I hope everyone enjoyed the first few picks of my most likely FCS over FBS upsets for 2008. In an effort to prolong the suspense and incur more complaints from ACC fans I’ve decided to get to games seven through five tomorrow morning. Today however we are taking a look at a hodgepodge of FCS (I-AA for you purists) related links to include blogs, websites, and You Tube videos.

If you’re not familiar with FCS football I’d suggest checking some of these out, as by now you’ve probably had just about as much USC, Florida, and Texas news and notes as a sane person could possibly stand. Not so much? Well, at least I have.

First things first, let’s get to the blogs. While there isn’t as big of a market for FCS coverage from the college football blogosphere as there is for FBS teams, there are still several great places to read up on some of the best teams and leagues from around the country. One of my favorites is Frank Smith’s UMass Football Blog. Frank is about as immersed in the football program at the University of Massachusetts as a fan can get, and provides daily updates on the happenings of FCS teams from around the country. He’s extremely knowledgeable when it comes to teams from the Colonial Athletic Conference, and has keen eye for what it takes for FCS teams to upset FBS teams.

Another solid option for FCS reading is Chuck Burton’s Lehigh Football Nation, which contrary to its title is not exclusively about Lehigh or football. Consider it a one stop shop for commentary and analysis from around the Patriot league, and a very good one at that.

Moving right along, the New Hampshire Football Report does a great job on keeping tabs on not only University of New Hampshire football program, but all levels of football throughout the state to include high school. If you’re looking for Big Sky conference coverage you’re in luck, as no FCS conference is more represented than the one many people believe is among the best in the country.

The place to check out all the happenings in Big Sky football is BigSkyFans.com, which recently did an expert analysis on the OOC schedule for Big Sky conference teams.

Another great place to read up on Big Sky Football is Steve Bergum’s Eastern Washington Sports Blog. Also notable is Kellis Robinett’s Idaho State sports Blog, which tells you everything you ever wanted to know and more about Pocatello’s Bengals.

And don’t forget The Grizzoulian, which is the place to catch up on University of Montana athletics and football. Colin O’Keefe does an awesome job covering the Griz, while at the same time providing meaningful commentary and analysis from across the Big Sky conference.

Outside of blogs, there are also a number of traditional websites and web forums that provide great coverage and updated news on all the FCS teams from around the country. Perhaps the best place to start out is CollegeSportingNews.com, which could rightly be called the foremost authority on small school football on the web.

Another favorite of mine is the massive FCS message forum AnyGivenSaturday.com. AGS is full of knowledgably, dedicated fans from every FCS school in the country, and if you’re looking for the latest scoop this is the place to check out.

If you’re in to weekly previews I definitely suggest checking out the FCS Weekly Preview, where Eric Gemunder does a fantastic job breaking down all the week’s FCS games each week during the season. And don’t forget the FCS Launchpad, where you can find even more links to polls, rankings, and commentary from around the Championship Subdivision.

Now, on to the really fun stuff. You Tube has become an essential tool for today’s college football fan, and not just for the fans of top FBS teams for that matter. Many FCS teams have highlights posted on You Tube, while many more have features and interviews with players and coaches. For starters, you can actually watch entire football games from! one of the universities to later be featured on our upset countdown. McNeese State went undefeated in the regular season last year, and if you’ve got two and a half hours to kill you can see them upset the likes of Louisiana Lafayette or obliterate Southern Utah.

But wait; let’s say you’re the kind of person who needs your Sportscenter highlights. Not to worry, as you can watch, rewatch, and watch Tyler Roehl run all over Minnesota again and again. If Montana football is your thing, or you just like watching high quality abridged versions of Big Sky football domination, you can also check out all of Montana’s regular season wins in 2007. And of course, no discussion about FCS teams on You Tube could be complete without the many versions and highlights of Appalachian State’s victory over Michigan last season. You can relive highlights here, over here, and my personal favorite here.

Click away my friends, a whole new college football experience awaits!

So you think you know who the best high school football players in America are? Chances are you probably do, but just in case names like Matt Barkley or Cierre Wood don’t mean much to you, here are five top prep players to keep an eye out for in 2008 and beyond.

QB Kevin Newsome, Chesapeake Western Branch (VA): Michigan

Michigan may have lost out on Terrelle Pryor in 2008, but the new look Wolverine offense figures to get a good one in 2009 with the recent commitment of Virginia quarterback Kevin Newsome. Newsome is an intriguing player because while the athleticism is certainly there, he’s not strictly an option quarterback, and displays very good arm strength and solid pocket fundamentals. While he may not be as explosive or shifty as Pat White he has deceptive straight line speed for his size (6’3, 217) and quick enough feet that defenders have a hard time getting a clear shot at him. Probably will need to adjust to spread option reads at the next level as well as improve his delivery and accuracy with short-midge range throws, but definitely has the physical skills to succeed in 2008 and beyond.

