Before you read this, make sure you check out the big announcement about future ITB podcasts. That’s right kids…ESPN’s Bruce Feldman is coming back for more!

#43: LG Shelly Smith, Colorado State

The Verdict: Colorado State is one of those teams which had an aggressive inside running attack last year, and despite the fact that it was the team’s first year in Steve Fairchild’s west coast system the Ram offensive line paved the way for a respectable 4.2 yard per carry average. Not only that, but leading rusher Gartrell Johnson ran for 1476 yards on 5.3 yards a carry, thanks in large part (literally) to 6-foot-4 guard Shelly Smith. Smith earned Second Team All-Conference honors a season ago, and since coming to Fort Collins has matured into one of the best interior linemen in the conference. Particularly athletic for his size, Smith shows outstanding ability to pull from his position, while also showing a knack for pancaking smaller (but quicker) defenders in open space. Along with center Tim Walter and right guard Andrian Martinez, Smith gives Colorado State arguably the best interior line combination of any Non-BCS team going into 2009.

Past Players: [#50: Navy LB Ross Pospisil] [#49: Fresno State RB Ryan Mathews] [#48: Wyoming DT John Fletcher] [#47: BSU WR Briggs Orsbon] [#46: EMU QB Andy Schmitt] [#45: Marshall TE Cody Slate] [#44: LA Tech WR/KR Philip Livas]

There has been a lot of talk lately about how with the BCS, college programs are looking to go the easier route with their out of conference scheduling. Some teams claim that their conference schedule is hard enough and they just want to have a few cupcakes on their schedule, while other claim they need the 7 or 8 home games a year to fund the rest of their sports. I did a quick glance and found a few schools that should be proud of their scheduling.

In the Pac 10, a move was made a few years ago, once the 12th game was added, to play 9 conference games. Therefore, that leaves only 3 games on the out of conference slate to fill in. Both USC and Oregon filled them up with some quality opponents.

The Trojans have their yearly tilt at the end of the year against Notre Dame, who many thing will be top 10 material this year. Including the Domers, the Trojans also travel to Columbus to play Ohio State. Their final OOC game is San Jose State, which is not a tough game for them, but after playing two (potential) top 10 teams, I can let this one slide.

Oregon opens up the season traveling to the blue turf at Boise State and has other out of conference games with Utah and Purdue. I have to give the Ducks credit because those are three quality schools. Purdue will be a bit down this year but the games at Boise State and against Utah are better than the majority of the teams that can schedule 4 OOC games.

If you listened to the Phil Steele interview we had on Monday, you’ll remember how he mentioned that BYU controls their own destiny when it comes to making the BCS Championship game. You heard it right, not just a BCS Bowl, but the BCS Championship game. They open the season versus Oklahoma, and have Florida State later in the year. Those are two quality programs to go along with an increasingly tougher Mountain West and you have a difficult schedule for the Cougars.

Sticking in the Non-BCS conference, the Bulldogs of Fresno State once again loaded up their out of conference scheduling. If you remember last year they played both Rutgers and Wisconsin in back to back weeks. This year they play Wisconsin, Cincinnati (defending Big East champions), and Illinois all on the road. I won’t get on them too much for scheduling UC Davis because of what they have to face in the other 3 games.

Remember last year when there was a big deal made about Georgia finally leaving the south to play an out of conference game against Arizona State? Well hold on to your hats, the Dawgs are going west again to play the Oklahoma State Cowboys. It should be interesting to see how the Dawgs can handle the Cowboys’ high scoring offense. Besides the Cowboys, Georgia has a return game against Arizona State at home and travels to play Georgia Tech in their yearly rivalry match. With those three games, I give them a free pass (much like with Fresno State) in playing Tennessee Tech.

Finally we come to the Hokies of Virginia Tech who are no strangers to scheduling tough out of conference opponents. A few years ago they opened up with USC in our Nation’s Capital, this year they have a neutral site game against Alabama. I am really looking forward to this game. Alabama will have some holes to fill but Nick Saban has had some great recruiting classes, and Virginia Tech is clamoring to be the favorite in the ACC. A win here by the Hokies would do wonders for the ACC’s image. The Hokies also have a home game against Nebraska, who many think is the favorite in the Big 12 North, and take a trip to play East Carolina who surprised them last year. I’m sure that loss to the Pirates last year will not be forgotten when that game comes around.

