For the incoming class of freshman, if they have not already reported to school for summer sessions, they will be there within a week or two. In that time they will get acclimated with the rigors of being a student and being to work out with their new teammates. So if you’ve been busy getting your freshman ready for school…here is what you missed in the past week.

What we’ve been working on:

We once again went out and got you another quality guest for the podcast. ESPN’s Bruce Feldman joined us last week to talk SEC and Pac 10 football. The podcast is pretty USC heavy, but when you are annually one of the best teams in the country, who has won 7 straight Pac Ten titles, and have one of the hottest starting quarterback battles going on…well you are going to hear about it. For you SEC fans, Bruce has some interesting thoughts on the SEC West, which should be a fun race to watch this year.

Just so you don’t think we are going to rest on our past accomplishments, Adam and I have another great guest lined up for a podcast which will be ready for your listening pleasure tomorrow morning. We feel bad that we have neglected the Big XII, so tomorrow you will hear Adam and I, along with The Wiz from The Wiz of Odds, discuss the Big XII. On paper it looks as if both the North and South could go down to the wire again when deciding who will play in the Big XII Championship game. Also, we’ll pick his brain about some National News.

Adam has continued to countdown his list of Top 50 Best Non-BCS Players. In his latest installment, Bryan Anderson, a wide receiver from Central Michigan is his choice at #34. Something tells me that Anderson will have a pretty big effect on another player that has yet to be named on this list.

Navy only returns 23% of last year’s offensive yards with potentially NFL bound players Shun White and Eric Kettani gone. Adam sits down and talks with Bobby Doyle about the endless barrage of questions he and the other Navy slotbacks are getting on how they are going to replace 77% of last year’s offense which has now graduated.

For the second year in a row the Big East Conference looks to be wide open. A lot of experts think it is going to come down between Pittsburgh and Rutgers, but neither are very solid under center. Brian talks about which players have the leg up to win the quarterback battles at both schools.

What we’ve been reading:

On a sad note, yesterday was the 3 year anniversary of Randy Walkers passing. Over at Lake The Post they are asking for a moment of silence to remember his passing.

He will go down in history for the murder that he did did not commit, and will be forever known as Nordberg in the Naked Gun movies; but before all of that he was a Heisman Trophy winner. Prolate Spheroid rehashes OJ’s career at USC.

Bruce Feldman picks the top 10 toughest non-conference schedule. A few teams that I mentioned made the list. But one team you won’t find on that list, who is Phil Steele’s #1 surprise team, the Penn State Nittany Lions.

Adam has talked about reviving a countdown he started last year where he picked the Top 10 potential upsets of a FCS team over a FBS team. Double T Nation has an early preview of the Red Raiders game against the North Dakota State Fighting Sioux. I am fairly certain this game will not make Adam’s list.

The Georgia Bulldogs suffered a heartbreaking and somewhat surprising upset loss to their rival Georgia Tech last year. Paul Westerdawg of the Georgia Sports Blog gives his thoughts on how to defend Tech’s option.

The Quad continues their countdown from 120 to 1. Yesterday they previewed the Navy Midshipmen at number 64.

Annually one of the best offensive line units in the country resides in the state of Oklahoma. The Crimson and Cream Machine previews this year’s crop of linemen for the Sooners.

NCAA Football 2010 comes out for video game consoles on July 14th. Over the Pylon has a sneak peak of Ball State’s Scheumann Stadium and Kentucky’s Commonwealth Stadium.

When Coach Wannstedt first arrived at Pitt, he was pulling in one good recruiting class after another, but after only going to one bowl game in his tenure, he finds himself still chasing a 82 year old man who is stealing recruits out of his own back yard. Recently, Wannstedt and the Panthers got a commitment from TJ Clemmings, a defensive tackle from New Jersey. But according to Zags Blog and Clemmings he did not commit.

Finally, I leave you with a sign of the Apocalypse. Evan Berry the younger brother of Tennessee safety Eric Berry has verbally committed to the Vols. Did I mention that Evan was 13 years old?

Sports Illustrated’s Cory McCartney recently revealed his list of “players poised to become college football’s next household names.” Nice list Cory, but you weren’t exactly going out on a limb in selecting guys like Baylor’s Robert Griffin or Michigan’s Brandon Minor now, were you? Here’s a few more under-the-radar names (and some familiar faces too) to add to the ridiculously early preseason hype list.  

