For What It's Worth: LSU Deserves the National Championship

When the Georgia Bulldogs pounded Hawaii in the Sugar Bowl, the last undefeated team in the Bowl Championship Subdivision lost. Or so it would seem. LSU Coach Les Miles commented that the Tigers had not lost in regulation all season long after LSU lost in triple overtime to Arkansas the day after Thanksgiving. I think a few people thought Miles was delusional. Unfortunately for everyone else in college football, he was right. And, now, his words ring more true than ever.

No one else in college football (the Bowl Subdivision) is undefeated. Not Hawaii, not the Patriots (wait, they play in the NFL), not anyone. Hawaii, who lost to Georgia (see above) and Kansas stand as the two one loss teams. Even Ohio State, who had just one loss entering the National Title game, now has two losses. Kansas and Hawaii are the closest thing to perfect records as we have. Further, their is a line of two loss teams, some who won their bowl game, who are considered top 5 teams. West Virginia, Missouri, USC, Georgia all have two losses and closed with quality wins in bowl games.

Let's consider Miles' argument that the Tigers have not lost in regulation the entire season. It is true. In days past, as he mentioned, the old system which did not include overtime would have been in place. Therefore, the Tigers or one of the two opponents which they lost to in overtime, Kentucky or Arkansas, would have had to either go for the win or the tie in those games. I do not think that this LSU team would have lost both games in that situation. At worse, I think LSU would have been 11-1-1 (remember, they won the in SEC Title Game, 13 games played) . It is possible to have been 11-0-2. That would be good enough to deserve the National Title.

But let's look at this year. No other team in the country was undefeated in regulation. No one else. LSU was. It was a remarkable feat considering the number of injuries this team endured. LSU could have said folded when the injuries hit them, but they fought on. They played, week in and week out, the best competition from the best conference in the country. They took everyone's best shot.

The National Champion in the Bowl Subdivision of college football has always been about who was the best team from the beginning to the end. It rewarded the team who played the best all year long, not just the last half of the season or whenever. But, it is also about being better than everyone else. This year, each time a team was on the verge of taking the National Title by the horns, they faltered. LSU was given another shot, and they took it. And, they beat the team who earned the right more than anyone else to be in that game on Monday night, Ohio State. Ohio State did everything that would be asked of them to make it to the game. They won their conference title and they finished with fewer losses than anyone else among the BCS conference champions.

When the dust cleared, LSU was the only team remaining. And in a year in which college football was so whacky to follow, it is fitting that the champion has two losses, even if they came in overtime.

By the way, the champions of the Championship Subdivision, Appalachian State, has two losses. They beat all comers on the field in a 16 team playoff. Their record was 13-2 compared to LSU's 12-2. I think LSU's record is good enough.

Oh yeah, some kind of play-off is going to be coming soon to the Bowl Subdivision. It would be a shame if the NCAA has to rename its subdivisions again if a playoff is developed for the Bowl Subdivision.

For What It's Worth: Ciron Black is a Role Model for All Athletes

Rivals.com College Football - LSU's Black proves kindness goes a long way

There is a lot of negative press about athletes these days. There seems to be no shortage of stories about the wrong athletes, professional or amateur, find themselves involved in. Things like violence, cheating (steroids or academic), and other behavior issues are lead articles in newspapers across the country. Very seldom do you hear the story of all of the good kids who do things to help others without seeking any attention or fame.

Of course, their are the photo ops that all athletes are apart of. Public Relations people seem to get them special visits at the local children's hospital where the big game is being played. It really is a good thing to do. It helps the athletes understand the power that their very presence represent. When a "somebody" comes and visits a sick child, or someone who is struggling in a homeless shelter or an elderly member of our society, it opens a new world up to both the visitor and the visitee.

That's what makes the article referenced above so unique. Ciron Black sought out a young patient at St. Jude Children's Hospital in Memphis, TN without the help of the Media Relations Department at LSU where Black is a Offensive Lineman for the Tigers. He admired the young patient's resolve in the midst of great suffering. He simply wanted to let him know that he was pulling for him. What's more, Black asked to write "Mickey," the young patient's name, on the tape he puts on his wrists when plays in the National Title Game Monday night.