As college football fans we’d love to see more games and schedules like the ones I mentioned above. For the most part, a lot of these schedules are made 6 or 7 years in advance, and that’s plenty of time for teams that were once good to go south and stink. But having said that, you never know what games or teams will come up to bite you. Who thought last year that East Carolina would beat both West Virginia and Virginia Tech? Just because it doesn’t look good on paper, does not mean it won’t be a quality game.

Brian and I need to recharge this weekend before the big show with Phil Steele on Monday, but before we leave you with sweet dreams of PS numbers and Plus/Minus ratings we submit to you the latest installment of our countdown of the 50 best non-BCS conference players in the country. Enjoy!

#48: DT John Fletcher, Wyoming

The Verdict: Wyoming fans did not have a lot to hang their hats on last season. Yet lost behind a 4-8 record, an inept offense, and a truly egregious -22 turnover margin was the play of defensive tackle John Fletcher, who garnered second team All-Mountain West honors for the second consecutive season. While he saw a dropoff in his sack production from 2007 to 2008, he comes into his senior campaign with 17 total sacks and 23.5 career tackles for a loss. A versatile defensive lineman at 6-foot-6, 272 pounds, Fletcher has served as the cornerstone for Wyoming’s Top 40 ranked defenses each of the past two seasons, and uses his unique blend of size and strength to plug up gaps in the Pokes’ 3-4 defensive front. While he may not put up the gaudy statistics of TCU’s Jerry Hughes or BYU’s Jan Jorgenson, Fletcher’s inside presence gives Wyoming a chance to be competitive in the Mountain West going into 2009 and earns him the 48^th spot in our countdown.

Past Players:

#49: Fresno St. RB Ryan Mathews

#50: Navy LB Ross Pospisil

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.

More ITB Spring Question Previews:
[ACC]
[SEC]
[BIG XII]
[Big East]

Will BYU be able to replace four offensive line starters?

While the departure of wide receiver Austin Collie leaves the Cougar’s without their biggest offensive weapon from a season ago, BYU is by no means short on skill position talent. Veteran quarterback Max Hall returns along with All-Mountain West tight end Dennis Pitta, while the Cougars also get back speedster wide receiver McKay Jacobson after a two year Mormon mission. And the backfield? Still loaded with 250 pounds of thunder and lightning as Harvey Unga returns for his junior year. The biggest question mark for Bronco Mendenhall’s team will be whether or not the Cougars can find a working offensive line this spring, as the unit must replace four full time starters from a year ago.  With eight coming back on a defense that has nowhere to go but up, successfully retooling the offensive line could mean the difference between just another winning season and the ever elusive BCS bowl berth.

Which perennial doormat is on its way up?

The faces are different but the names (not to mention the losses) have stayed the same. Programs like Eastern Michigan, Utah State, San Diego State, Army, and New Mexico State have had a torrid history of losing seasons in recent years, and all look to rebuild (or is that just build?) after coaching changes during the offseason. And while the process of putting a program together after multiple seasons of 2, 3, or maybe 4 wins is a difficult task to do within the course of only a year, there is precedence for non-BCS teams to find success right away. My pick for the team that could surprise? Watch out for the Utah State Aggies, as former Utah defensive coordinator Gary Anderson steps into a fairly wide-open WAC conference with 16 starters back from last year’s team.

Will Notre Dame find a running game?

Notre Dame’s running woes over the past two seasons have been well documented, as even a stable of former four star recruits hasn’t helped the Irish offense move the ball consistently on the ground during the program’s recent decline. Notre Dame was 100^th in rushing yards per game in the country last season, but there may be reason to expect improvement in 2009. A revamped coaching staff that includes Frank Verducci and Tony Alford should improve the Irish offensive line play, which in turn should help the Irish establish a more physical mentality in the running game. Coach Weis will still need a back to step up and assert himself for the job however, with Armando Allen, Robert Hughes, and Jonas Gray likely to fight over the job this spring. Allen looked to have the most promise a season ago, but if none of Notre Dame’s running backs can provide the answer Weis is looking for expect the field to widen over the summer, when much-heralded true freshmen Cierre Woods arrives in South Bend.

Is Ball State rebuilding, or reloading?                