QB Ricky Dobbs, Navy- Ask any Navy fan and they’ll tell you there is just something special about the junior-to-be quarterback. While maybe not the most technically sounds Navy quarterback to command the option offense in recent years, Dobbs shined in the few opportunities he had to play in 2008, sparking Navy’s unthinkable comeback against Temple while powering the Mids past SMU and Northern Illinois. He’s a physical runner inside who isn’t afraid to take on linebackers, while his arm strength and accuracy in the passing game give Navy’s run heavy offense another dimension. If he can continue his progress in learning the option reads he should be in for a monster year in 2009.

RB Joe Martinek, Rutgers- It may be all too easy for some fans and media members to stereotype the 6-foot, 215-pound redshirt sophomore as your run-of-the-mill ‘fullback’, but New Jersey’s all-time leader in prep rushing yards was among the leaders that sparked the Scarlet Knight resurgence during the second half of last season. Not just a bruiser, Martinek averaged 5.3 yards per rush in limited duty last season, and recently ran for 124 yards on just 18 carries in a Rutgers spring scrimmage. He’s the most complete rusher on the Scarlet Knight roster and despite the likelihood of having the split carries with two other backs should earn the starting job come September.

WRs David Nelson/Riley Cooper, Florida- On a team known for a battering ram quarterback and the dangerous presence of a bunch of shifty “little guys” who allegedly run in the 4.2 range, it’s not hard to see why the 6′5” David Nelson and the 6′3” Riley Cooper are often overshadowed when one begins a conversation of the Gator offense. But don’t overlook either of these receivers, as both return for their senior seasons in 2009. Nelson and Cooper combined for just 30 catches a year ago, but the two seniors also sported eight touchdown grabs between them. With Tim Tebow looking to refine his passing game and Percy Harvin moving on to the NFL expect Urban Meyer’s offense to look more to their senior leaders on the outside next season.

RB Jewell Hampton, Iowa- Replacing Shonne Greene is not going to be easy, but the Hawkeyes do have a proven role-player from last year’s squad ready to step in full-time in sophomore running back Jewell Hampton. While undersized at only five-foot, nine inches tall, Hampton runs with deceptive lower body strength and a tremendous burst which make him difficult for defenders to tackle. He finished last year with seven rushing touchdowns in limited duty, and should be the go-to playmaker for the Iowa offense next year.

FS Harrison Smith, Notre Dame- Let’s just get this out of the way; Harrison ‘Hayseed’ Smith was good as a “hybrid” defender in Notre Dame’s defense last year, but this guy is way too athletic to just be a situational player. The fact that he recorded 57 tackles, 3.5 sacks, and seven passes defended was certainly impressive given the fact that he wasn’t playing his natural safety position, making this year’s move to free safety all the more conducive to his continued success. He should have no trouble reminding Irish fans of a bigger and more athletic version of former Domer standout Tom Zbikowski.

WR McKay Jacobson, BYU- Perhaps as if to follow in the footsteps of another impact receiver at BYU who took his two year mission trip for the LDS church following a fantastic freshmen campaign, Jacobson returns to Provo this season just as Austin Collie departs for the NFL. BYU already has an All-American tight end candidate in Dennis Pitta, a fact which should allow the 5′11” Jacobson (who is among the fastest players on BYU’s roster) to flourish as an immediate weapon for returning quarterback Max Hall. Jacobson averaged 19.5 yards a catch as a freshmen in 2006, and despite coming off of his mission trip should be poised to put up big numbers in 2009.

LB Malcolm Smith, USC- The Trojans lose arguably one of the best linebacking corps in Pac-10 history with the departures of Brian Cushing, Ray Mauluaga, and Clay Matthews, but a new generation of USC linebackers looks primed to step up. A former running back, Smith should fill in nicely as the weakside ‘backer in USC’s defense, as the 6′2” junior possesses outstanding athleticism and lateral quickness which make him a playmaker against the run and the pass. He has been the most noticeable standout thus far for USC’s defense in spring ball, and should continue his success into the season. 

QB Andy Schmitt, Eastern Michigan- The Eagle signal caller has been one of the MAC’s best kept secrets for some time, but despite going into his senior season in 2009 has never garnered much attention outside of Ypsilanti. That all should change come September, as Schmitt returns fully healthy to lead new head coach Ron English’s EMU offense. Schmitt is an elite athlete for his size and one of the better dual-threat quarterbacks in the ranks of the non-BCS, and could be the difference between another losing season and a breakthrough campaign for the Eagles.

