraska (QB, 6-4, 230, Sr/TR, Danville, Calif.)

Offense
Pos Name School Ht Wt Cl/Exp Hometown

WR Adarius Bowman Oklahoma State 6-4 220 Sr/1L Chattanooga, Tenn.

TE Martin Rucker Missouri 6-6 255 Sr/3L St. Joseph, Mo.

OL Tony Hills Texas 6-6 305 Sr/3L Houston, Texas

OL Duke Robinson Oklahoma 6-5 330 Jr/2L Atlanta, Ga.

C Cody Wallace Texas A&M 6-4 294 Sr/2L Cuero, Texas

OL Matt Slauson Nebraska 6-5 335 Jr/2L Colorado Springs, Colo.

OL Anthony Collins Kansas 6-5 310 Jr/2L Beaumont, Texas

WR Limas Sweed Texas 6-5 219 Sr/3L Brenham, Texas

QB Colt McCoy Texas 6-3 205 So/1L Tuscola, Texas

RB Jamaal Charles Texas 6-1 200 Jr/2L Port Arthur, Texas

RB Mike Goodson Texas A&M 6-0 197 So/1L Klein, Texas

PK Garrett Hartley Oklahoma 5-9 198 Sr/3L Southlake, Texas

KR Perrish Cox Oklahoma State 6-1 185 So/1L Waco, Texas

Defense

DL Ian Campbell Kansas State 6-5 242 Jr/2L Cimarron, Kan.

DL Frank Okam Texas 6-5 320 Sr/3L Dallas, Texas

DL Chris Harrington Texas A&M 6-5 265 Sr/3L Houston, Texas

DL James McClinton Kansas 6-1 285 Sr/2L Garland, Texas

DL Derek Lokey Texas 6-2 280 Sr/3L Denton, Texas

LB Bo Ruud Nebraska 6-3 235 Sr/3L Lincoln, Neb.

LB Alvin Bowen Iowa State 6-2 216 Sr/2L East Orange, N.J.

LB Jordon Dizon Colorado 6-0 225 Sr/3L Kauai, Hawai’i

DB Reggie Smith Oklahoma 6-1 197 Jr/2L Edmond, Okla.

DB Aqib Talib Kansas 6-1 205 Jr/2L Richardson, Texas

DB Marcus Watts Kansas State 6-1 189 Sr/3L Hays, Kan.

DB Marcus Griffin Texas 6-0 202 Sr/3L Austin, Texas

P Matt Fodge Oklahoma State 6-1 195 Jr/2L Garland, Texas

PR Reggie Smith Oklahoma 6-1 197 Jr/2L Edmond, Okla.

The Big East media bonanza is taking place and the predictions have come out on who the writers think will win the Big East this season. The Mountaineers received 20 of 24 first place votes followed by Louisville with 3 and Rutgers with 1.

Rank Team Pts.
1. West Virginia (20) 188
2. Louisville (3) 167
3. Rutgers (1) 142
4. USF 123
5. Cincinnati 86
6. Pittsburgh 80
7. Connecticut 45
8. Syracuse 32

First-Place Votes in Parentheses

In just another way we know college football is right around the corner, the release of the video game NCAA 2008 for the PS2, PS3, and XBox 360. Here is a little preview of the game if you haven’t picked it up yet…

Every year we come into the season wondering which coaches will not be around for the following season. A few lucky coaches get that big win against their rival at the end of the year to save their job for the next. Looking ahead, these are the 5 coaches that I think need to win now or they will not be around coaching their respective teams come 2008.

1. Karl Dorrell (UCLA) - Last year 7-6; UCLA Career Record 29-21. The Bruins’ fans in Westwood have grown weary of year after year of mediocrity under Dorrell. I really believe that the win against USC last year saved his job, and allowed him to have a one-year reprieve. This season all the cards are in place as he has all of his recruits and 21 returning starters. The Bruins should be able to win their first four games, but the next three against Oregon State, Notre Dame, and Cal should set the tone for the rest of the season. For Dorrell to keep his job I think he needs to finish in at least the top 3 of the Pac-10 and get 9 to 10 wins. But to get a real feel how Bruins fans feel about Karl Dorrell head over to Bruins Nation .

