College Football Week 2

Is Texas A&M bolting for the SEC, or another conference? The Magic 8 Ball points to yes, and this Aggie Cheerleader would agree. The Big 12 is quickly disintegrating and some of the non-Big 12 South Schools need to start looking for a new home.

Weather was the headline to week one of college football. Delays were forced in Iowa City, Ann Arbor, South Bend, and Morgantown while Eastern Michigan decided to wait a day before attempting to play theirs. Never have I seen it rain as hard with as strong of winds in Kinnick Stadium for a football game. Many I talked to who have spent many years going to Iowa Football games agreed.

I must give much credit to Boise State. A year ago I still doubted the Broncos following a win in Washington D.C. over the nearby Virginia Tech Hokies. Then I said that it is much easier to prepare for a team when they have months to do so. They were in the same scenario again this year playing in Atlanta against the home Georgia Bulldogs. Boise stepped up to the challenge this year and proved they could play with the big boys. Give BSU credit, they haven't shied away from taking on a challenge of playing a BCS team on the road.

However Mark Richt may be facing his last year "between the hedges." The Bulldog faithful are becoming impatient with the recent status of the Georgia program. A BCS bowl game appearance or SEC championship may be the only way Richt can save his job. He cannot afford anything less than 9-3.

This week many eyes will be on Ann Arbor for the first night game in Michigan Stadium history. First year head coach of the Wolverines, Brady Hoke would've preferred to get some more plays in before weather halted their game with Western Michigan. Will Michigan be prepared to take on Notre Dame?

And can we put an end to the experimental uniforms given to teams? Those that look cool are fewer than those that are over the top. See Maryland.

College Football Week 13

For many Hawkeye fans who are wanting an Oregon State defeat this week to in-state rivals, Oregon, we present you the Fighting Duck Cheerleading Squad. A loss by the Beavers helps the chances of the Big Ten Conference having two BCS teams and improving Iowa's bowl rank within the Big Ten. However a win by Oregon State puts them into the Rose Bowl as Pac 10 Champs. New Year's Day in Florida looks very promising.

Dome is Home--For the past twenty-seven years the Minnesota Golden Gophers have called the HHH Metrodome home. At that time, moving their home facility off-campus to an indoor, climate-controlled atmosphere was a recruiting plus. However now the dome is blamed for lack of attendance and atmosphere. Next year the Gophers move into TCF Stadium on the UM campus. Saturday night at kick-off I noticed a packed house for the border rivals Iowa Hawkeyes. A full house isn't typical unless the Hawkeyes or Badgers travel to the Twin Cities, but Minnesota will definitely miss out on these types of crowds when playing outdoors in November, and more importantly, the deafening noise that gets trapped inside. Moving into the open-air stadium will lose its flare, not after a couple of years, but perhaps after a couple of games. If Tim Brewster continues to have the same type of success that his predecessor Glenn Mason has (padding his schedule with lower level FBS teams and succumbing to BCS schools of winning records), it won't matter where the Gophers play, fans will not show up. Now they are guaranteed of full houses at least once a year.

Keep the A.D. to His Word--After a devastating 70-7 defeat to the hands of New Mexico , San Diego State Athletic Director Jeff Schimmel declared Head Football Coach Chuck Long would be back in 2009. Chuck was fired prior to Saturday's 42-21 win over UNLV. Long did not share the news with members of his team or coaching staff until after the victory. It was discovered Schimmel and boosters had been securing the money to buyout Long's last season on his contract over the last two weeks.
Can we end in-season comments by athletic directors unless a final decision is made. Please state that a decision will be made at the end of the year. It is unfair to coaches, staffs and players to be misled.

Blowout Saturday--As exciting this college football season has been, this past Saturday was a disappointment. Every game in the Big Ten was decided in the first half with the exception of Wisconsin and Cal-Poly. In the day's most anticipated game, #5 Oklahoma dismantled #2 Texas Tech. A top 25 North Carolina Tar Heel team was embarrassed at home by in-state rival, North Carolina State while the newest darling of the ACC, Miami lost badly to this week's darling, Georgia Tech. We may see the same this week when Florida and Florida State meet.
Games to watch:
Georgia Tech at Georgia
Western Michigan at Ball State
Oregon at Oregon
Oklahoma at Oklahoma State
and look for West Virginia to upset Pittsburgh.