QB Bo Levi Mitchell, SMU- It’s not easy coming into an FBS school and starting at quarterback as a true freshmen, which is exactly what June Jones’ rookie signal caller found out last year in the Mustangs’ disastrous 1-11 campaign. Despite his struggles Mitchell still completed 56% of his passes for over 3000 yards a season ago, and with receivers Alderick Robinson and Emmanuel Sanders back in 2009 Mithcell should only get better. With a season of June Jones’ run-and-shoot system under their belts expect Mitchell and the Mustang offense to put up Hawaii like numbers in 2009.

WR Jeff Fuller, Texas A&M- The Big 12 South loses its most high profile target in Michael Crabtree to the NFL, but look for another physical and athletically gifted wideout to step out of the Lone Star state in A&M’s Fuller. He was a Honorable Mention All-Big 12 selection as a true freshmen a season ago, and set an Aggie receiving record with nine touchdowns on the year. At 6′4” he has the frame to be an elite red zone threat, while the continued progression of quarterback Jerrod Johnson under Mike Sherman’s guidance should lead Fuller to an even better sophomore season.

Even with the impending cold front which could bring snow threatens the northeast, it isn’t enough to damper my excitement of the spring games that happened this weekend. For the most part the the majority of the teams have their games in the latter part of the month, but we were able to get a glimpse of at least 1 team that could have title implications in their game this past weekend.

Spring is in the air

The Texas Longhorns concluded their spring practice with an offense vs defense scrimmage. It wasn’t too long ago that Mack Brown and the rest of his staff were coming into the 2008 season worried about their secondary. Well in their scrimmage Sunday, it was their secondary that played the best.

Earl Thomas and Nolan Brewster each had a pick; and Thomas took his to the house. Colt McCoy didn’t have his best game, but Mack Brown doesn’t feel the need to worry. McCoy went 11-of-24 for 95 yards. The folks over at Barking Carnival have a nice recap of the Longhorns’ spring game highlighting both the offense and the defense.

Most of the news on the Florida State Seminoles has not been good. Just a few weeks ago the NCAA came down on sanctions against the school which included stripping them of 14 wins and losing some scholarships.

Coach Bowden was hoping that the players put that behind them to have a successful spring. In their scrimmage he was really impressed with the work of the defensive secondary. During most of the spring the offense had the upper hand, but it was the defense who forced 5 turnovers on fumbles and won the scrimmage 39-27 in front of 36,000 people.

Ty Jones who has had a good spring, did not have a good spring game fumbling the ball four times. Unfortunately the bad news for Florida State did not end there; wide receiver Rod Owens was arrested after the game and charged with driving under the influence.

Moving out west, the Air Force Falcons had their spring scrimmage, and even after it coach Troy Calhoun is still not sure who will be his starting quarterback. Tim Jefferson, who started last year as a freshman and fellow classmate Asher Clark will both head into the fall fighting for the job.

Can Griffin turn Baylor around?

The reason behind Calhoun’s indecision is that neither quarterback had enough practice time to get fully evaluated. Jefferson only participated in 5 practices due to academics and Clark had a knee injury that required surgery. Calhoun was force to go with untested junior-to-be Ben Cochran and sophomore-to-be Connor Dietz for most of the spring.

If you watched any of the TCU Horned Frogs last year, you could not help but to come away impressed with their defense. Even with some holes left due to graduation, the Horned Frogs still look impressive on that side of the ball. In their spring game, they only allowed the offense to score on one occasion, and coach Gary Patterson came away with a feeling of ease that his defense could be back to its 2008 form.

Linebacker Tanner Brock, who had 625 tackles in high school impressed everyone in his first scrimmage. Brock ran with second-team defense Saturday after earning reps with the first-team ‘D’ during spring practice.

If I were to guess, I think Baylor’s time as being the Big 12 whipping boy is coming to an end. Quarterback Robert Griffin is developing into a star, and he took one more step towards stardom in the Bears’ spring game.

Griffin completed 19-of-25 passes for 310 yards, with touchdown passes of 60, 35 and 43 yards to three different receivers. He also ran for 41 yards and a touchdown. Griffin wasn’t the only star as running back Jarred Salubi had a nice day gaining 40 yards on 12 carries.