MLB Tom Wort, New Braunfels (TX): Oklahoma

Wort doesn’t just play like a Tomahawk missile, the guy literally is one. Originally hailing from across the pond in England, Wort is one of those kids who opposing players’ moms have nightmares about. That’s because he plays the game with nothing short of a violent and relentless intensity that shows itself in every tackle he makes. His highlight film has already been called the defensive equivalent of the infamous “McGuffie Mixtape,” and has become something of a minor internet sensation over the past several weeks. I know he’s a bit undersized at 6’1, 210, but he projects as an outside linebacker at the next level and could even play strong safety. A physical specimen in terms of speed, strength, and pure hitting ability, Wort’s high-intensity style of play should make him an instant fan favorite when he gets to Norman in 2009.

RB Brandon Wegher, Sioux City Heelan (IA): Undecided

One of the Midwest’s most explosive offensive players, Wegher is a complete back with the strength, speed, and vision that you love to see in a Division I prospect. The Iowa star currently holds scholarship offers from 16 different schools and is expected to narrow his list to five over the summer. As you can see from his highlight video, he shows great cutback ability and a fluid running style which allows him to navigate through the second level of defenses almost untouched. A legitimate sub 4.5/40 guy (Also runs a 10.8/100) Wegher has the ability to blow up defensive angles once he gets to the sideline, and has enough upper body strength and leg explosion to also run through tackles. One thing I love about Wegner is his combination of work ethic and natural athletic ability. Often times you’ll see a guy with one or the other, but rarely will you find a guy who is motivated enough to continually improve.

WR Andre DeBose, Sanford Seminole (FL): Undecided

A dynamic all-purpose athlete who has drawn comparisons to Percy Harvin, Debose is ridiculously smooth in the open field and makes opposing defensive players look like their running through jello. This kid is a pure athlete all the way and has exceptional straight line speed as well as good cutback ability and lateral quickness. He’s exceptionally versatile in that while he projects as a wide receiver on the college level he can be lined up at several positions. He reminds me a lot of Harvin as well as former Purdue wide receiver and return man Dorian Bryant. One drawback I may see in his game is that he’s far from polished as a pure wide receiver and will likely need to play in a spread style offense to make an immediate impact. Translation? Don’t go to Florida State.

DE Sam Montgomery Greenwood Greenwood (SC): Undecided

Montgomery is a really exciting prospect not just because he has the “measurables” which give him unlimited potential on the next level, but because he has displayed outstanding overall production at the prep level. At 6’5 he has ideal size coming out of high school at the defensive end position, and with a 4.65/40 time he boasts more than enough speed to make an immediate impact as a rush end once he gets to college. You’d like to see him attack the weight room a little harder his senior season, but you can’t argue with 20 sacks as a junior in 2007. The amazing part of it? 2007 was his first year playing football, which means with refining he should be able to put up monster numbers down the road.

And your synergy just plain sucks!

The curse of being a football fan is that you have to put up with all the window dressing that is needed to entice non-football fans these days. I know I’m not breaking new ground with this statement, but for me to not say it in some medium would just be wrong.

I woke up from a nap and switched over to Fox to see what was going on, and Alicia Keys performing. I think she is an incredible artist, but am I the only one that just thinks there’s something wrong with a performance on a football field. That, of course, doesn’t include marching bands. Because marching bands are tradition. Their popularity doesn’t diminish over time. Their popularity doesn’t disappear with age. It actually grows. They play the same songs in the same formations with the same movements every week and it never gets old. If you’re like me, your schools marching band actually invokes emotions in you that you don’t experience anywhere or with anyone else. Simply put, it’s special.

But something about a pop artist performing on a field just reeks of bad. Of course, the last thing I saw before my nap was Before the Music Dies, a documentary on the devolution of popular music. It’s running on IFC this month and I would strongly urge you to take 90 minutes of your life to check it out. So yeah, I’m sure that skewed my thought process a little bit. But still, the corporate mega forces that control the music industry are the same types that control the broadcast industry that feeds us what they want us to like on the TV side. And they seem to work well together to bring football fans what we least want to see on Superbowl Sunday. Although I’m sure it’s exactly what all the test markets are telling them it’s what they need to show to bring in the non-football fans.

Still, it is the Superbowl. Which is going on as I type this. So I should probably get in front of the TV so I don’t seem like a complete dweeb tomorrow at work. But before I do, you should really check out this video from the documentary I was telling you about. This is why people lip sync.

Last night Joe Paterno was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame. He was suppose to be in last season, but the leg injury he suffered forced him to delay it until this season. Here is the you tube clip of his speech from last night.

For non-Domer fans, the fall of Notre Dame this year can be compared to Christmas coming early. We all know that NBC spends a lot of money promoting and paying for the rights to broadcast every Irish home game, but now one of their flag ship shows, Saturday Night Live, takes a turn at jabbing the Irish for their subpar season.

Brittney Spears? Um, Earth to Mike Patrick…ahh never mind, watch the clip below.

I wouldn’t be lying when I said that the Michigan Wolverines are not the most popular team in the Big Ten. Ohio State and Michigan State have a long standing rivarly with the Wolverines and their hatred runs decades. Penn State fans are just tired of losing to the Wolverines and that takes a toll and turns into greatly disliking the Wolverines. In these three You Tube clips you find cheers louder for the Michigan loss to Appalachain State than what happened in the blow out wins against Florida International and Youngstown State.

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.

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…

It was his first day on the job, and Nick Saban was christened by Alabama fans. They were lined up early to get a good look at their new football coach that is going to bring them back to the top.