As if finishing the year without a MAC Title and losing head coach Brady Hoke wasn’t enough, the Cardinals also have to replace the MAC’s top quarterback in Nate Davis along with six other offensive starters from last year’s double-digit win team. Offensive coordinator Stan Parrish takes over the reigns of the team, which should be solid on defense with seven coming back from a year ago. Yet despite a plethora of talent to include running back Miquale Lewis and wide receiver Briggs Orsbon on offense, Parrish will have to find a quarterback and retool the offensive line for the Cardinals to stay atop the MAC. That means it is sink or swim for highly regarded sophomore Kelly Page, who could be pushed by true freshmen and early enrollee Aaron Mershman for the starting job.

Who will be Navy’s fullback?

Going back to 2003 the Midshipmen have had a string of NFL caliber talent at the “B” back position in the triple option offense, with last year’s star Eric Kettani proving to be no exception. But Kettani, who accounted for 88% of carries by a Navy fullback a season ago, moves on this spring, leaving head coach Ken Niumatalolo without a steady heir-apparent. While it’s too early to tell who will step in for Kettani or how successful they will be, keep an eye out for the battle between sophomore Alex Teich and senior Kevin Campbell. Campbell gives the Mids the safer option at fullback, but the explosive Teich gives Navy a home-threat with his speed, quickness, and vision at the second level.

For a complete list of spring game dates for non-BCS conference teams, as well as spring game dates for all 120 FBS programs, click here.

Colorado State 6-6 (4-4), 5th Mountain West
vs

Fresno State 7-5 (4-4), 5th Western Athletic

Saturday December 20, 2008 2:30 pm EST ESPN

The Rams and the Bulldogs use to be old rivals in the WAC, but 10 years ago Colorado State decided to move over to the Mountain West. The New Mexico Bowl will be one settling point between the two conferences as to which one is the best Non-BCS Conference.

Fresno State started off the year good with a now impressive win at Rutgers, only to fall one week later by 3 points to Wisconsin at home. The Bulldogs are a balanced team on offense, but when you look at their defensive numbers, you will see that they are very vulnerable against the pass.

Senior Tom Brandstater did not have the year many thought he would, but still put up some nice numbers throwing for 17 touchdowns and 2478 yards. The Bulldogs have three people in the backfield that can hurt you. Anthony Harden, Lonyae Miller, and Ryan Mathews all ran for over 599 yards and combined for 15 touchdowns. It will be interesting to see how Fresno State bounces back after losing their last game 62-10 to Boise State.

Colorado State has a one two punch at QB and WR of Billy Farris and Rashaun Greer. Farris has thrown for 17 touchdowns and 2600 yards while Greer has been on the receiving end of over 1000 of those yards and 2 touchdowns. Farris’ favorite target close to the goalline is Dion Morton who has 10 touchdown catches. In the backfield Gartrell Johnson has close to 1200 yards rushing and 10 touchdowns.

The Rams defensively do not put much pressure on the quarterback as they have only registered 9 sacks this year, the least in the FBS. On the flip side the Bulldogs’ secondary has only intercepted a total of 4 passes this season, the least in the FBS. If you like offense, watch this game. Both teams will be able to move up and down at will (as you will see from the Tale of the Tape).

Tale of the Tape

Colorado State
Offense - 377 ypg, 247 ypg passing, 129 ypg rushing
Defense - 407 ypg, 222 ypg passing, 185 ypg rushing
Quality Wins versus Bowl Teams - Houston

Fresno State
Offense - 383 ypg, 206 ypg passing, 177 ypg rushing
Defense - 393 ypg, 196 ypg passing, 197 ypg rushing
Quality Wins versus Bowl Teams - Rutgers

Prediction: Colorado State 40 Fresno State 35

The podcast will be up later today, most likely in the evening. The talkshoe software is experience some problems and last night’s live podcast was not uploaded in time for me to edit it. I have a ticket in with their service department and expect it to be taken care of soon.

Tonight we have two games going on in college football. The first one has the Pittsburgh Panthers traveling to Tampa to play the South Florida Bulls. The Bulls, along with the Connecticut Huskies, look like they are two of the top teams in the Big East. South Florida had a nice win at home a few weeks ago again Kansas, but tonight they will be a bit shorthanded against the Panthers. All-American DE George Selvie (ankle) and DT Terrell McClain (ankle) likely will miss their second consecutive game.

I do think they will still have the fire power and the defensive strength to stop a Panther team who struggled against Syracuse last week, but Pitt always wins one game each year that they had no business winning. Could the Bulls be this year’s West Virginia on Pitt’s schedule. For Pitt to win they must have a better showing on the offensive line, Selvie being out should help, and be able to put a strong hold defensively on South Florida QB Matt Grothe.