It is the desire of this site, to honor college football players who exhibit more than just prowess on the football field. I have even dreamed of an award for such a player. I also believe that several players should be honored during a football season. Ciron Black serves as an example of the kind of football player which should receive such an award. Black is interested in more than just the next "pancake" block on the football field. He is interested in making a difference off the field.

No such award exists this year at collegefootballtopten.com, but if it did, you can bet that Ciron Black would be a nominee. However, next year I would like to begin this award. A good format would be for nominees to be featured each week of the season culminating with the winner just before the first bowl game. Further, I would like the award winner be voted on by readers of this site from among the nominees. Nominees would be accepted by readers as well. I would like all regions of the country to be represented. There are enough conferences in the Bowl Subdivision that each conference could have at least one nominee.

As for Black, he is a role model for all athletes, not just football players. And come Monday night, whether you are rooting for Ohio State or LSU, you might just cheer for Ciron Black. And everybody, will be cheering for "Mickey" and all of the kids at St. Jude Children's Hospital.

For What It's Worth: New Year Could be a Nightmare for BCS

A funny thing happened along the way to the BCS National Championship Game. First, USC throttled Big Ten runner up Illinois. The game wasn't even close. Then, Georgia whipped the only undefeated football team in the Bowl Championship Subdivision.

Tonight, a hungry Oklahoma team is playing a West Virginia team in transition. Teams with interim head coaches haven't done very well in bowls this year. I think West Virginia is a great team, but the transition is more of a distraction then anyone wants to admit. Arkansas got beat pretty good during its bowl game.

So, here is the worst case scenario for the BCS Big Wigs. Oklahoma routs West Virginia tonight in the Fiesta Bowl. Then, LSU beat Ohio State for the National Title, but it turns out to be one of their trademark nail-biters. Then we would be left with four 2 loss teams with an understandable legitimate claim to the National Title. The BCS Champion would be LSU, but who would be the AP National Champ? Oklahoma beat West Virginia soundly, Georgia thumps Hawaii, and USC routs Illinois. All three teams have two losses, same as LSU, and all three won their bowl games handily.

O.K. Does anyone really know who the best team in the country really is this year? In this Nightmare Scenario there are four pretty good teams with two losses. And, Georgia didn't even make it to the SEC Title Game. All of this depends on, of course, Oklahoma beating West Virginia pretty good tonight and LSU winning the title Monday in unconvincing fashion.

Now, if Ohio State wins National Title Game on Monday night, well, then this Nightmare Scenario goes away. So, secretly, some may be pulling for the Buckeyes to win the title and keep this thing from being as "clear as mud." If the Buckeyes win, they have only one loss compared to the others' two (LSU would have 3), and Hawaii lost in their only shot to convince people they were top 5 (maybe top 10) worthy.

Fort What It's Worth: Greatness Comes in All Sizes

Yesterday, the Associated Press released their Little All-Americans List. Tonight Appalachian State plays Delaware for the Football Championship Subdivision National Championship. Should we, as college football fans, give any thought to these two different events. Well, yes. We have seen in the past that good players, no, great players do come from these programs. I will mention Steve McNair and Jerry Rice as examples. Steve McNair quarterbacked his team to the Super Bowl, and has an outstanding NFL career with the Titans and Ravens. Jerry Rice may go down as one of the greatest Wide Receivers in NFL history.

There are reasons that these kids never played at the Bowl Championship Subdivision level. All have their own unique reasons. Armanti Edwards, the Appalachian State superstar, was basically a late bloomer. He started playing QB during his junior year in High School and was barely noticed by the time he finished. A couple of Bowl Championship Subdivision teams offered him scholarships, but to play something other than QB. Now, he may be, arguably, the best dual threat QB in all of college football. You do remember Edwards don't you? He ripped Michigan on September 1 in Appy State's huge road upset of the Wolverines. He may get sniffs at the Heisman next year.