At Arizona, head coach Mike Stoops decided to do things differently this year. He allowed two of his captains to have a draft and pick the teams for this year’s spring game. Most of the concern for the Wildcats is; who will replace Willie Tuitama. Tuitama left the school as the career leader in passes, attempts, yards and touchdowns, and capped his career by leading the Wildcats to a 31-21 victory over BYU in the Las Vegas Bowl in December.

The two candidates in line to replace him are Sophomore Matt Scott who completed 11 of 20 passes for 206 yards with one interception. Scott was the backup to Tuitama last season. Nick Foles is the other guy. Foles is a sophomore transfer from Michigan State, led the Blue team going 16-for-24 for 183 yards with no picks.

It was Nick Scott who got the last laugh as he completed a touchdown pass on the last play to lead his team, the White Team, to a 23-21 victory. Stoops likes what he sees from both Scott and Foles but is not ready to name a starter yet. He even went as far as saying he would ponder the idea of rotating them during the season until one stood out.

This weekend we take a look at our most intriguing offseason questions from the Big XII conference. You can view Part I of our offseason preview (focusing in on the Southeastern Conference) here. And no, we did not steal this whole “offseason questions” idea from SI.com’s Andy Staples, who we just happen to be a big fan of. I guess great minds just think alike…

What’s next for the Mad Man of Lubbock?

Mike Leach has replaced some record setting quarterbacks in the past, along with his fair share of 1000-yard receivers. Yet he faces arguably his largest rebuilding project yet in Lubbock this spring, as his Red Raiders must replace a seemingly irreplaceable star studded class on offense which includes quarterback Graham Harrell and wide receivers Michael Crabtree and Eric Morris. Once more, Leach will have to deal with the fallout from a somewhat ugly contract dispute this offseason, as well as the expectations which came from last season’s near Big XII South title run. It’s a far cry from the “others receiving votes” perception that most associated with this program just a few years back, and could dramatically turn up the heat on an already shaky relationship between Leach and the university.

Will OU’s receiving corps find its star?

The Sooners return what undoubtedly figures to be a Big XII Title worthy team, but the difference between a trip to the Big XII or even National Title and playing second fiddle to Texas could come down to how well the Sooners restock at wide receiver. Considering that OU loses some 2300 yards and 21 touchdowns between outgoing playmakers Manuel Johnson, Juaquin Inglesias, and Quentin Cheney, head coach Bob Stoops will need one of his inexperienced backups from a season ago to emerge to compliment sophomore Ryan Broyles and tight end Jeremy Grisham. With Broyles and Grisham forming a solid duo, the Sooner offense will border on impossible to defend if previously unheralded wide receiver Adron Tennell can step up in 2009.

Who is the new quarterback in Lincoln?

As if Bo Pelini wasn’t going to have enough trouble in trying to groom Patrick Witt for the starting job vacated by Joe Ganz after last season’s breakout year, the Huskers now have to deal with the ramifications of Witt’s intent to transfer from Lincoln. The options are sparse for Pelini and his staff, who’ll likely have to decide between early enrollee Cody Green and former third teamer Zac Lee. Yet with a host of offensive playmakers departing after last season (including starting wideouts Nate Swift and Todd Peterson) they’ll be no easy transition for whichever quarterback comes out of spring on top, with the position battle likely to continue well into the summer. The good news for Husker fans? Nine returning starters on a defense which is well on its way to restoring the ‘Blackshirt’ legacy.

Will Oklahoma State find some defense?

With Mike Leach and his Red Raiders facing a major overhaul on both sides of the football the Big XII South is actively seeking its perennial third wheel. Yet given what Oklahoma State proved last year (at least as far as the offense was concerned) the Cowboys may be more than just the proverbial punching bag for Texas and Oklahoma in 2009. Yet for that to happen Mike Gundy and his club will need to develop some kind of defensive identity, as the Cowboys gave up an average of over 400 yards per game in 2008, including 267 yards a game through the air (10^th worst in the country.) With six starters back on defense for 2009 there are enough veteran faces for this unit to improve, but it remains to be seen whether it’ll be enough to get Gundy’s group over the hump.

Can Gary Pinkel stave off decline?