In the other Thursday night game, the Oregon State Beavers travel to play the Utah Utes. The Beavers play their second Thursday game in consecutive weeks, and I don’t think I have to remind you about what happened against USC last week. Jacquizz Rodgers is the Pac 10’s leading rusher and is going to see a lot of carries tonight against Utah’s 5th rank run defense. It will be interesting to see if the Beavers have a let down against Utah. Mike Riley is already warning the Beavers against said letdown.

If the Utes aren’t careful their BCS dreams could go up in smoke with a loss tonight. Brian Johnson leds the Utes at QB as they average over 35 points per game. I think it will be a tough night for the Beavers as they will have trouble stopping Utah. Rodgers will not see the same holes he did last night as the Utes will be ready for him.

I think both games have the potential to be good ones, and as we know in the past, on Thursday nights crazy things happen in college football.


1. Georgia (22) 1,438
2. Southern California (14) 1,430
3. Ohio State (14) 1,392
4. Oklahoma (3) 1,329
5. Florida (5) 1,293
6. LSU (3) 1,163
7. Missouri 1,143
8. West Virginia 1,008
9. Clemson 999
10. Texas 979
11. Auburn 888
12. Wisconsin 747
13. Kansas 714
14. Texas Tech 644
15. Virginia Tech 568
16. Arizona State 560
17. Brigham Young 547
18. Tennessee 506
19. Illinois 422
20. Oregon 399
21. South Florida 350
22. Penn State 313
23. Wake Forest 203
24. Michigan 112
25. Fresno State 91


Others receiving votes

Alabama (7-6) 83; South Carolina (6-6) 64; Utah (9-4) 60; Florida State (7-6) 53; Rutgers (8-5) 53; Boston College (11-3) 47; California (7-6) 41; Pittsburgh (5-7) 34; Boise State (10-3) 25; Oregon State (9-4) 23; Nebraska (5-7) 17; Cincinnati (10-3) 13; Virginia (9-4) 12; Connecticut (9-4) 9; Michigan State (7-6) 9; Mississippi State (8-5) 6; Kentucky (8-5) 5; Notre Dame (3-9) 5; TCU (8-5) 5; Maryland (6-7) 4; North Carolina (4-8) 3; Texas A&M (7-6) 3; UCLA (6-7) 3; Central Florida (10-4) 2; Georgia Tech (7-6) 2; Louisville (6-6) 2; Arizona (5-7) 1; Colorado (6-7) 1; Oklahoma State (7-6) 1; Tulsa (10-4) 1.


By Conference
Big 10 - 5
Big 12 - 5
SEC - 5
ACC - 3
Pac 10 - 3
Big East - 2
Mountain West - 1
Western Athletic - 1

The biggest surprise to me is seeing Michigan ranked. Also it looks like the coaches didn’t follow the media and ranked Georgia over Florida. More thoughts to come later. Did I ever mention how much I hate preseason polls?

There’s Ohio State and USC. Georgia traveling to the desert to take on Arizona State. And who can forget about the always competitive Red River Rivalry that has long crowned not only the Big XII champion, but given one team a shot at the National Championship?

It’s no secret that these are the kinds of games fans and analysts are already salivating over as we find ourselves a little more than a month away from the start of the 2008 college football season. Yet beyond the hoopla and buildup of these monumental out-of-conference contests and long-circled conference showdowns, the road to a national championship is forged through the weekly grind of conference games against seemingly lower competition. Known to many as “trap” or even “landmine” games, these are the contests that go under the radar every year, and are frequently overlooked as fans and media members make their preseason predictions. Yet perhaps now more than ever, as the twelfth game format transforms the landscape of scheduling, these games have the chance (some may even argue the propensity) to rock-the-boat of title hopefuls and throw the entire BCS race upside down.

We of course saw this on numerous occasions last season. From South Florida’s unlikely early season run being deflated against what many considered a down Rutgers team to West Virginia’s infamous collapse against a mediocre Pitt club in the Backyard Brawl, 2007 was filled with an any-given-Saturday conference mentality that seemed to reshuffle the Top 10 on a nightly basis. Even eventual National Champion LSU was not immune, losing to a pair of 8-5 teams in Arkansas and Kentucky which many people expected them to beat.

So what does 2008 hold in store? If you’re asking me I’d tell you likely more of that same, although perhaps not with the same frequency we saw in 2007. Nevertheless, here are seven under-the-radar games which could present unforeseen problems for this year’s national title contenders, and possibly affect the race to get to the BCS National Championship Game.