As a kid I remember watching Arkansas State rule the Southland Conference in the 80's. They went to the Division I AA playoffs, it seemed like, every year. They advance in most of those years eventually reaching the championship game. They lost to the very dominant Georgia Southern team. Georgia Southern's then Offensive Coordinator is now the new head coach at Georgia Tech. He will bring his Hamm Bone, as they named it after QB Tracy Hamm, to Tech.

Every year, there is a great NFL prospect that comes out of the small schools. So, you see, you don't have to be a starter at a Bowl Championship Subdivision school to play in the NFL.

Another example of that is Tony Romo. When Romo came to the Cowboys, I hadn't heard of him. But he made the team and continued to get better. Romo was an Undrafted Free Agent from Eastern Illinois, a Football Championship Subdivision school. He set records at EIU, but few people noticed. He got his chance for the Cowboys, and now he is considered one of the top QB's in the league.

My friend Mac Engel of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram has written a book about Tony. It's called America's Next Quarterback. You can visit the website to order a copy of the book. If you live in the Dallas/Fort Worth area, you can probably pick up a copy at your local Borders Bookstore.

For What It's Worth: A Pageant Is No Way to Decide a Champion

I have heard for a few days now all of the arguments about who should or should not be in the National Championship Game in January. The the new old way of deciding the champion just isn't getting the job done. The new old way, says we will wait until the season is over to see who the clear-cut best two football teams in the country are. The two teams will separate themselves from the pack by winning the conference championship without a loss (unless you are in the SEC, then we give you at least one loss because it is such a tough conference) and beating at least one key quality non-conference foe. At the end, through various polls, some of which are computers, we decide who was the best all year or who is the best team now or who deserves it the most. And then, we will invite them to shoot it out in the BCS National Championship Game.

Admittedly, the controversies that arise in such scenarios are what keeps the appeal of college football alive. Fans like the product, as it were, and are passionate about the sport. Many have made the claim, but I give credit to Stewart Mandel in his book Bowls, Polls & Tattered Souls for this point. But, seeking to improve the sport will not lesson the passion and love for the game as we know it. In fact, that is what we have been trying to do the last ten years. Maybe there has to be some ambiguity, but let's decide who the champion is on the field. We have been moving toward this for a while now. Do you remember how it use to be? I do. When the season was over, teams were invited to play in bowls. Conference champions went to certain bowls. The Big Eight champion went to the Orange Bowl, the Big Ten to the Rose Bowl, etc. Then, after the bowls, if a team was left unbeaten, the voters decided they were national champions. There were two polls: the Associated Press and the Coaches Poll. Sometimes, the polls disagreed. Before that, the national champion was decided before the bowl games were ever played.

Then something happened. The Fiesta Bowl changed everything. They came along made us all crazy for a unanimous national champion. They had a game where they persuaded the two best teams in the country to play in their bowl game. The two teams were independent and not tied to a bowl by virtue of a conference. Everyone got a taste of what could be (See Mandel, pp. 190-191.). The result of this was the moving toward this BCS thing we have in place. We decided it was best to put the two best teams on the field and let them play for the National Title. What we should now, is move it forward yet once again.

After a season such as this one, where no two teams were able to separate themselves from the rest of the college football world, there is little evidence available to tell which teams are actually qualified to play for the championship. Consider this. Stanford beat Cal. Cal beat Oregon. Oregon beat USC. USC beat UCLA. Stanford also beat USC (remember the shocker). Therefore, shouldn't Stanford beat UCLA. No, Stanford lost to UCLA in the first game of the season. Illogical circles like this exist all throughout college football this year. The "85 Scholarship Rule" has helped level the playing field, so the future should be more of the same. In other words, it's just going to get harder and harder to tell who the two best teams are by the end of the year. It may be a while before a team in the SEC wins their conference championship without losing a game.