2. Al Groh (Virginia) - Last year 5-7; Virginia Career record 42-33. When Groh came to Virginia he revitalized the program and started bringing in big named recruits. But since 2002 where the Cavs had 9 wins; their win total has diminished since then. The 2006 season was the worst, only winning 5 games but with an experienced offensive and defensive line Groh has the hogs up front to set a solid base for a winning season. He will have to improve on an offense that was last in the ACC in passing, 11th in the ACC in points per game, and leading rusher with only 772 yards. Most of the yards came against the weak teams on the schedule. The first half of the schedule has 4 games the Cavs should win, but they end the season with Wake Forest, Miami, and Virginia Tech. Groh needs at least 8 wins this year to save his job.

3. Greg Robinson (Syracuse) - Last year 4-8; Syracuse Career Record 5-18. This will be Robinson’s third year as the coach of the Orange and he did improve from his first to his second, which wasn’t hard considering he won only 1 game in his first season. This year the Orange will have better personnel to run Robinson’s West Coast Offense scheme, but only return 10 starters from last year’s 4 win season. Syracuse opens with a winnable game against Washington but does not have another slam dunk until 7 weeks later against Buffalo. It might be a little early to think about using the hook on Robinson, but Syracuse was a once proud program and in the Big East today they should be going to a bowl game ever year. In their last 5 years, they have only gone to one bowl game (shared conference title in 2004 with 6 wins) and in total have 21 wins in that time span. For Robinson to keep his job, the Orange have to go bowling this winter.

4. Tyrone Willingham (Washington) - Last year 5-7; Washington Career Record 7-16. Right now Tyrone Willingham needs some luck. Last year he lost his starting quarterback in October, when it looked as if the Huskies were well on their way to a bowl game. In 2007, the team outlook does not look as bright as they will have to replace half of their starting core from last year’s 5 win team. The Huskies will be starting a 19 year old at QB with Jake Locker and have to improve on a rushing game that only averaged a little over 3 yards a carry. The defense has many holes in the secondary and linebacking core. For Washington to consider going bowling, they must win their first two games against Syracuse and Boise State because the only other games that look like winners are Stanford and Washington State. Willingham has a tough task ahead of him, and for him to keep his job safe he will need 5 or 6 wins this season. That might not seem like much, but with the schedule and what he has coming back, it will me a monumental task.

5. Ed Orgeron (Mississippi) - Last year 4-8; Mississippi Career Record 7-16. We all know that Head Coach Ed Orgeron can sell hummers, but the jury is out about his coaching. The Rebels have not gone bowling since 2003 when they had a young man by the name of Eli Manning behind center. Since Manning has left, the Rebels have won 11 games in 3 years and haven’t sniffed the postseason. There is a QB controversy right now between Seth Adams and last year’s starter Brent Schaeffer, right now Orgeron says Adams is the man. The strength of the offensive unit is the line and BenJarvus Green-Ellis is back after his 1000 yard season of 2006. Ole Miss optimistically could begin the season 2-2 before tough games against Florida and Georgia. After those two games I see wins against Louisiana Tech and Northwestern State. Orgeron will need to find two more wins to go bowling and save his job for another season. It is going to be tough.

Honorable Mentions: Phillip Fulmer (Tennessee) and Tommy Bowden (Clemson)

- First we will start out on the East Coast where Pitch Right tells us why the Army-Navy game is the best rivalry in all of sports. I tend to agree with him. Even though the teams are not as good as they once were; it is hard to argue with the intensity and passion of these young men. This is the game that makes or breaks their season. I highly suggest the book Civil War by John Feinstein, for a better look behind the scenes of both schools.

-In Happy Valley there is a lot of buzz around this year’s team. Their schedule is favorable with Notre Dame, Ohio State, Iowa, Purdue, and Wisconsin all at home. Their only tough road game will be their Big Ten Opener against Michigan. One area of concern for the Nittany Lions is their Offensive Line. Mike over at Black Shoe Diaries breaks down the offensive line in this week’s roundtable.

- Over at The Blue-Gray Sky, they talk about the reasoning behind former QB Zach Frazier’s transfer. It is a win-win situation for both. Frazier gets a chance to actually start at a Division 1-A school, while Notre Dame gets another scholarship available for Darth Weis to bring more 4 and 5 star athletes to the Dark Side. And if you are wonder, Frazier has no idea who will start for the Irish this year.

- Joel and Rusty at Rocky Top Talk do a little head scratching because College Football News has Tennessee losing to Cal, Florida and Georgia. But after a bit of analysis they realized that it is entirely possible. Is a 8 or 9 win season enough to keep Fulmer off the hot seat?