Pinkel did a masterful job in constructing Missouri into a nationally recognized power of the past few seasons, but his Tigers were still no match for Big XII South heavyweights in league play a season ago. Now, with the team’s top offensive players departing for the NFL and offensive coordinator Dave Christensen taking over at Wyoming, Pinkel and his Missouri team face an uphill challenge just to remain favorites in the North part of the Conference.  Throw in the recent departure of defensive coordinator Matt Eberfluss to the Cleveland Browns and you’ve got the potential for a major dropoff in Missouri’s win total for 2009. If Pinkel can revamp his staff in working order and find enough talent on offense to still win the Big XII North, than we’re looking at nothing short of one of the best head coaching jobs in college football.

Big XII Spring Game Dates

Baylor (April 4th)

Colorado (April 25th)

Iowa State (April 18th)

Kansas (April 11th)

Kansas State (May 2)

Missouri (April 18th)

Nebraska (April 18th)

Oklahoma (April 11th)

Oklahoma State (April 18th)

Texas (April 5th)

Texas Tech (April 18th)

Texas A&M (April 18th)

I hate doing this. I really do. But considering giving ridiculously early preseason “lookaheads” is all the rage these days, I thought I might as well share my Top 10 coming out of 2008 and going into 2009. Keep in mind we still have eight months to go before the start of next season, and between spring ball, a semester without football, and fall camp a lot can happen. Also, don’t forget that some of these rankings are contingent on big name stars coming back for another season, like Oklahoma’s Sam Bradford or USC’s Mark Sanchez. Still, here’s where some of the nation’s top teams figure to fall going into the long, slow thaw of winter.

1) Florida-Hey, it’s not like I wouldn’t like to be contrarian here, but fresh off a National Title this team is just scary good and only figures to get better. Percy Harvin moves on to the NFL from the offense but the unit isn’t short on experience or playmakers, with Jeffery Demps and Chris Rainey waiting in the wings. The defense should be stacked - with or without Brandon Spikes- and you know the coaching staff won’t have any off days with Urban Meyer at the helm. All of this would make for a Top 5 team at least, but when you factor in the return of one of the greatest college football players ever, well, now it just starts to become unfair.

2) Texas-The team that many thought should be playing for a National Title this year may very well find itself playing for one in 2009, as the return of QB Colt McCoy, WR Jordan Shipley, and four of five starting offensive linemen make Texas’ explosive offensive attack arguably the best in the Big XII. Losing stud DE Brian Orakpo hurts, but the return of LB’s Sergio Kindle and Rodderick Muckelroy leave the Longhorn’s no shortage of talent on Will Muschamp’s defense. The secondary - young and inconsistent at times in 2008 -  should be much improved.

3) Alabama-It may be tempting to drop the Crimson Tide a few spots when you consider just how poorly they played without soon-to-be NFL bound left tackle Andre Smith in the Sugar Bowl, but remember that as a hole this team was remarkably young this past season. Losing Logan Coffee and John Parker Wilson hurt on offense, but the majority of the defense will be back as will emerging playmakers Mark Ingram at running back and Julio Jones at wide receiver. If this team can find a capable quarterback they look like the favorite in the SEC West.

4) Oklahoma-We’ll know by Thursday whether or not Sam Bradford is coming back or not, but in either case the Sooners should return a strong defense anchored by nine returning starters. The return of Ryan Reynolds (injured against Texas) at linebacker should bolster the unit, and even with the losses on the offense line and skill positions there is enough talent in the pipe to keep this team in the hunt for a Big XII and National Title.

5) USC-I know, I know. East Coast bias, right? Wrong. I like USC to make it back to a BCS bowl in 2009, but given the fact that they’re going to have to replace six of their starting front seven on defense gives me cause for concern, especially considering their recent history of midseason PAC-10 hiccups. This might be the most talented team in the country, but if anything college football has shown us that experience trumps talent with the new 12-game schedule format.

6) Georgia Tech- Leave it to a longtime Navy fan to go out on a limb on this one. I know Georgia Tech was handled in the Peach Bowl and that ranking them above the LSU Tigers may seem blasphemous to our friends in SEC country, but consider for a moment that Johnson was working with an offense built primarily from freshmen and sophomores recruited for a radically different system. The last time he did that - 2002 at Navy- his team went 2-10 his first year but came around to finish 8-5 in 2003. Even if the defense isn’t as good as it was in 2008 I don’t see any reason to expect that Johnson’s offense won’t be incredibly more productive in 2009, making them the ACC favorite.