Florida at Miami (September 6^th)- It’s not that Randy Shannon is going to have Miami in the Top 15 this year. Frankly, I have serious reservations about the Hurricanes even achieving bowl eligibility this season. Yet for all the challenges Miami should face in 2008 (see: quarterback play) the Hurricanes supposedly remain not only one of the most talented teams in the country, but one of only a few teams with the defensive speed to be able to matchup with Urban Meyer’s scheme. If Shannon can get the Hurricanes to play to win (that is to say play some offense) and Miami can get even a little better offensive line and quarterback play, than this should be a much closer matchup than many people might have originally thought.

Georgia at Kentucky (November 8^th)- Your classic “sandwich game,” Georgia could very well find itself #1 in the nation if Mark Richt’s team can get past Florida in the preceding week. Yet with an SEC finale against what figures to be a title contending Auburn team on the 15^th the Bulldogs could be susceptible to looking past coach Rich Brooks’ Kentucky Wildcats, who may analysts feel could challenge Vanderbilt for last place in the SEC East this year. Kentucky’s offense will likely take a step back from 2007 with the loss of QB Andre Woodson, RB Rafeal Little, and pass catchers Keenan Burton and Jacob Tamme, but with eight returning starters on a defense which held Georgia to a season low 99 passing yards last season the Wildcats have more than enough talent and confidence to give Matt Staford and company fits.

Ohio State at Michigan State (October 18^th)- Everyone wants to talk about Ohio State’s early season showdown with Southern California- and rightly so. Yet the expectation has been that if the Buckeyes can get past the Trojans on September 13^th than it’ll be smooth sailing for the scarlet and red until the season finale against Michigan. Personally, I think that notion is worth a “not so fast my friend.” If any Big 10 team has the capability to stun Ohio State it’ll be the Spartans, who will have the benefit of getting the Buckeyes coming into East Lansing a week before Ohio State’s Homecoming showdown with Penn State. Remember that Michigan State hung around with the Buckeyes last season, eventually falling 24-17 despite being an 18 point underdog on the road. With the bruising Javon Ringer back at running back and a full year under QB Brian Hoyer’s belt expect a more explosive Spartan offense with the ability to stick with Ohio State once again in 2008.

Southern California at Arizona (October 25^th)- A perennial contender when it comes to the National Title, Southern California has dominated the Pacific-10 conference under headman Pete Carrol, who is 76-14 through seven seasons at USC. Arizona meanwhile has struggled under Mike Soops, who has failed to get his team past the 6-6 hump in his four seasons in Tucson. Sounds like a sure-thing, right? Maybe, but USC has slipped up against mid to low level Pac-10 teams the past two seasons and Arizona looks to be much better offensively this year. The Trojans had to stage a second half comeback to overcome the Wildcats in a 20-13 win last season, but with 10 returning starters on offense and another year in Sonny Dykes’ system I think the Wildcats will have the ability to hang around late in the game this year. Keep in mind that Stoops’ 2006 team dashed Cal’s National Title hopes in 2006 with a late season win. Can lightning strike twice?

Texas Tech at Oklahoma (November 15^th)- Seldom is there a more important game for Oklahoma than the annual Red River Rivalry with the University of Texas, but looking into 2008 the late November matchup with Texas Tech may present the more important contest in the Sooners’ presumed run at a National Title. Not that Bob Stoops will have his team looking past the Red Raiders, who stunned then 3^rd ranked Oklahoma in Lubbock last year. Still, not everyone is buying into Texas Tech, which despite returning a loaded offense still has yet to breakthrough and capture a Big XII title until headman Mike Leach. Yet with three starters lost from a secondary that gave up 420 passing yards to Tech in last year’s game, I look for the Sooner defense to struggle even more so against Graham Harrell and company in 2008, possibly opening the door for a late season upset opportunity.   

Clemson at Duke (November 15^th)- Now that the initial shock has worn off from seeing “Duke” and a “National Championship” in the same post, let’s discuss this one. Some may scoff at the notion of Clemson as a realistic National Title contender, but then again who realistically thought Boston College would be in position to vie for the BCS Title before a late season collapse last year?  There isn’t much precedence for Duke to beat an ACC team (much less the most talented ACC team) but that fact alone gives the Blue Devils and new Head Coach David Cutcliffe the ability to sneak up on the Tigers, who will be coming off what could be an energy depleting road game at Florida State. Duke has better talent than most people around the country realize, and with seventeen returning starters more than enough experience to start wining games right away. If the team can catch on to Cutcliffe’s scheme and coaching style, the Blue Devils should be in a position to surprise at least one unlucky ACC team in 2008.