Now is the time. We need to move toward a playoff format. I believe the BCS Contract is up in 2010. It appears that a "plus one" format may be soon. Hopefully, we will go to a eight team playoff and then, finally, to a sixteen team playoff.

What do we do with the bowl games? Well, renew the reason for which bowl games began. Bowl games would serve as a reward for those teams who have a good season but fail to qualify for the playoffs. Of course, there would be fewer bowl games, and bowls could continue to have conference tie-ins if they want. And, no team should play in a bowl game if they did not have at least seven wins.

But, let's not decide who should be playing for the national championship based on who we think looks best. This is not a pageant. This is football. Let's settle the championship on the field.

For What It's Worth: All Eyes are on the Chase

Saturday night is Championship Saturday. There will be three conference championship games played, and many will be interested in the Big 12 Conference Championship Game for two reasons. First, if Missouri wins the Big 12 Championship Game, they will be headed to New Orleans for the BCS National Title Game. Second, they will be watching Missouri QB Chase Daniel's last audition for the Heisman. Daniel needs this game for the trophy. By all indications, the Heisman chase is down to Daniel, Tim Tebow of Florida, and Darren McFadden of Arkansas. I think most voters will wait until after that game to decide. McFadden has been on the list all year based on his second place in the voting last year, and Tebow has put up "Superman" like numbers and performances all year. But, Daniel is the newcomer. He had a great year last year, but he was unknown. This year, he has played great and has his team on the verge of a conference championship and a shot at the National Title. And, based on recent Heisman winners, that is the kind of year voters like to see.

However, with the kind of year we have seen in College Football, a Mizzou loss is just as likely. In fact, Oklahoma is favored to beat Mizzou. That would put Heisman voters in a dilemma. Heisman voters have a recent record for voting for the most outstanding player on a team in the National Title Game. Neither McFadden nor Tebow will be in the National Title Game. Florida has 9 wins and Arkansas has 8. Florida played better all year than Arkansas. But, McFadden had two of the most "super human" performances of the year. Against South Carolina, McFadden rushed for 323 yards, had a rushing TD and a passing TD. And, again McFadden led the Hogs of an upset over Top Ranked LSU the day after Thanksgiving with 206 yards rushing, 2 rushing TD's and one passing TD. However, Tebow had stats like that all year. Tebow has 29 pass TD's and 22 rush TD's. Tebow's biggest weakness, for the Heisman Trophy voters, is that he is a Sophomore. That might have been the same weakness that cost McFadden the trophy last year.

The dilemma could be avoided if Chase Daniel has a humongous game for Missouri and they win the Big 12 Title and advance to the National Championship. Everyone will be watching, including, most likely, all 923 voters for the Heisman.


Next Up

Let the coaching carousel begin. Several coaches have resigned, been fired or "retired." Arkansas' Houston Nutt had already resigned and found a new job by Tuesday night. Speculation surrounds the Michigan job and the LSU coach Les Miles. Texas A&M has already hired Mike Sherman to replace Dennis Francione. Southern Miss's Jeff Bower has resigned after 17 years. There are other jobs up for grabs, and it should be an interesting few weeks.

For What It's Worth: I'm Thankful

If you were a regular follower of this site, all 1.5 of you, you noticed I stopped updating and posting a top ten poll back in October. There are a couple of main reasons for this.

First, I just did not have enough time. I wish that I was a sports writer. It would be cool to be paid to go to games and then write about what I saw. I know that there is more to it than that, but I might be willing to put up with all of the "suffering" that goes along with it. My favorite college football writer is Stewart Mandel from SI.com. I really do think that he is pretty balanced in his writing, and I agree with him most of the time. If you like college football and are intrigued with the hot topics that give it so much passion, then you might check out Stewart's book. Back to reason number one, time. I, like so many who have blogs etc., have a full time job. I also have other projects going. Therefore, it became difficult for me to do the research necessary to keep up with one of the most changing years in college football. Last year when I did the poll, I think I missed one or two weeks. Basically, I set up my top ten and adjusted it when teams lost, which was not nearly as often as this year. Not only were teams losing this year, but they were losing to unranked teams. The changes were fast and often.