7) LSU-Settle down Tiger fans, I did not forget you. Had QB Jordan Jefferson and the Tigers played the rest of the 2008 season like they did in the 2008 Peach Bowl we may have had a different matchup in the SEC Title game, but even the 38-3 stomping of Georgia Tech is not enough for me to overlook the painful inconsistency of Les Miles’ team in 2008. I like the Tiger offense moving forward under Jefferson, but a likely overhaul of the front seven on defense keeps me skeptical.

8 ) Ohio State-I know some analysts are already drinking the Terrelle Pryor cool-aid, but the Buckeyes do suffer some pretty significant personnel losses going into next season. Chris Wells and Brian Robiskie depart, and joining them may be fellow wideout Brian Hartline. Defensively the Buckeyes will have to retool, and despite the fact that they’ve replaced NFL talent in the past I think they struggle moving forward without all everything linebacker James Laurinaitis. Still, this looks like the Big 10’s best team heading into 2009.

9) Oklahoma State-Here’s a comparison for you: How about the Cowboys as next year’s version of the 2008 Red Raiders? The defense may struggle, but with all the playmakers back on offense this could end up being a team which just outscores its opponents more often than not. Quarterback Zach Robinson and wideout Dez Bryant are legitimate Heisman darkhorses.

10) Boise State-I don’t know if Boise State is really the tenth best team going into next season (ok, so I know they’re not) but I do think they represent the best shot of a non-automatic qualifier getting to a BCS bowl game in 2009, which in and of itself deserves mention on a list like this. This season’s freshmen sensation Kellen Moore returns at quarterback to direct an explosive offense which features several other young but talented skill position players.

Others to Consider:Virginia Tech, Penn State, Ole Miss, Kansas, Notre (gasp!) Dame

Two congratulations to hand out, first to the Florida Gators for winning the BCS National Championship. My second congrats go out to my friend John Radcliff of the Mountainlair, he won his second In The Bleachers Bowl Bonanza title in three years edging out Tell Burke by one point. I will be in contact with all of those who won prizes.

A little bit of a sloppy game last night but that I expected when the teams have around a month off between their conference title games and the BCS title game. Both Tebow and Bradford had two interceptions, but Bradford’s came at a very bad time at the end of the second quarter.

Add to that the mistake Bob Stoops made not going for the field goal in the first quarter and there’s the 10 points Oklahoma needed to tie the game. If you want to get even more into it, the blocked FG would’ve won the Sooners the game. As I said in the Podcast, Florida’s edge on Special Teams was going to be the big factor in this game, and it turned out to be.

It was great to see a championship game live up to the hype. The game was still in doubt heading into the latter parts of the 4th quarter. Mr. Electric, Percy Harvin broke off a few long runs for the Gators and set them up for the winning score. I feel that’s the last we’ll see Harvin in a college setting.

The next questions surround the fact of how good was the Big 12. We heard all season how they were better than the SEC and have surpassed them in the conference rankings. All the Big 12 supports pointed to having 3 teams in the Top 10 with Oklahoma, Texas, and Texas Tech.

Bowl season comes around and Oklahoma and Texas score the least points they did all year against their opponents, and Texas Tech puts up only 1 point more than their previous season low against Ole Miss. The other Big 12 South team Oklahoma State has 42 points put on them by Oregon. I think my assumption was right all along, the Big 12 was full of above average offenses, but below average defenses.

Overall the Big 12 won 4 bowl games against Clemson, Northwestern, Minnesota, and Ohio State. Only the Ohio State one is impressive, and even then, Texas was suppose to wipe them off the field. But they needed a late TD to win that game. Missouri needed overtime to beat Northwestern, and the Nebraska-Clemson game was very close.

Anyway, I was glad to see a competitive championship game and am sad to see a close to the 2008-09 season. We only have a little more than 8 months till the 2009-10 season kicks off.

One final note, I was glad to see the AP Writers, who were all clamoring for Utah, come together in unity to put their votes where their mouths are…wimps!

To steal a quote from Colonel Sink right before the invasion of Europe; “Tonight is the night of nights”. The waiting is over as the BCS National Championship Game between Florida and Oklahoma will kick off from Miami, a little after 8pm EST on Fox.

