College Football Week 10

And another undefeated team is creeping into the top ten. The University of Houston is 9-0 and QB Casey Keenum continues to throw the ball. The last three will present their own challenges. This Thursday is a quick turnaround as the Cougars go out on the road to Tulane. Then more conference games against SMU and Tulsa will give them a challenge to go 12-0. And of course Conference USA has their title game.

The so-called game of the century between LSU and Alabama is all I need. Alabama dropped to number 3 in the BCS standing, still in front of undefeated Stanford and Boise State. And much talk has surrounded a national title rematch between the two teams. Haven't I heard this before? In 2006 Michigan and Ohio State faced each other as undefeated, but the home-town Buckeyes outlasted the Wolverines 42-39. Much of the nation clamored for a rematch. But it didn't happen and Michigan went on to lose the Rose Bowl and Ohio State went on to lose the national championship. This year LSU won at Alabama by a field goal in OT. Based on LSU's win coming on the road should eliminate a rematch, or Alabama's opportunity to play in the title game. I've always felt that the national title game should include conference champions, and after Saturday night, should not include a team that lost on its home turf. So, No, I don't want a rematch.

I'm thinking many Iowa fans were surprised this week's game between Iowa and Michigan State didn't earn the 2:30 ABC start. I was hoping for it. Instead the game for the Legends Division lead is on ESPN2 beginning at 11am. We can't be surprised Nebraska and Penn State are above the Hawkeyes in the TV pecking order. First time these two teams play, and each are ranked in the nation's top 25. Putting Michigan and Illinois at 2:30 on ABC is a little puzzling, but perhaps they are looking to draw as many TVs as possible. That puts Iowa and Michigan State on ESPN2 at 11am. This promises to be a well-hyped game that could live up to the expectations. But it doesn't garner the ESPN or ABC slot. I guess this game is only big for the fans in each state.

College Football Preview

The adjacent picture is the right way to start of the season. ESPN College Football analyst, Kirk Herbstreit is joined by members of the Alabama Crimson Tide Cheerleading squad as the 2010 season gets underway this Thursday night. Although not a premier weekend to get it started, a few good games will garner the interest of the fans nation wide. Of course the ESPN Thursday night broadcast will once again present South Carolina, this year taking on Southern Mississippi. From one USC to another, the Trojans of Southern California follow with a trip to Hawaii. On Friday another Pac-10 team, Arizona travels to a non-BCS school, Toledo. Saturday brings a very intriguing match-up as Randy Edsall's UConn Huskies travel to the Big House to face Michigan. Then two games round out the weekend with major BCS implications. Saturday night Oregon State takes on TCU in the Horned Frogs back yard of Arlington. On Monday Boise State takes on Virginia Tech in Washington D.C.

A few observations as we enter week 1:

• There is much pressure on Virginia Tech to prove Boise State does not belong among the nation's elite. When Boise State defeated Oklahoma in the 2008 Tostitos Fiesta Bowl, the Broncos had over a month to prepare. This time BSU has had over seven months to come up with a few new wrinkles for the Hokies.
• Rich Rodriguez would definitely like to start the 2010 season with an opponent easier than that of UConn. The Huskies played the end of 2009 determined and focused. Will that carry over to the season opener? Meanwhile if there is a must-win for the Wolverines, this would be it. Michigan cannot afford to travel to Notre Dame in a week looking for their first win.
• How different will the Big Ten look in one year when Nebraska joins? There are two names that consistently appear on every one's "Hot Seat" lists. They are Rich Rodriguez and Illinois' Ron Zook. However how safe are Minnesota's Tim Brewster and Indiana's Bill Lynch? The Big Ten has eight bowl tie-ins entering 2010. Will making a lower-tier bowl game be enough to keep any of these coaches from leaving their school?
• Texas has already named Defensive Coordinator Will Muschamp as the Head Coach in waiting--waiting for Mack Brown to step down. It seems Brown has spent more time in ESPN's Bristol's studios this off-season than on the recruiting trail. Has he been auditioning for the ESPN Game Day job currently held by Lee Corso? Corso suffered a mild stroke prior in the spring of 2009, causing his workload to be lessened. I believe it is a matter of when, rather than if.
• Finally, what is the likelihood the popular ESPN College Game Day makes an early visit to Iowa City? The Hawkeye's game with Penn State has already been slated for 7pm. However there are a list of quality games on the schedule that day. Among them are Oklahoma - Texas, Florida - Alabama, and Stanford - Oregon. ESPN likes to schedule its pre game shows at games of teams with near perfect records. With Penn State making a trip to Alabama in week two, ESPN may find themselves sending Fowler, Corso and Herbstreit elsewhere. But Iowa fans shouldn't be frustrated as it may mean more to have the show on the shadows of the Pentacrest when Ohio State travels to Iowa City on November 20.

College Football Week 4

While many top 20 teams continue to fall, the ladies of Alabama support the Crimson Tide as they continue to stay in the top 5. Alabama has proven to be worthy of their ranking. However Florida and Texas are my two teams that may find themselves being knocked off in the within the next three weeks. Florida must play at LSU in two weeks while Texas takes on Oklahoma in the Red River ShootOut in three weeks.

Talk in the press box following the Hawkeye upset of Penn State focused on ABC's decision to carry the Iowa - Michigan game on the 10th. Other options for the prime time game that week include Baylor at Oklahoma as well as Florida at LSU. However CBS has the first option for the SEC showdown, and if they pass, the broadcast would move to ESPN as ABC cannot show an SEC game in prime time. If that game does appear on cable the broadcast team of Musberger and Herbstreit will be live in Baton Rouge. However a matchup of undefeateds in Iowa City would be tough for ABC to pass up.

A score that went with little notice over the weekend had Idaho beating Northern Illinois in Dekalb. This is the same NIU team which upset Purdue the week before and pushed Wisconsin to the final minute. Idaho moves to 3-1 in the WAC and makes a statement for the improved football competition in the non-BCS conference. A potential key match-up comes in the second to last game of the season when the Vandals travel to Boise to take on the top 10 Broncos.

College Football Wrap-Up

A quick look back at the bowl season thanks to the USC Song Girls.

Florida head coach, Urban Meyer defended his former school, Utah and deemed them as a non-BCS school who is very much BCS quality. He mentioned the facilities are better than some BCS schools (Iowa), talent is better than some BCS schools (Indiana) and beat all BCS schools that came their way.

Congrats to the Pac 10. They went undefeated in all of their bowl games. A conference that was so maligned early defended themselves well into the post-season.

Big 10 lived up to expectations. Did many expect Penn State to beat USC in the Rose Bowl? Who had any faith in the Golden Gophers as they played Kansas? Wisconsin? Northwestern? Ohio State? Iowa played the best of any of the conference schools, but they did play a bad South Carolina team. Had the Hawkeyes played a game higher in the bowl line-up (Georgia, Cap One) the Big Ten may have increased their number of wins to 2. Ohio State hung with Texas longer than I thought.

The most exciting action of the day in El Paso may have been the world record set by Villiage People and the 41,000+ fans who performed "YMCA." Sure beat the 3-0 win by Oregon State.

Finally, many northerners have long said that if any southern school had to play for the title in the colder climate, the outcome would change. Consider this, six of the last six BCS title winners have come from warmer climates and three of those have played in their home state. Perhaps talent wants to stay close to home, but when was the last time Florida, LSU, or Alabama played a regular season game at a Big 10 or Big 12 school?

Check out this link ranking the Big 10 in 2009... http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/college/chi-10-big-10-football,0,3555209.story