Second, I just couldn't see enough games. My computer wasn't working well during this stretch which kept me from seeing any highlights and researching teams in which I just couldn't see on TV. In order to run a college football site, one needs to have some kind of cable TV (with Saturday off) and/or a good access to the internet. Well I work on Saturdays and I don't have cable TV. Cable TV accounts for about 85% of the games being televised (my observation). I live in Fort Worth, TX, and I have only seen TCU play once, at a friends home. Cable packages, of course, are not customizable where one can customize it for a lot of sports channels. Maybe I'll get cable again someday, but right now I'd rather have internet.

So, why I am thankful in light of this. That I have a job. Of course, it might be more fun if my job was writing about sporting events, but I have a job. Not being able to keep up with my blog means that I was busy because of my job, which have. The job allows us to eat, have internet access, cell phone, pay bills, and almost everything I really need. I have been without one before, and it really makes it tough. It might not be my ideal job, but at least it is one I can do well, and one I like most of the time. I am able to laugh at work. With my fellow workers and my supervisors. I have access to almost all things relating to entertainment. I have been fortunate to meet some really nice people, some local celebrities. I have some very smart and very thoughtful customers. My company, Borders Books, provides me with some benefits. Today, my wife and I will go eat Thanksgiving lunch, and we will be able to pay for it.

I apologize to readers for dropping the ball, fumbling if you will. If I continue this blog, it will have to take a different direction. I am in the process of figuring that out. If you have any suggestions, click on on contact link on the homepage and email me your ideas. I am thinking about keeping my articles and having various top tens. One idea is the Top Ten Surprises in 2007. Those kinds of things. That keeps the site more true to the domain name. There are many polls out there, from the "professionals" to the serious bloggers. I might defer my poll making to those guys. Maybe I will provide a one stop shop for polls or a list of links to find the best polls. I figure that I can write what I think about college football based on what I observe through the games I see on TV, read about in the paper, and read on the internet. It is certainly harder for me to know about teams from other areas of the country than the ones near North Texas. Therefore, I will be brainstorming on how to make this a viable site which works for my time and energies. Just because I had a fumble, it doesn't mean the game is over.

The end of the season is here. The final few weeks are left, and there is still a lot of season changing games left on the schedule. And then, of course, it become bowl season.

For What It's Worth: One Game at a Time is Not Just a Cliche

It happens every year: Upset Saturday. It's a Saturday when the totally unexpected happens. Multiple teams lose, and they lose to teams no one expected them to lose to. Then, everyone asks, "Why?" Why not? Five top 10 teams lost over the last weekend of college football, and some of them left us scratching our heads. Does anyone remember when Utah whipped UCLA earlier this season. Yeah, we're still scratching our heads. Utah has fallen a long way from when they were coached by Urban Meyer. Which brings us back to this year's first (Could there be more?) "Upset Saturday." Coach Meyer's Florida Gators, fresh off their less than stellar performance in Oxford against Ole Miss lost to Auburn, at home. It seems the Gators learned their lesson. Auburn's two losses this year includes South Florida (that one doesn't look so bad) and Miss State.

Every year you hear some team's coach and players say something about taking it "one game at a time." Do they really believe that? Or, are they just playing media politics. You know, saying what they are suppose to say. I mean, they have the media to tell them just how good they are, or are not. That's called hype. They can read the hype just as well as I can. There is the internet, the hometown newspaper paper, the campus newspaper, Sports Illustrated, ESPN, SI.com, ESPN.com, Yahoo Sports, Fox Sports, etc. , etc. They can watch their own highlights on TV. Oh, and they have their campus' fans to tell them how great they are. It's got to be a challenge for them to be focused each week. They also have a host of other responsibilities including their schoolwork.