- The Oklahoma Sooners have a long and storied history. Stiles over at Stiles Points answers 5 questions about Oklahoma and you will be surprised at some of his answers.

- It wouldn’t be right to have a Cheerleader Edition without the USC Song girls. Trojanwire gives a little write up on the Best Pac-10 coaches of the past 20 years. You guessed it, Pete Carroll is #1. Aside from that, there is nice picture of Pete with the Song Girls in the background.

- Finally we go to Hawaii. Saturday Sound Offs has been running a great feature all offseason called 2-a days. This just recently did their preview on Hawaii. And surprise…surprise, they have them playing in the Hawaii Bowl. Another Hawaii blogger is making his pitch to the ESPN Game Day Crew, to come Halawa for the big game against Boise State. Let’s see, doing the math that would mean that Game Day would air around 4 AM locally in Hawaii.

Last season we had a few surprises in the BCS Bowl games, most notibly Wake Forest and Boise State. Here are five teams that could “crash” the BCS party come January 2008.

1. Hawaii - Heisman Canidate in QB Colt Brennan…check. Manageable schedule…check. High flying offense…check. ESPN’s Mark Schlabach says that Hawaii has one of the easiest schedules in all of college football. That may be true but head coach June Jones says that the Warriors weak schedule is no fault of their own. Either way with two Division 1-AA teams on it and its toughest game a home one against Boise State, the Warriors have a legit shot of ending the season 12-0. Would the BCS pass up an undefeated team, with a Heisman Candidate, and a high powered offense? I think not.

2. Boise State - The Broncos proved last year that they belonged in the BCS Bowl game by beating Oklahoma. They took part in probably the most exciting BCS game last year using three trick plays to hold on to beat the Sooners. They have a strong core coming back led by running back Ian Johnson who was the Nation’s leader in scoring and rushing touchdowns. The Broncos do have to replace QB Jared Zabranksy. All eyes will be on the November 23rd meeting with Hawaii. Not only will it be for the WAC title, but it could be for a spot in a BCS Bowl game. Only question remaining is if Boise State wins another BCS bowl game which player on this year’s roster will propose to his girlfriend after the game?

3. TCU - In the past 5 years the Horned Frogs have won at least 10 games 4 times and 11 games 3 of those 5 years. So this school is use to success on the football field. Unlike the previous two teams on this list, they have a tough non-conference opponent that will most likely throw a wrench in their BCS crashing ability. September 8th, the Horned Frogs travel to Austin to face the Longhorns. If they are somehow lucky enough to get through that game alive; games against BYU and Utah will also test them. TCU has the benefit of a tougher schedule on their resume, with that being said if they were to win every game, but Texas there could be an (very) outside shot at crashing the BCS party.

4. South Florida - Three names get thrown around when talking about the 2007 Big East Champion: West Virginia, Louisville, and Rutgers. Some people forget that the Bulls beat West Virginia in Morgantown last year and came within an eyelash of beating Rutgers. In 2007 they return 20 of 22 starters and 53 lettermen in total. Tough road games at Auburn and Rutgers should give the Bulls some trouble. But even if they do lose the Auburn they still have a shot at the Big East championship. Their home slate includes West Virginia and Louisville. Head coach Jim Leavitt hopes that QB Matt Grothe improves on his promising freshman season and their under publicized defense can continue to get stronger. It isn’t far fetched to think that the November 17 game against Louisville could be for the Big East title. While Rutgers, Louisville, and West Virginia all beat up on each other; it could be the Bulls the sneak their way into the Big East title and a BCS Bowl game.

5. UCLA - So how can I call UCLA a surprise…well when you are in a conference with USC and Cal, it will be no cakewalk to get a BCS bid. The Bruins return 21 of 22 starters from a team that held USC to 9 points and Notre Dame to a low output. That was USC’s lowest output in a long time. Ben Olson will be back at quarterback as he beat out Patrick Cowan in spring ball. So the Bruins have two quarterbacks with starting experience under their belts. In their favor they have Notre Dame, Cal, Oregon, and BYU all at home and have to travel far to play USC. Even if they do lose a conference game, they can keep themselves in the BCS running with a clean slate the rest of the way. We all know that offense wins games but defense wins championships. UCLA definitely has the defense if the Bruins play the way they did against USC and forget about giving up 44 points to Florida State in the Emerald Bowl.