Although some people don’t think that this game is the Championship game, that it was already decided when Utah beat Alabama; I refuse to be that rebel because I believe in the BCS. Plus I also can’t take a guy seriously who still thinks Pacific still has a College Football team. Thanks to Dr. Saturday for pointing out that blunder.

A group of fans will go home from Miami dejected and disappointed, come tomorrow if they were caught crying on camera they will probably be ridiculed by Spencer in Friday’s Curious Index, especially if they are a Sooners fan.

I have already given my prediction on who I think will win; I think Florida has a decided advantage in the Special Teams aspect, I think their quick defensive line will not allow Bradford to sit in the pocket like he is use to, and I don’t think the Sooners will be able to stop the Gators. For the Sooners to win they have to establish the run to keep the Gators off balance and use their weapons at wide receiver and tight end to find holes in the Florida secondary. The Gators haven’t faced a passing attack like the Sooners this year so it will be a test for their secondary.

If you haven’t already got enough pregame material; below are some good previews to check out. Enjoy the game everyone, savor it because we don’t have another one for 9 months.

Final Thoughts About the Championship Game - [Saurian Sagacity]

BCS Title Preview - [The Reitmeyer Rant]

Hold that pose: Florida, Oklahoma play for No. 1 - [Yahoo Sports]

Oklahoma Defense vs. Florida Offense - [Crimson And Cream Machine]

Oklahoma Offense vs. Florida Defense - [Crimson and Cream Machine]

Oklahoma vs Florida - [Heisman Pundit]

Gators-Sooners: The B/R Guide To The BCS Championship Game - [Bleacher Report]

My prediction: Florida 45 Oklahoma 21

Check out the standings for all of the BCS Conferences and you’ll notice that even after 9, 10, or 11 games, the races are still unsettled. Below are my best interpretations of what needs to happen for teams to win their conference title, or in some cases get to their conference championship game.

There is a lot of information here so I’ll just give you the Big Ten, Pac Ten, and Big 12 in this post. Later I will add another article with the ACC, Big East, and SEC.

Big Ten

Penn State - The Nittany Lions control their own destiny. A win against Michigan State clinches the Rose Bowl for them.
Ohio State - The Buckeyes need to beat Michigan and have Michigan State beat Penn State.
Michigan State - The Spartans need to beat Penn State and have Michigan beat Ohio State.

Pac Ten

Oregon State - The Beavers need to win both of the games against Arizona and USC to win the Pac Ten. If they lose one of the two, USC has to lose to UCLA. If the loss is against Oregon, then a tiebreaker between the three teams is put in place. Since they each would’ve a 1-1 record against each other…the next tiebreaker is against their record against the next highest teams in the Pac-10. Cal and/or Arizona would have to finish higher than Stanford. That would eliminate Oregon, and Oregon State holds the tiebreaker of head to head over USC>
USC - The Trojans need to beat UCLA and have Arizona or Oregon beat Oregon State. If USC loses to UCLA, the Trojans need Oregon State to lose to both teams…OR in the case of a three way tie…Stanford has to finish higher than UCLA or California to eliminate the Beavers. USC holds the head to head tiebreaker over Oregon.
Oregon - The Ducks best bet is for a 3 way tie. In that case they would’ve beaten Oregon State. UCLA, who would have to beat USC, would have to finish higher than California which would knock out the Trojans. Oregon would hold the tiebreaker over Oregon State through head to head.

Big 12 North

Missouri - This is easy…they have clinched the Big 12 North and will play in the conference championship game.

Big 12 South

Texas Tech - The Red Raiders control their own destiny. If they win against Oklahoma they are in the title game. If the Red Raiders lose to Oklahoma, the Sooners must lose to Oklahoma State the following week. If Tech loses to Oklahoma and ends in a 3 way tie with Texas and Oklahoma, they have to finish the highest in the BCS Standings of those teams to go to the Big 12 Title game.
Oklahoma - Oklahoma must beat Texas Tech and Oklahoma State. Then they would have to hope to finish higher in the BCS Standings if all 3 teams (Texas, Texas Tech, and Oklahoma) are tied with a 7-1 record.
Texas - Texas has to hope for Oklahoma to beat Texas Tech, then finish higher in the BCS Standings than Texas Tech and Oklahoma. Also, the Longhorns can go if Oklahoma beats Texas Tech, but loses to Oklahoma State…Texas Tech would have to also lose to Baylor and Texas would have to beat Texas A&M.