Then, there is the opponent. They watch hours of film. They break down their weaknesses. They make note of their strengths. And, then they have see their opponents record, who they've played, etc. We also must not forget that these are 18 to 23 year old students. Focus is everything in college football now. Parity exists. If anyone doubts it, may I suggest you watch the Michigan vs. Appalachian State game from earlier this year. Other evidence includes the fact that two Sun Belt teams have beaten a team from a BCS conferences this year (Florida Atlantic defeated Minnesota and Troy beat Oklahoma State), and Arkansas State was competitive against Texas. Does that mean that the Sun Belt Conference winner now deserves a BCS Bowl Bid? No, but you see that parity exists more now than ever.

Therefore, the wins by USC and LSU over the weekend seem even more impressive. LSU was playing a inferior Tulane team on the road. If you are a 19 yr. old kid playing for LSU, how do you get psyched up for Tulane? USC beat a gutsy Washington team on the road. Washington's offense wasn't all that great, but several mistakes by USC's offense and several Trojan injuries kept the Huskies in the game. These two unimpressive outings for each team exposes the fact that each team is beatable. However, each team found a way to win. Admittedly, LSU ended up winning handily. These kinds of games happen every year, often more than a team would really like. It's up to the team to win when their play is lacking. If anyone followed the National Champion Florida Gators last season, they would not have been overly impressed. But, they found a way to win games in which their best play wasn't there. Some games are easier than others to have focus.

It is this time of the season when teams are entering conference play. This is usually when the potential for upsets is worse. Conference teams play each other every year, knowing each other very well. They may have easily beaten the same conference opponent the year before. There is also more game film on each team now. A smart coach, offensive or defensive coordinator, can devise a unique game plan for a good team based on a weakness found in game film. It seems every year a "cellar dweller" sneaks up on someone for the upset. Again, focus is important. I would be a little surprised if their are two unbeaten teams left at the end of the year playing for the National Title. If there are, I would think it would be LSU and USC, but both teams have a tough conference schedule left to play.

The two teams that will play in January down in N'awlins for the National Title will be the ones who take it "one game at a time." They will be the teams who have the most focus through the 12 games (or possibly 13 if they play in a conference championship game). And, when the confetti is falling after one team wins the title, and the star player or coach says on national tv that his team took it "one game at a time," I'll believe him.

For What it's Worth: Some Things Are More Important than Football

On a day like today (9/11), we remember that football isn't the most important thing. It was six years ago that our world changed forever. 9/11 serves as a new generation's "where were you?" question. I remember where I was, and it didn't involve football. Some things are just more important. I watched in horror as the twin towers fell while I was listening to the late Peter Jennings' coverage on ABC News. It was so surreal that Jennings didn't immediately notice that the towers were falling. I later learned news that made the events even more personal. I friend and high school classmate told me that another classmate of ours (from Pakistan no less) was in the second towers. Fortunately, he made it out of the tower before the second plane hit the tower he was in. Unfortunately, another classmate of ours sister who was just two years behind us was a flight attendant on one of the planes. I saw her name scroll on the jumbo screen during the Super Bowl halftime performance by U2 that honored the victims of 9/11.

So, we remember. The victims. The police and firefighters who rushed to the scene to try to save lives. The NY Fire Department Chaplain who paused give last rites and lost his life. To those who saved thousands of lives by taking over United Flight 93 even though it meant the loss of theirs. To the thousands of soldiers who continue to serve to keep all Americans safe. To all service personal who serve every day putting their life in harms way. To the young lady I went to high school with and her family. To the families who all perished. I wanna cry every time I see another story. God bless them all.

Todd

For What it's Worth: Football is Still a Team Sport

What do I see after week one in College Football? Football is still a team sport. If you don't believe me, just ask Michigan or Texas. I don't have to tell you by now that Michigan lost their game with Appalachian State. Texas, struggled to get by at home against Arkansas State, a "powerhouse" one Fort Worth TV sports reporter called them with sarcasm. Appalachian State is the two time defending Division I-AA Champs (the NCAA now calls it the Championship Division because they play playoffs to determine the national champions). Arkansas State was a Sun Belt Conference Champs two years ago, and beat last year's champs, Troy, on the road. Neither, however, would be considered teams who belong at the top in the BCS conferences.