BYU at TCU (October 16^th)- I’d be lying if I said that hearing the national media types assess BYU’s schedule this year hasn’t caused me the occasional chuckle. Sure, matchups against Washington and UCLA are huge, but putting the Huskies or Bruins on a pedestal above the likes of TCU or Utah seems almost laughable. Texas Christian is coming off of a somewhat disappointing season, but the Horned Frogs return fifteen total starters from a team which finished the year strong last year. QB Andy Dalton should be better, and despite the loss of both starting defensive ends the Horned Frogs should be stout on defense as usual. Gary Patterson coached teams tend to play with a chip on their shoulder, and having been dethroned from the top of the conference the past two seasons they’ll be primed to pull out all the stops against the Cougars.  

Aside from covering college football for Inthebleachers.net, Adam Nettina works as the Mid-American Conference analysts for the brand-spankin’ new CollegeFootballNews.com blog team, and the host of the weekly college football themed Under Center Show. You can read his weekly column at CollegeFootballNews.com.

We are a little over a week into summer, the 4th of July is at the end of the week, and now is a great time to go to the beach. But for college football fans, July is a horrible month. Unless your team shows up in the police blotter, or gets a verbal commitment from an upcoming senior, this month is a slow crawl towards the start of fall camp.

Johnson wants to make it 6 years of bowling

If it isn’t already in your RSS Feeds, July is a great month to head over to Saturday Soundoffs. Eric, who has joined the ITB staff, has started his two-a-days which are excellent. Yesterday he took a look at Colorado State and North Dakota State.

Former Navy coach and new Georgia Tech coach Paul Johnson has his hands full this year with the Yellow Jackets. Johnson will be installing a new offense, but is stuck with the talent left from Chan Gailey. Under Johnson, Navy went to five straight bowl games, but it looks as if his personal run will end this year…or will it.

As Adam and I talked about in the last episode of the In The Bleachers Podcast, we both think that BYU has a chance to crash the BCS Bowl party this year. The Mountain West Conference Connection has found some predictions that has said that BYU or Utah could end up in the top 5. BYU with their schedule and number of returning starters could finish in the top 5 after winning every game this year, but I think Utah has a little shot of finishing in the top 25, but will not finish in the top 5.

JayPa’s bocce outfit

USC is quickly piling up the blue chip recruits once again this year, and with the ongoing Reggie Bush investigation, there are plenty of rumors of possible violations by the Trojans. Over at the Barking Carnival TaylorTRoom looks at the history of college football recruiting cheating which he breaks into four parts.

Recruiting and Happy Valley are not mixing right now. If you are like me and a member of BWI’s Lions’ Den, you probably have noticed that there have been a lot of bickering and fighting over losing recruits to Rutgers and Pitt in the past few weeks. There is one person that is still the #1 lightning rod for the fans to pick on, Jay Paterno. Jay has been spending a lot of time blogging for Presidential hopeful Barack Obama, and word has gotten out that he played in a celebrity bocce tournament. Maybe if the younger Paterno spent more time on the recruiting trail or developing quarterbacks than playing with balls, he wouldn’t get such grief.

Kate doesn’t need coffee to make her hot

July also brings out my favorite…the preseason football polls. I have no problem with people voicing their opinions on who they think are the top 25 teams, but there should be no “official” polls till after the 3rd or 4th week of the season. On the Bleacher Report John Lynch takes a stab at his Top 25 preseason poll. As you can tell by some of the comments, they are not too happy who he has in it. My favorite argument is how certain fans always think their team(s) is overlooked or disrespected. Calm down people, let them play a game first before you flip out.

It has been a rainy end of June here in Pittsburgh, but it is nothing compared to what is going on in the Midwest. Head over to Mizzourah and find out how you can help people who have been victimized by the floods.

Finally, the Heisman Pundit is back with an improved, updated, new-looking site. He’s great as always, and I have an email in to him to come on the In The Bleachers Podcast (hopefully Wednesday) to talk about the Heisman hopefuls for 2008. While we are waiting check out his new article asking; Is it really that important to have a quarterback who is an elite NFL-prospect in your program?