As of now, there are three teams out in front of the race to the BCS Championship. Texas is currently ranked #1, and deservedly so after beating Oklahoma on Saturday, with Alabama #2, and Penn State #3. It is pretty safe to say that if these teams run the table, they will be in the Championship game, and another safe bet is that at least one of these teams will lose before the end of the year.

Texas
In their remaining 6 games, their opponents have a combined record of 27-9. If there should be any ties with three teams at the top, Texas will win all ties with the strength of their schedule. The next few weeks include Missouri, Oklahoma State, at Texas Tech, and two weeks after the Red Raiders, at Kansas. This doesn’t even include the Big 12 Championship game. If Texas can somehow run the table, they WILL be in the championship game, but I think out of these 3 teams, their chances of doing that are the slimmest.

Alabama
The Crimson Tide have 6 remaining games in which their opponents combined record is 19-17. We are finding out that teams like Tennessee, Auburn, and LSU are not as good as we thought. Also, their early season victory against Clemson does not hold the luster it once did. I think out of these 3 teams, Alabama still has something to prove even with that victory over Georgia. I know I will tick off a lot of SEC fans, but overall the SEC does not have the strength it had in previous years which might help Alabama run the table. But we also know that anything can happened, and to be undefeated the Tide will have to beat either Florida, Georgia, or Vanderbilt in the SEC Title game.

Penn State
The Nittany Lions are a bit of a surprise this year because it was thought that the Buckeyes were to be the class of the Big Ten, with everyone else fighting for second. Their remaining schedule has games at home against Michigan, at Ohio State (where they haven’t won in Columbus since the 1970s), at Iowa, and home against Michigan State. Those teams (plus Indiana) combine for a record of 20-13. The Lions have the luxury of knowing that if they run the regular season table, they don’t have a Big Ten title game to worry about, but that could also hurt them if there are more than 2 teams with an undefeated record. I know every Nittany Lion fan points towards the Ohio State game, but don’t look past Michigan State who beat them last year.

The probably of even 1 of these teams finishing undefeated is less than 50%, but as of now these three teams are leading the pack. As I said, I think Texas has the toughest task ahead, and I’d place Alabama second with Penn State having the easiest road. Mainly because they are already 7-0, a game more than the Longhorns and Tide, and don’t have to worry about a Conference Championship game.

It is Wednesday two days before one of the biggest rivalries in Big 12 and the nation, the Red River Shootout. This game will have two of the top quarterbacks in the country (sorry Chase) in the game with Colt McCoy and Sam Bradford. As a Texas fan, you have to be happy at the way Colt is protecting the ball, and how he is now making plays with his feet.

I know a lot of Texas and Oklahoma fans who wish that they could just take a little cat nap and when they wake up it is Gametime! Wouldn’t we all love to do that!?!!? But just think if you did that, you would miss out on all of the trash talk during the week that leads up to the game. Peter Bean wastes no bones and tells us what he thinks of Oklahoma.

Kate will help you through your mid-week blues

By now we all know about the ever so popular Fulmer Cup that Spencer runs at EDSBS, but that only includes incidents by football players. I am hereby starting a grassroots program to have Marching Bands added to the Fulmer Cup for this offseason.

You ask why? In the past two weeks two marching bands have been suspended for sexual harrassment among other things. Those bands are UC Davis and the Wisconsin’s band. It’s too easy to make the…”This one time…at band camp” joke here.

It’s week six and two topics will be ramping up in interest in the coming weeks, the Heisman Trophy talk and the BCS debate. The first we have to deal with…the second well a lot of us have a problem with. If you are really jonesing for some Heisman rankings, go over to The Quad as they have ranked their top 5 players.

The BCS standings don’t come out for a few weeks, due to the fact that many computer polls are not up to date yet, but with the Harris Poll now officially published and 5 of the 6 computer rankings out, Jeremy over at MWC breaks down some of the rankings.

I mentioned in the last post about how Adam and I are going to talk about some surprise story lines so far this season. Bruce Feldman at ESPN.com has a nice list of the top 5 compelling story lines so far this season.

Predictions, predictions, and more predictions. We all love making them and feel even better when they come right. One person who I trust making predictions is my pal Jim Gindin over at Football Frontier. He’s great at breaking down games and finding the strengths and weaknesses in a team. Check out his predicitions for this weekend.