The fact is when we are in the offseason, and everyone is debating who signed the best recruiting class, these two teams aren't mentioned because there isn't news of recruiting for either school. Why? Because they don't sign "blue chip," "five-star" recruits. Go ahead and get the talent. I hope they remember how to play football, avoid penalties, block for extra points, etc. These great recruits still have to perform, and execute the fundamentals. For example, DeShaun Jackson looked solid in Cal's win against Tennessee. Yes, he is that good. His punt return was something that makes a legend.

We saw modest performances from the two top rated recruits of last year, Jimmy Clausen (Notre Dame) and Joe McKnight (USC). McKnight even had a fumble. Do you remember those guys? Clausen shows up in a stretch hummer to announce he was going to be an Irish, and Joe McKnight broke every LSU fan's heart when he chose USC over them. I remember Cedar Hill's (Texas) William Cole make his announcement on a local TV in an almost gaudy like fashion when chose Oklahoma State. As far as I know, Cole had no significant stats Saturday against Georgia.

At the end of the day, these guys need the other 10 on the field. And, they have to execute the fundamentals before they can put on the show. Hype doesn't win games, teams do. And, sometimes you never know who will be a star when the lights are turned on. Does anyone remember a high school fullback from Waco named LaDainian Tomlinson? He did alright didn't he?

Guys like Rich Rodriguez has made a living recruiting guys like these, and he has built a pretty good program with a system that fits these guys at West Virginia. These days, the way the Appalachian and Boise States have leveled the playing field to compete with the Michigans have been to run unorthodox offenses that take advantage of defensive vulnerabilities and score points. Remember Florida? They take advantage of speed, spread the field and throw the defense off balance. It's happening all over the country, but it has yet to happen in the NFL where the talent is so deep and players study all the time. Now, more than ever, the BCS teams have to come to play when they step on the field with Arkansas State, Boise State, Appalachian State, or whomever they might be playing.

The more the playing field becomes leveled, the more there is a need for a playoffs. And, the way Appalachian State played on Saturday, maybe there is a need for a winner takes all between the two Division I champs.

Check out my top ten here.

For What It's Worth: You Know It's Almost Time for College Football When. . . . .

. . . .College Football teams name their starting QBs.

It has been happening this week. Several teams have named their starting QB for the first game. Each team, I'm sure, reserves the right to make a change. Maybe the biggest announcement is at Oklahoma. OU named redshirt Freshman Sam Bradford its starting QB. OU is one of many teams who have to replace a QB. Another team is TCU. The Frogs announced this week that redshirt Freshman Andy Dalton would get the start against Baylor.
Dalton beat out Sophomore Marcus Jackson who helped TCU beat Baylor last year after Jeff Ballard was unable to finish the game. Jackson has playing experience and some success. TCU coach Gary Patterson feels real good about both QBs. Patterson told Dale Hanson of WFAA TV that when the Frogs have won 10 games recently, that they have needed two QBs. Jackson should be ready. Tyler Donovan will start for Wisconsin. Donovan played when then Senior QB John Stocco was injured last year leading to the Badgers to two wins. His experience will be helpful at the beginning of the season.

Other new starters include Sam Keller at Nebraska and, maybe, Cody Hawkins at Colorado.

Well, if you are 59 years old, you have a shot. Have you seen the story about 59 year old Mike Flynt who made the football team at NAIA Sul Ross State? I guess you never know what might happen.

Seven Weeks Left

August 30, 2007 marks the first day for NCAA College Football Season. That is seven weeks, or 49 days. I did learn some math in school. Thanks Mrs. Burns. Much has happened in the offseason, but once the first day gets here, we will be looking forward. Why watch? Well, no less than five ranked teams play. Unfortunately, no ranked team plays another. Remarkably, that first day features the first SEC's game. Wow! Talking about the need to be ready for that first game! Hope you've had a good summer, and let's get ready for some football--college!